Mountain 'Vrooms': Series-Fuel Efficient + Practical + Fun = ?

It's that time of the year again, and you may be looking to buy a car.

As the mechanization of our lives is becoming rampant, so is the push to become more friendly to the environment. Global warming is still a much feared phenomenon, and has people fearing the destruction of the earth. At the same time, people want to save money, and those two goals are generally incompatible, especially when it comes to cars.

It seems that economical cars are just not fun at all. They want to get you and your things from point A to point B, regardless of whether the driver has fallen asleep from sheer boredom.

I’ve decided to find out what is really the most cost effective, economical, and practical solution to this great paradox. To do this, we have to juxtaposition the biggest environmental players in today’s auto industry: hybrid, electric, diesel, and gasoline.

This will not be a study of what exact car to buy (though there will be recommendations and comparisons), but rather one to find out what the best type of car to buy is.

Representing the Hybrids: Toyota Prius, Lexus LS600h, Ford Fusion Hybrid, Honda CRZ, Honda Civic Hybrid, Toyota Camry Hybrid, Chevy Tahoe Hybrid/Cadillac Escalade Hybrid, Toyota Highlander Hybrid, Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid.

Representing the Electrics: Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt, Tesla Roadster, Tesla Model S, Fisker Karma.

Representing the Diesels: Volkswagen Golf TDI, Volkswagen Passat TDI, Volkswagen Jetta TDI, Jaguar XF Diesel, Mercedes-Benz E350 BlueTec Diesel, Volkswagen Touareg TDI.

Representing the Gasolines: Audi’s 1.8 litre TFSI engine, Ford EcoBoost engines, Mazda SkyActive Technology, Mini Cooper S, 2012 BMW 3-series.