The announcement former Georgia congressman Bob Barr is running for president adds another component to the already complex and tedious campaign trail.

Barr said he’s running because “there was not currently or anywhere on the horizon any candidate who understood the principles of fiscal conservatism and basic principles on which he said America was founded.”

Barr, 59, is running as a Libertarian Party candidate. Among its platforms, libertarians “believe in, and pursue, personal freedom while maintaining personal responsibility.”

And that’s where The Weekly Driver is curious.

It seems Libertarian and “Going Green” are complementary, if not synonymous.

So what kind of car(s) does Barr own and drive?

If
he’s a man of his word, then Barr should be driving a hybrid or alternative fuel vehicle, right? Or at least he should be driving economic car.

Here are five good, practical choices:

1. Toyota Prius — It’s the best-selling hybrid in the United States. Reasons abound — great gas mileage to Toyota reputation.

2. Honda Civic Hybrid — Unheralded compared to the Prius, with sales of about one-third the segment leader. But after driving the past three years of this vehicle, it’s an extraordinary value.

3. Honda Fit — It was the 2007 car of the year in a lot of well-respected automobile publications, and there’s not a better car available in the United States for $15,000.

4. Ford Escape hybrid — OK. Maybe political candidates need a little room. Maybe they need to travel with luggage, assistants and who knows what else? This sports utility vehicle gets around rather nicely and gets 31 mph on the freeway.

5. Chevrolet Malibu hybrid — Sedans add a little class to politicians arriving on the campaign trail or for TV show appearances. The Malibu hybrid provides the style, but it’s understated and gets nearly 30 mph on the highway.