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Toyota
Toyota Yaris
Why It's Good:
It's inexpensive, spry and comes in a stick shift for people who want to have a little fun while they run those errands.
Why It's Green:
It has one of the highest ratings of a non-hybrid vehicle, so it will save you and the environment more petroleum than some hybrids.
Where To Get It:
What's Cute, Speedy and Green All Over?
A few weeks ago I took a little break from my veggie oil-powered vintage Benz to test-drive a slew of the new compact cars and to my great surprise, the goofiest looking one of the bunch stole my heart. I know I am supposed to love the Prius, but the peppy, five-speed Yaris Liftback—Japanimation's take on the VW Beetle—not only handled the best, it sipped gas like a guy savoring his last beer of the night. Yes, on average the Prius gets better mileage (46 for the Prius vs. 38 for the Yaris), and has more cargo room, rear doors, etc. But if I were buying a new car for driving around town, my money would be on the 2008 Yaris: It's zippy (especially if you get the stick shift), the front seats sit up nice and high, the entire dash is chock full of a ridiculous number of useful little compartments and cup holders, it's iPod compatible, it's shockingly roomy (I'm 6'2")...and the price–starting at $11,350–is very, very right.—Charles Runnette
