Color Them Green (or Greedy)

By JIM MOTAVALLI (NYT) 459 words

A LOT of publications marshal facts and figures to influence car-buying decisions. The latest, 2003 edition of ''ACEEE's Green Book'' is no exception, though it doesn't provide the usual fodder of top speeds or zero-to-60 acceleration times.

Rather, the publication offers lesser-known measures like the ''environmental damage index'' of a car, plus estimates of the health care costs to society from the pollution produced by a particular model. The Green Book is published by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, an environmental group in Washington.

The Green Book also ranks cars by environmental standards. ''The mantra of our book is to encourage consumers to buy the greenest vehicle that fits their needs and their budget,'' said James Kleisch, the co-author (with John DeCicco). ''We don't say, 'Stay away from pickup trucks.' We say that if you're going to buy a pickup, here's the greenest one on the market.''

The Environmental Protection Agency ranks vehicles based on fuel economy and emissions, too, but the Green Book assigns a ''green score'' that includes a life-cycle assessment, taking into account factors like how much energy is used to build a particular model.

The book includes lists of the greenest and meanest 2003 models. The highest green score -- 57 -- goes to a two-seat hybrid gas-electric car, the Honda Insight. The exotic $675,000 Ferrari Enzo ranks lowest, with a score of 9. But the group noted that cars like the Enzo are so rare that they do far less harm to the environment than big trucks.

A third list, called Greener Choices, picks what the group considers the best vehicles in categories from compact cars to sport utilities. The vehicles on this list tend to be models that consumers shun, like a four-cylinder version of the Ford Ranger pickup.

The rankings can be confusing, as several of the greenest vehicles are California-only editions that receive higher green scores than their counterparts on the Greener Choices list. The Toyota Prius is the same from coast to coast, but it is classified as a super-ultra-low-emission vehicle in California, where low-sulfur gasoline is sold, and as an ultra-low-emission vehicle elsewhere.

Highlights of the rankings are on line at www.greenercars.org. The E.P.A.'s list is at www.epa.gov/greenvehicles.