Reserve & Conserve? Hertz Green Collection now available, but what's the fuss?

I have to admit that I stole "Reserve & Conserve" from Hertz itself, as that was the subject line in a targeted email I received pushing the company's new "Green Collection."

Before I clicked through to the site, I expected to see a lineup consisting of vehicles like the Escape/Mariner Hybrid and maybe even the Prius, which goes to show you how strongly linked the terms "green" and "hybrid" are in my head, even though there's more to so-called green motoring than just that kind of vehicle. Imagine my surprise when I saw what the Green collection actually consisted of:

• Toyota Camry (the regular one)
  
• Ford Fusion
• Buick LaCrosse
  
• Hyundai Sonata

That's not exactly the group I had in mind when I first read the words "Green Collection." But the way Hertz defines "Green" -- EPA highway fuel economy of 28mpg or better -- they all make the cut. Color me surprised to see that the 31mpg highway/E85-capable (with the 3.5L LZE motor) Chevy Impala and Monte Carlo did not make the list. It's also surprising to see that the Green Collection consistes entirely of midsize sedans and no compacts. Herts has plenty of compacts in the fleet that hit that EPA mileage requirement, too.

The company also says that "most of" the Camrys, Fusions, and LaCrosses meet the EPA's SmartWay requirements for lower emissions.

Obviously, whether or not you get the high mileage these cars are capable of delivering depends on where and how you drive them, and truth be told, the models selected by Hertz seem like pretty standard rental fare anyway. I'm just not seeing the big deal here.

[Source: Hertz]