Posted on 07/21/2008 5:19:03 PM PDT by decimon
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Say you have the ability to trade in a 10 MPG SUV for a 20 MPG crossover, or a 25 MPG car for a 50 MPG hybrid. Which switch is better for the environment? As it turns out, the former, even though one might be tempted to say that the former only improves efficiency by 10 MPG while the latter improves it by 25. Assume a 100 mile trip. The SUV will consume 10 gallons versus 5 gallons for the crossover for a net savings of 5 gallons. The car will consume 4 gallongs versus 2 gallons for the hybrid for a net savings of 2 gallons.
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Change "Which switch is better for the environment?" to "Which switch is better for your wallet?" and there ya go.
This isn't new math is it?
How about converting your 15 MPG Hummer or truck to run on CNG vs Gasoline? Assuming a proper installation of the conversion kit, there will be no gain or loss in MPG. The cost will likely decrease as the fuel is much less expensive that $4/gallon gas.
But from an emissions stand point, converting that Hummer or truck would be better than either of the prior two options as CNG burns much cleaner and produces FAR less emissions.
This isn't new math is it?
Yes, you can drive longer on a gallong than on a gallon. ;-)
Until everyone starts doing it and you have to take out a loan to heat your house for the winter.
Sorry. It is pretty obvious that a gallong is bigger than a gallon. It’s longer...
Does every station in the US carry CNG?
I bought a small scooter to commute to work. My car gets about 30mpg, the scooter gets 100. Even so, using a spreadsheet I found on MSN money my breakeven point is over 3 years. My scooter was dirt cheap, $350. The person who made the spreadsheet bought a Vespa for over $4000, his breakeven point isn’t for almost 12 years. I bought it to save wear and tear on my car more than to save the environment.
I'd like a similar scooter but I'd be road kill within a minute of leaving my street.
I agree that their isn’t a huge incentive to switch to a new car to save gas money. For one thing the price of fuel guzzlers has gone way down and the fuel sipper market is very strong so it would take a while to repay. Better to get one if you are planning on getting a new car anyway.
Personally I have come to like small cars a lot in recent years. While I don’t own a compact, I’ve driven some of the recent ones such as the Mini and the Honda Fit and they really are fun to drive. The handling is just more fun with a car that size. C and D had a Fit outperforming a Vette Z06 by 6mph in the emergency landchange test. Those things are very agile and really are like driving a gocart. Some like the Fit are very well packaged too and can really fit a lot of stuff into a small space. They also are great in cities. A good modern small car isn’t the stereotypical crapbox from 30 years ago.
I am personally not a big SUV fan. They just aren’t much fun to drive. They handle poorly, brake worse, wallow in corners, and can be tougher to park. To me one would only be a tool. It wouldn’t be a firstchoice for a commuter or everyday vehicle. If I ever need to haul something I have my old truck. Otherwise i’ll stick to a better handling, more maneuverable, and more comfortable passenger car.
If you have kids in car seats, scooters aren’t much of an option. Then again, it rules out the train, too.
Do you have an idea of how much it would cost to convert a vehicle to CNG?
That's why I posted this. For any considering a new vehicle and especially if they are looking to save gas money. It's too easy to be swayed by raw MPG numbers if you've never worked out what the switch will actually mean to you.
I agree with the rest of what you wrote. There are virtues to all sized vehicles but the agility and maneuverability of smaller vehicles can make for more enjoyment. I can always go to Rent-A-Wreck for something larger if I need it.
That's true. If you'll get little use from the scooter then it's just an added expense.
Did the math for a Civic Hybrid... for a 5 mpg savings,I could save $20 a week in gas and pay $200 more a month on the loan. Bought a Jeep, figured what few small and furry creatures I didn’t get with the carbon, I could run over with the giant tires!
Cheers!
Yup. What makes sense varies by individual. How much you might save and what is your tolerance for a vehicle smelling of skunk varies quite a bit.
This statement only makes sense if the car you are replacing is going to be take to the scrap yard. Even if you do there is no guarantee the yard owner is actually going to scrap the car instead of reselling the car.
If you trade in the car there is no net savings to the environment because the car is still guzzling gas on the road with someone else behind the wheel.
Then the logic of the fuel economy savings make sense to an individual only if that person owns both the SUV and the car and is trying to decide which vehicle to replace and assumes both vehicles travel equal miles each year.
My hunting buddy’s German wirehaired pointer and yellow Lab would be mighty pissed if they had to get into his 3-Series Bimmer for a hunt. They both enjoy my Grand Cherokee (not really all that big), especially when I open all the windows and the sunroof.
Getting the smell of wet dogs and bird blood out of the cargo carpet has been the only drawback of having such a well-liked utility vehicle.
Arguendo, a benefit to the environment.
What you write is true in the short term, until the guzzler hits the junk yard. But the fact is that you are adding to the aggregate a newer gas sipping vehicle. The more such sippers added, the less gas used in the future.
For the right purposes they make sense. For where I live it doesn’t make sense for one to be my primary car. Particularly when I have a beatup 4x4 out back.
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