Driven: CT's Top 5 Green Eco-Motors

Whatever happened to global warming? Before the world's economy got lost down the back of the sofa, everyone from global leaders to Hollywood megastars were telling us that melting ice caps and temperature rise were the greatest threats to ever face the human race. Then, all the banks went Pete Tong and it seems to have been forgotten.

Anyway, the flip side is that instead of buying an eco-friendly car for the old reason - to personally avert The Day After Tomorrow from occurring - green machines are now flavour of the month because they save us money. In £1.40-a-litre Britain, miles per gallon figures are the most valuable numbers this side of the ones written on lottery balls. Eco cars are big business (whether you believe the claimed consumption figures or not).

But what's the best way to go? Hydrogen barely has a foothold in the UK. Are new-fangled electric vehicles the future? Are hyper-miling diesels the best of both worlds? Or is the good old reliable petrol motor a dark horse in the economy stakes? Car Throttle has tried loads of each, so here's a Top 5 run down of motors to pine after if fuel economy is the absolute priority for your next car... or keeping the South Pole frozen.

5. FIAT 500C TwinAir

This is a good shout by FIAT; take the cute little 500 and give it a super-eco engine. Trouble is, despite sounding brilliant, it isn’t that economical. The two-cylinder engine sounds great when you thrash it, so you end up not being able to help yourself: pedal-to-the-floor, listen to the thrums and buzzes, you giggle and... hello 35mpg rather 60 plus. One other disadvantage too - whilst Adnan drove the standard 500, I tested the convertible 500C. Why would you want the world to cool down if you’re buying a drop-top?

4. Skoda Citigo

We liked Skoda’s little Citigo when Car Throttle road-tested it, and it just so happens that apart from being good to drive, having a super-upmarket feel and a cool touchscreen iPad thingy inside, it’s also like totally eco. It’s got one more cylinder than the FIAT TwinAir, but no turbo. No matter, it sounds like an old Porsche 911 (honest) and is so lightweight that it drinks such little fuel, you’d actually think it didn’t like the taste of petrol.

3. Mitsubishi i-MiEV

Now we’re getting futuristic, and so did Adnan in his video of the i-MiEV. It looks like a standard Mitsubish i-Car, but it’s actualy electrically-powered. So, it looks and feels like a proper car, only you get zero tree-harming emissions. It’s a decent effort – from standing start at the lights, the iMiEV is nippy, and because it’s rear wheel drive you could pretend it’s a £100,000 Tesla. Problem is, like the standard i-Car, it’s too tall and narrow, so you can’t enjoy the drive – it feels like it’ll tip over. So, a car with no drink problem, but handles a bit like it’s drunk. One for your grandma, perhaps.

2. Renault Twizy

Probably one of the best fun machines on sale today, from a list including quad bikes, aerobatics planes, and speedboats. Swear down, the Twizy’s gullwing doors, racecar suspension and central driving position make for the most hilarious experience on four wheels. True, cramming a mate in the back will make them an ex-mate pretty quickly, and there are no windows so it’s strictly summer only, but what a summer car! Whip out the shorts, put on the shades, and just don’t forget to plug the Twizy in to charge at the end of a long summer’s evening. We love it.

1. Ford Fiesta Econetic

Unfortunately, as you’ll have seen if you’ve been outside in the past two months, British summers aren’t good enough for the Twizy – not unless you plan on fitting an outboard motor. So what we need is a car that’s almost as fun to drive, almost as kind to the environment, but actually works every day. Look no further than the Fiesta Econetic.

As we found out when Car Throttle tested a Fiesta Econetic at Millbrook Proving Ground, it’s a world-class handler dressed up in a funky body, and unlike the FIAT, when you thrash it, it stubbornly refuses to drop below 50mpg. So you could fill it up with mates (three times as many as the Twizy takes) and cruise down to the south of France on one tank, if you drove it like a nun on the motorway.

Alternatively, punt it through the Alps and you’ll have started the holiday fun before you even get to the hotel. It’s guilt free motoring at its best, so if you want a green car... Viva la Fiesta!