RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—Is that gas-guzzling clunker in your garage older than the hills? If it is, you might be able to get paid to trade it in for a more efficient model, thanks to a measure that was just passed by Congress. The “Cash for Clunkers” bill would give people $4,500 to trade in 10-year-old cars that get less than 18 miles per gallon (mpg) for models with a modestly improved mileage of 22 mpg.
Whether that bill becomes law or not, upgrading a car with an abysmally low 18 mpg will save anyone money on gas. Even 22 mpg is pretty low these days, with new hybrids and fuel-efficient gas models that can go twice as far on a gallon. But when it comes to the choice between a hybrid and a fuel-efficient gas engine, does the green-cred of hybrids always equal savings over nonrenewable-gasoline-powered cars?
This: Hybrid Car
Pros: In most cases, hybrids get incredibly high gas mileage; the 2010 Toyota Prius, gets a combined (city + highway) gas mileage of 50 mpg. That incredible gas mileage helps defray some of the car’s higher upfront cost. According to Edmunds.com’s “True Cost to Own” analysis, a 2009 Toyota Prius that costs $22,000 will cost $32,760 over five years. Compare that to the most fuel-efficient gas vehicle in the same class, the Hyundai Elantra. The Elantra costs a mere $14,120 at the most, but in five years, your costs will rise to $32,236, thanks to added gas and maintenance. Plus, hybrids are larger and a little sturdier than fuel-efficient gas cars, and therefore provide more storage space and rank higher on crash-safety tests.
Cons: Hybrids have come to symbolize a certain cachet, and unfortunately, car manufacturers have started exploiting the technology to sell inefficient “hybrid” cars loaded down with features like coolers in the glove compartment, or fancy—and heavy—wood dashboards. Some hybrid SUVs and luxury sedans get a fuel economy that’s only marginally better than similar vehicles in their class, and nowhere near the mileage you’d get in a truly efficient Prius or the new Honda Insight. Plus, eventually, the world will have to handle the dead batteries from all these hybrids.
That: Gasoline-powered Car
Pros: It may have taken the collapse of an entire industry, but car manufacturers are finally starting to manufacture a significant number of gasoline-powered vehicles that get 30 mpg or more, making them moderately competitive with hybrids. Sure it only seats two people and has a trunk the size of a bicycle basket, but the microcompact, gas-powered SmartforTwo gets 41 mpg in the city, the same as a Honda Civic Hybrid. Also, the infrastructure for gasoline already exists, making ethanol-based fuels easier to incorporate into America’s transportation sector than biodiesel, which is growing as an alternative to petroleum-based diesel but is still facing problems with distribution and availability.
Cons: Petroleum reserves are getting rapidly depleted, so assuming that we’ll always be able to survive with petroleum-based gasoline is unrealistic. Also, the most fuel-efficient gasoline cars are on the smaller side, and many people worry about their safety. While these cars have passed crash-safety tests, often with flying colors, they still will get disproportionately damaged in a collision with a tanklike SUV. And then there’s global warming: Nearly two-thirds of transportation-related greenhouse-gas emissions come from personal automobiles, and the less fuel-efficient your ride, the more you contribute to that percentage—not to mention smog-forming nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide, and airborne particulates that can lead to asthma, strokes, and heart attacks.
This or That?
This. Go with the hybrid. When it comes to the needs of most car owners, hybrids provide the best mix of space, safety, and fuel economy. If you can’t find a hybrid that appeals to you—and there are certainly more gas-powered cars to choose from—don’t feel guilty. It is still possible to be green and drive with gas. In fact, according to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy’s site www.greenercars.org, 7 of the 12 cars in their Greenest Cars of 2009 list are powered by gas.
You can improve the performance of a regular car with a few simple steps.
• Learn to drive more efficiently.
• Buy small. If you want to stick with gasoline, remember that the smaller the car, the better the gas mileage.
• Rent big. Rather than buy a car with tons of storage space for that one family vacation you take every year, buy a small car for everyday use and rent a big SUV or minivan for your vacation.