After much deliberating and careful consideration, the 2009 Green Car of the Year has been announced. And the winner is, drum roll please ... the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI. VW's smooth riding, diesel-sipping, emissions-filtering sedan edged out worthy competitors like the Ford Fusion Hybrid and -- the cult favorite -- the Smart Fortwo. Critics are heralding the win as proof that clean diesel is a real and viable alternative to gas powered hybrids.Of course, this news doesn't come as any great surprise to me, since I had the pleasure of test driving the impressive green machine last September. Reasons to love the Jetta -- and there are a few: it gets 30city/41hwy or 38city/44hwy depending on who's word you take, it's equipped with a post-combustion filter that removes 95% of sooty emissions, and it costs less and/or gets better mileage than the Malibu, Altima, and Civic hybrids. Oh yeah, and you don't give up that characteristic Jetta performance -- the TDI has definitely got some zip.
Gallery: 2009 Green Car of the Year Finalists
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