Another example is buying a new car to get better gas mileage. The most environmentally friendly car you can drive is probably the one in your garage, assuming it’s in good repair. Say your car gets 20 miles per gallon. You’d like to trade it in on a car that gets 35 mpg. The new car costs $15,000 more. At $3 per gallon, you’ll save about 6 cents per mile on gas. You’ll have to drive more than 200,000 miles before you break even.
At least you’re saving energy, right? Remember, if you’re not saving money, you’re probably not saving energy. It took a lot of energy to manufacture that new car. If you buy a car, choose a fuel-efficient one. But don’t think you’re saving the environment by buying a new vehicle just because it burns less fuel.
and wont listen that the amount of energy that it took to create that prius is more then it took to create a hummer H2… and you wouldnt break even with that until the hummer hits like 2-400k
ie people who think electric cars are the way of polution free transpo… but until you get a 100% green way of producing electricity (solar/wind/nuclear(eat me) then the power plants MAKING that car move produce more pollution t hen do the gas burning cousins
yeah, that is a no brainer. Especially on expensive useless Hybrid vehicles. If you absolutely need to get a new vehicle and want to save $$$$, you should be looking @ Diesel. In 2008/2009 Honda, Audi and BMW are all releasing Diesel vehicles. The new VW engine that the european Polo is using is cheap, gets 75 mpg and its emissions rating is lower than a hybrid.
Although I agree with the money aspect, and would never buy a “Fuel Efficient” car to save money, I don’t agree with the energy quote. The idea on more efficient cars is to help the environment, but I would never personally buy a car to that either. But I can see how more efficient vehicles now would help 20-30 years down the road.
Speaking of new cars, who the hell is buying them?
I have only purchased 2 new cars in twenty years and I make decent money.
The only reason I bought new is because they were new models to the US and I couldn’t buy used!
I have always been amazed at the number of new cars sold.
Then again I am not the typical American with thousands of dollars of debt.
What freaking idiot did this study??? I remember when Jay, I believe it was him, showed Sedelmier101 the exact same thing when he was thinking of trading in his truck to save money. If you need a new car, ie you’re car gets totaled, engine blows up, and it is a gas guzzler, then yes get a car that is better on gas. But buying a new car to get a few more mpg’s, dumb.
what if I drive 60k a year… I switched from a GSR Teg getting 30mpg to a TDI Jetta getting 55mpg… if gas for the GSR (required 93) and the TDI are simaler 3.40 will say in one year I saved about 3 grand a year… so I would in the 5 years you are paying for a car would have saved 15,000 enough for me to give a resone for switching to a fuel concense car…
just think if i had driven the evo for work… 16mpg Good god…
Yeah, it was me. I’ve been preaching this forever on here. You’re never going to come out ahead financially getting rid of a car JUST to get better gas mileage.
your missing the point… you TRADED your vehicle… you didnt sell one… spend an additoinal 12k to buy a NEWER car more efficent on gas and then got better milage
True. If you owe, little to nothing on a new suburban and go to a civic…you’re not only going to get money back…but you’re going to save a lot of money in gas. Only problem is that the market is now adjusting to gas prices and a little thing called “supply and demand”. SUV values on trade in’s and @ auctions are falling fast.
