POLL: Buy a more efficient car to save money or the environment?
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As we've watched the sales of trucks and SUVs implode faster than a twenty-year-old Las Vegas casino over the past year, we of course wonder why? Not that we don't consider this a good thing around these parts. I personally have long felt that American consumers' fascination with SUVs was at best dubious and at worst idiotic. Nonetheless, the dramatic swing to small cars still has to raise an eyebrow or two. Certainly there are those among us who would like to believe that Americans have suddenly realized that a lot ocean-front property and polar bear habitat is disappearing and want to stop it. Others just want to see us stop sending so much hard currency to countries that are not exactly our friends. While we'd like to think people's motives are more high minded, the reality, at least according to a new survey done by Auto Trader, appears to be far more mundane. As a skilled speech writer once coined, "It's the economy, stupid!" Or, in this case, fuel prices. When asked about their reasons for downsizing, 82 percent reported that it was all about saving money on gas. A mere 21 percent cited the environment. This probably shouldn't come as a surprise. If you have downsized recently, tell us why in the poll and in the comments.
Update: I added all of the above to the poll
[Source: The Auto Channel]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Mike!!ekiM 5:54PM (9/13/2008)
Why can't I say "All Of the Above"?
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Dave 6:05PM (9/13/2008)
I bought a Prius last year, and I bought it for all the reasons listed in the poll, not just any one of them.
I wouldn't say I downsized, though, it replaced an old Civic - we actually needed slightly more room, wanted the extra safety of a new car, which the Prius delivered on both counts.
There's more reasons, too, but those are the main ones.
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dm789 6:22PM (9/13/2008)
I want all the above but like mike said why they dont have that option?
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Snowdog 7:20PM (9/13/2008)
I just like efficiency and hate waste. Always have. I haven't downsized because, I never upsized. My last 3 cars were small cars with 4 cyl engines and manual transmissions. My current was purchased new in 1999, so I keep them a while as well.
Next I am looking for another 4cyl/manual transmission car. I would like more efficiency because it is always better to do more with less.
I am just a little miffed that I can't get a good Aerodynamic body like the Insight on a regular gas engined car, because along with efficiency, I like simplicity. Though I will consider a hybrid or even diesel(cleaner 2008+ model) if the price is right and the transmission is manual.
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Steve In Poughkeepsie 12:24PM (9/17/2008)
I concur about the efficiency/waste. It seems silly that I lose all that nice kinetic energy when I stop at a light (about 8 of them between home and work.)
I too have a '99 4 cyl manual. As I get older, my knees would appreciate it if I upsized - got a higher vehicle. But if my car keeps moving, it seems inefficient to buy a new car and throw away a working vehicle to save a little wear-and-tear on the knees.
Maybe next year the planets will align and I'll get a nice Escape or Vue hybrid, to save my knees and retain my 30+ city MPG.
James Sonne 7:30PM (9/13/2008)
"All of the above" shouldn't have been an option because it asked what your MAIN reason for the purchase was.
I know that when I'm going about my day, I don't freak out about whether or not the planet is undergoing climate change because I drive a certain kind of car. I am far more likely to freak out about bills, the economy, and money issues. And as much as the government wants me to freak out about terrorists, I don't. National Security is one of my top political concerns, but I'm not sitting at my desk pondering whether my car is contributing to the nation's well-being as a whole.
If I have a lot of money and can buy whatever car I want to, perhaps I'd have the leisure to buy a car because I don't want to support the oil industry, or because I want to have as little environmental impact as possible. But as an everyday Joe, what gets me going is my checkbook. I would suggest that, unless you're immeasurably wealthy, or just a total dunce about money, you're primarily concerned with how your car is impacting you financially. Not to say we can't be concerned about bigger things, I definitely am. But I definitely don't have the means to put down that kind of money and not expect it to primarily be a wise FINANCIAL decision.
That's what I voted for on the poll and that's why.
The Sonne Times: Social and Political Commentary
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tankd0g 7:44PM (9/13/2008)
Three words: knee jerk reaction. If gas drops back into the $2/gal range for 6 months you'll see Hummer dealerships popping up like Starbucks.
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ryan 8:42PM (9/13/2008)
My main motivation is money. The rest are all just icing on the cake. I also don't buy new. I am of the opinion that cars should MAKE you money. That is why I buy wrecked cars, fix them back up to shiny new condition, drive them for 2-3 years, and then sell them.
The whole driving part might have to be thrown out the window though, since I don't do a whole lot of that recently.
Point is, if you want to save money, buy used cars. That is about the only situation where up/downgrading will actually save you money, unless you go from a hummer to a prius.
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Luke 8:46PM (9/13/2008)
Right on!!!!
Dave 9:27PM (9/13/2008)
It is "all of the above" for me, but come on... it's all about the money for most people. All of us tree huggers on ABG love to do the environmental thing, but come on....the average "Bubba" or average "Joe" just wants to figure out how to pay the rent, car and gas bills. They see the BP commercial about them making a separator for lithium batteries and suddenly think BP must really care about the environment! ROFLMAO Whatever. Show them they can save money when they buy an efficient car and count ourselves lucky they didn't hurt themselves watching the commercial.
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Ignatius 9:38PM (9/13/2008)
I personally want a vehicle that isn't powered by miniature explosions to be honest. I've always found the combustion engine to be extremely primitive and electric engines are the new way to go. I'd love to drive a car that is near silent, has great acceleration and doesn't have a tailpipe.
As an added bonus, I pay less for gas, I pollute a hell of a lot less (damn near close to none with solar panels) and I get to drive a (likely) sweet looking car.
The future is awesome, I want technologically advanced vehicles and ICE is as old as cars themselves and needs to die a quick, painful death.
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Warner Young 10:49PM (9/13/2008)
To save money on fuel AND save the environment. Unfortunately, there's no way to choose only 2 options in the poll.
When I bought my Prius last year, I sat down and calculated how much money, total, it would cost me, assuming a certain distance traveled per year, and a 10-year ownership. And assuming gas never gets ridiculously cheap again. Based on that, the Prius or the Civic Hybrid seemed the best choices, but I had a bad experience with a Honda dealer who out and out lied to me, plus I wasn't fond of the battery placement on the Civic, so the Prius it was.
And as an allergy sufferer, I can FEEL it on days when pollution is particularly bad, so I had a personal, not-so-altruistic, reason to want to help the environment.
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BlackbirdHighway 3:07AM (9/14/2008)
How about to save the US Economy? Ok, that falls under "Other Reasons".
The fact is we can drill everywhere in the entire US and we still won't be able to replace all that imported oil. It's a huge transfer of wealth, and we're on the wrong end of it. I'd prefer the future US to be richer, not poorer.
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Melinda 11:37AM (9/14/2008)
I just sold my Nissan Murano. I thought after having my son, I would need an SUV to tote all his stuff around in. Once he came and I started doing cloth diapers for the environment I looked around at the rest of my life and have since "cleaned house". I'm buying a prius and installing the battery pack in order to achieve 100 miles to the gallon and nearly zero emmissions.
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Arno 2:00PM (9/14/2008)
To save the environment. You see, I'm European, so I'm a "tree-hugger" (read: more evolved) by design.
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JDred 5:40PM (9/14/2008)
I have been buying smal cars/SUV's since I have been driving for the past thirty + years. I've realized that I've been doing it for the right reasons. Pure economics.
Like it or not, the "evil" ICE is here to stay until alternatives meet the goal of becoming feasible, practical and economical. That means everyone can afford to own or use it. Demanding the Govt. throw billions of dollars has failed already(Remember the "Battery Consortium" during the Clinton Admin.?), why demand they do it all over again? Given time and development, they will come into their own and overtake the ICE. But throwing a temper tantrum and demanding it happen "Right now" will do nothing.
One other thing, if you want to be taken seriously, you might want to consider this. Because you are concerned over the enviroment or actually do something about it makes you no better than anyone else. The condescending attitudes shown by some are what turns people off to the message and enthusiasm for alternatives. You're no different than the little kid who tries to get his friend to smoke pot or drink by telling them "Well all the other COOL people are doing it. If you don't you're a LOSER!"
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bill 11:26AM (9/15/2008)
I down sized my car in 1970. By failing to earn enough money to afford anything larger than a small high mileage car I have been doing more than my share of saving the planet ever since. I deserve a trophy and a hearty thank you from all of you coming late to the party.
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Michael T. Webb 5:03PM (9/16/2008)
To screw with the big oil companies and oil rich nations the way they have screwed with us...
Think I might be a bit miffed at the given situation? Yep
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paul 4:59AM (9/16/2008)
I haven't downsized and really wouldn't unless it saved me money. In fact, thanks to all the others running away screaming I got a great deal on a new Suburban.
I'm not one that believes humans have anything to do with any global warming that may or may not be happening so the whole "do it for the environment" is completely lost on me.
If "going green" or "blue" means I'll save some money then sign me up. I have already swapped out well over 100 light bulbs in my house for CFL's carefully using power company rebates and other freebies to get the exact CFL's I wanted for a deal. I only have about 15 bulbs left that are not CFL's because where they are used a CFL won't do the job for me (at least yet).
I'm the same way with cars. Nothing "green" will do what the Suburban will do for me so I don't intend to swtich vehciles. In the overall scheme the gas to run it is not a significant % of our monthly budget so who cares? Sure it's more than it used to be but it's not noticeable as I don't commute in it or anything.
I have a 12 year old Camry though that I drive to work and I hope it runs long enough to replace it with a Volt. If I can acquire the Volt for a reasonable price, I'm not looking for cheap even, it might save me money on fuel - but more attractive is potentially going MONTHS without stopping at a gas station saving untold time and hassle. It's not ALL about the money - it would actually be adding convenience like those CFL's that burn for years longer than incandescents.
If you want to sell us non global warming believers then you need another angle. No amount of tree hugging is going to bring me around.
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