L.A. Auto Show - Green Car of the Year Finalists

Yesterday, the L.A. Auto Show announced the finalists for Green Car of the Year. This year’s picks are excellent examples of the the wide range of prices, styles, and technologies car manufactures are offering.

Audi A3 TDI 
Clean and stylish, the A3 TDI sports a clean burning diesel engine that gets up to 30 mpg and energy saving extras.

Honda Insight
Not only is the Honda Insight efficient, but it’s ECON Assist system will teach you how to drive more efficiently.

Mercury Milan Hybrid
America’s most fuel-efficient mid-size sedan with EPA estimated mpg 41 city/36 hwy, the Milan Hybrid runs on electric mode up to 47 miles per hour.

Toyota Prius
The 3rd generation Prius offers some of the best fuel efficiency on the market, up to 51 mpg.

Volkswagen Golf TDI
Not only is the Volkswagen Golf TDI affordable, but it’s estimated annual fuel cost is just $1,140!

The award will be announced December 3rd, 2009.

Audi A3: Anything But Your Typical Wagon

Audi delayed releasing the A3, which they to this day avoid describing as a wagon, for 10 years here in the US afraid of disdain for hatchback wagons in the States. It debuted in 2006. And for once the marketing of a vehicle stays true to the reality that the Audi A3 "is the first four-door car with the sportiness of the TT Coupe".

It's reasonably priced too starting at $26K. And for the money, you get a refined interior and with sporty suspension and great maneuverability. And in reality, the design is low-slung and camouflages any bulky wagon qualities you might expect. The bonus is you get the practicality of wagon, although it's a bit small in back, without any concessions that would dull the A3's slick performance. Be wary of option packages that can drive the reasonable starting price up though.

It's hard finding competitors that deliver this caliber of luxury and performance without costing more. One option is the Volkswagen Passat Wagon which also has more cargo space. It's a touch less luxurious though. Another alternative is the Subaru Outback Sport which has leather seats and AWD.

Top-rated Values for 2007

A recent article identified a short list of vehicles that offer the most value this year. By evaluating multiple sources and results such as value ratings, customer service satisfaction, reliability history, depreciation rates and consumer perception of brands, Forbes has arrived at a list of the "Most Value-Packed Cars".

Because a lot of higher-end models with customized services made the list, the BuyingAdvice Team suspects that customer ratings on the sales experience may have been given too much weight when determining some of this year's best values. But, the list has a lot of useful information for the value-inclined. Here are some of the highlights:

Mini Cooper	Pros: Strong reliability, personalized sales approach, 6 yrs of value awards
Acura TSX	Pros: Near-Luxury sedan for about $29K, reliability, high resale value
Lincoln MKX	Pros: Brand new model, top safety pick, versatile crossover, exceptional sales process
Lexus IS	Pros: A sports sedan with nice features and price, outstanding reliability
Saturn Aura	Pros: No haggle experience, attractive ride, strong ongoing service
BMW 3-Series Coupe	Pros: Low depreciation rate, practical qualities plus a notable ride, low price for BMW
Honda Civic	Pros: Reliable, safe and fuel efficient, high resale value
Audi A3	Pros: Lowest priced Audi, versatile hatchback, efficient fuel use for the power

It's worth noting that BMW, Lexus and Honda had the most number of models that made the highest value list. To read the full article and rankings, go to Forbes.