The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) has released a list of the 12 Greenest Vehicles of 2007. And pushing the Prius aside is none other than a car powered by…natural gas?

The Honda Civic GX runs on a compressed form of the fuel and while its mgp range doesn’t beat many on the list, it is one of the least polluting cars on the earth, with close to zero-emissions.

As some point out though, you have to be really dedicated to put up with the GX’s limitations. For starters, unless you plan long distance drives around refueling stations, you might end up needing a tow. CNG fuel can’t just be toted around in portable containers. A smaller tank than other Civics also means more frequent refueling. A “Phill” refueling appliance can be purchased for the home, but it’ll cost about $4000 by the time you’re done. Not to mention that even with rebates, you’ll be spending several thousand more for the car. The GX has some really great aspects and is definitely a step in the right direction - people who live near stations and make short close-to-home trips could really see savings. But what about the rest of us?

Cars for the right price, right now - even if you can't afford a hybrid

1. Honda Civic GX

2. Toyota Prius

3. Honda Civic Hybrid

4. Nissan Altima Hybrid

5. Toyota Yaris - This little manual gets 34 city and 40 highway mpg. The automatic is also good.

6. Toyota Corolla - Highway drivers can go far in this manual. It gets 41 mpg.

7. Toyota Camry Hybrid

8. Honda Fit

9. Kia Rio / Rio 5

10. Hyundai Accent

11. Hyundai Elantra - An automatic with 28 city and 36 highway mpg.

12. Honda Civic - Always a decent choice. The civic is roomy and an automatic, with 30 mpg city and 40 highway.