WE all want to be good to the environment but are our cars allowing us to be?

You may be putting your head in your hands as you think about the petrol or diesel car you own but all may not be lost.

There's a perception that if you want to be green, you have to go for a plug-in hybrid or an electric vehicle but that's not always the case.

Yes those types of vehicles have plus points but they are not necessarily as beneficial as people would want you to believe.

When we are quoted statistics about how efficient they are for your money, we have to bear in mind that the cars are tested in situations which do not necessarily mirror real life driving styles and situations.

In many situations, especially longer journeys, petrol and diesel vehicles actually deliver the best mpg over these so called green alternative vehicles.

Of course, manufacturers have the green issue firmly on their agenda and several are actually using small but turbo charged petrol engines to deliver really low emissions.

One example of this comes from Volkswagen, who fitted their TDI engines with exhaust turbochargers, which focuses on saving energy and reducing harmful emissions.

In the Golf GTD it is good for the best part of 67 miles per gallon so that's being kind on your pocket as well.

The turbocharger compresses the air required for combustion, letting the engine draw in more air while its displacement and revs stay the same. A turbocharger is powered by the energy in the exhaust gas.

So before you buy that ‘green' car, just check if it's the only and best option. You might be surprised with the results.