CHICAGO, April 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Cars.com, the
premier online resource for buying and selling new and used
vehicles, compiled a list of U.S. cities with the most and least
eco-friendly car shoppers. The site looked at search data from its
millions of site visitors and determined that, based on their
searches for vehicles that get more than 40 mpg, California shoppers are the greenest in the
U.S., and Southern states are the least green.
"Earth Day is our yearly reminder
that we can be doing more for the environment," said Cars.com
Editor-in-Chief, Patrick
Olsen. "This list ranks cities where car shoppers are
most interested in minimizing their driving's impact on the
environment. With more hybrids, electrics and very
fuel-efficient vehicles on the market than ever before, shoppers
looking for a new car can do their part to reduce their carbon
footprint without skimping on style and comfort."
A few vehicles that Olsen recommends for the eco-conscious
shopper this Earth Day include:
- 2012 Hyundai Elantra: A gas-powered vehicle that gets 40 miles
per gallon, no matter what trim you buy
- 2012 Toyota Prius c: A hybrid vehicle whose MSRP starts under
$19,000 and gets 53 mpg in the
city
- 2012 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: For those interested in diesel, this
option from VW gets more than 40 mpg on the highway
The top 10 cities with the greenest car shoppers, based on
Cars.com searches, are*:
- San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose,
Calif.
- Madison, Wis.
- Monterey-Salinas, Calif.
- Portland, Ore.
- San Diego, Calif.
- Green Bay-Appleton, Wis.
- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara-San
Luis Obispo, Calif.
- Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto,
Calif.
- Chico-Redding, Calif.
- Zanesville, Ohio
*Ranked greenest to least green
"There's a perception that Californians are more eco-conscious,
and our car shopping data shows that's true," said Olsen. "With
more charging stations than any other state and dedicated car-pool
lanes, it's easy to understand why manufacturers typically choose
California as the place to launch
their new 'green' vehicles."
The 10 cities with the fewest green car shoppers, based on
Cars.com searches, are*:
- Odessa-Midland, Texas/N.M.
- Laredo, Texas
- Fairbanks, Alaska
- Albany, Ga.
- Bluefield-Beckley-Oakhill,
Va./W. Va.
- Glendive, Mont.
- Helena, Mont.
- Columbus-Tupelo-West Point,
Ala./Miss.
- Casper-Riverton, Wyo.
- Baton Rouge, La.
*Ranked least green to greener
"The hard-workers in the South need their pickup trucks," said
Olsen. "For these workers, a hybrid or fuel efficient vehicle would
likely be a second car, and that's just not as feasible for many in
this economy."
To search for a new hybrid, electric or fuel efficient vehicle
in your area, visit www.cars.com. To see our editorial team's
list of the Best Hybrids for the Money, click here.
ABOUT CARS.COM
Founded in 1998, Cars.com is an award-winning online
destination for car shoppers that offers information from consumers
and experts to help buyers formulate opinions on what to buy, where
to buy and how much to pay for a car. Cars.com is a division of
Classified Ventures LLC, which is owned by leading media companies,
including A.H. Belo (NYSE: AHC),
Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), The McClatchy Company (NYSE: MNI),
Tribune Company and The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO).
SOURCE Cars.com