Cleaner, greener, meaner

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Everyone with a car can do it, though some ways are cheaper, less complicated and easier than others, writes Dave Moore.

There are four ways to ease your own bit of automotive profligacy. You can downsize, which is the simplest way of interpreting the formula that says the heavier your vehicle is and the more wind it pushes, then the greater is its carbon footprint.

You can try diesel, which effectively means you can keep using a similarly sized vehicle while reducing your consumption of fuel and having a similar effect on your CO2 emissions.

Then there's the hybrid route which, depending on who you talk to, appears to be a perfect stepping stone to new fuels and energy sources.

However, there are others who point to production costs, and battery disposal concerns.

The fourth method works with any kind of car, and only requires you to prepare and drive your existing vehicle more sensibly. You can probably ease your use of resources this way as effectively as those who have the wherewithal to change their cars or the way they are powered.

New Zealand's top five clean new cars

With size, function and accommodation no object, these are the five cleanest and greenest cars on our market.

VW Polo BlueMotion diesel – $30,990. 3.9 litres every 100km, 99g/km CO2

Toyota Prius 1.5L hybrid – $43,650. 4.2 litres every 100km, 104g/km CO2

Honda Civic 1.3L hybrid – $35,300. 4.45 litres every 100km, 109g/km CO2

Fiat Grande Punto 1.3L diesel – $25,990. 4.35 litres every 100km, 119g/km CO2

Honda Jazz 1.3L petrol – $20,500. 5.85 litres every 100km, 119g/km CO2

Downsizing

We've chosen five logic model swaps that would save on emissions, and fuel use without compromising too much on basic driveability or interior space.

Honda Civic 1.8L to Honda Jazz 1.3L – Saves up to 2.0 litres every 100km and up to 48g/km CO2.

Toyota Camry 2.4L to Toyota Corolla 1.8L – Saves up to 2.5 litres every 100km and up to 38g/km CO2.

Ford Falcon 4.0L to Ford Mondeo 2.0L – Saves up to 2.0 litres every 100km and up to 50g/km CO2.

Benz E320D to Benz C220D – Saves up to 2.0 litres every 100km and up to 30g/km CO2.

Mitsubishi Pajero V6 to Mitsubishi Outlander 4 – Saves up to 4.2 litres every 100km and up to 100g/km CO2.

Holden Commodore SS to Holden Commodore SV6 – Saves up to 3.0 litres every 100km and up to 80g/km CO2.

- © Fairfax NZ News