'Consumer Reports' still rates Prius tops -- Not so fast, say Ecobunga! Readers

For the seventh consecutive year, Consumer Reports Magazine picked The Toyota Prius as the best "green" car -- this despite all of Toyota's recent safety woes, including problems with brakes on the Prius.

Ecobunga! readers beg to differ.

Last week, we asked them "Which Hybrid Would You Like to Win?" -- the Prius, the Honda Insight, or the Ford Fusion.  We ran this very same poll last summer.  Here are the results:

Which Hybrid Would You Like to Win?

February, 2010
-- Ford Fusion (50%)
-- Honda Insight (28%)
-- Toyota Prius (22%)

July, 2009
-- Toyota Prius (49%)
-- Honda Insight (31%)
-- Ford Fusion (20%)

As you can see, the Fusion and the Prius have literally swapped places.  This isn't a scientific poll, of course, but our readers are specifically interested in winning green prizes, so their opinions are worth noting. And while Toyota's current problems are nothing to jump for joy over, we have to give kudos to Ford for taking the top spot in our straw poll.

Not surprisingly, we haven't seen any companies giving away Toyota's lately, Prius or otherwise.  So a note to U.S. companies or other promoters considering a hybrid car sweepstakes, you may want to look no further than Detroit for your top prize.