...and probably a used one, because money's a big issue. i don't like the idea of driving, and am afraid it may create some horrible habits, but i'm probably going to need one for my job, eventually. what should i consider when looking for a used car? what cars that are likely to be available used and inexpensively are best for the envirionment?
Small compact cars use the least amount of gas when compared to other vehicles, I believe. The safest for the environment would be something made in the 90s, or late 80s, I'm guessing. Earlier stuff burns gas like crazy.
Buy a VW diesel, then run it off of used vegetable oil. You need to buy a kit that converts the spent oil (from fryers and what not at restaurants) into something combestible in a car engine. This is the cleanest burning fuel available to run a vehicle (something like 90% cleaner than conventional gasoline) and you can get the oil for free as most restaurants pay to have it removed, so they'll gladly give it to you instead. Also because you have to do some work on your end to convert the vegetable oil, you may also avoid developing the bad habits you are concerned with. If you want to learn more about this fuel source, here is a website and the people there are very responsive to any email inquiries you make ---> www.biodiesel.org
you can get either a vw golf or jetta tdi that you can put biodiesel in-neither need conversions. The problem is that they are hard to get and usually come with waiting lists because only a certain number of diesel vehicles are allowed per year in CA. I don't know how hard it would be to find a used one but the new ones go for about 5 thousand more than their typical fuel counterparts-but it's worth it. Down here you have to buy biodiesel, it's the same price as regular fuel but you you factor that you get 45mpg it works out well and is def worth the higher car payment. They are fast too and handle really well the only thing is that they are a bit noisy and you have to turn the engine off in drive throughs because they can't here you
oh and as far as a reasonable car a used honda civic or a used volvo-volvo's depriciate a lot and you can get one a few years old for a great price. Also I don't know how much they are but when I was in an accident they gave me a chrysler sebring convertible for a month untill my car was fixed and it was awesome on gas and I know they have used ones.
Bio-diesel is good in that you are making use of a waste product and it is to some extent sustainable.However with any diesel even if it is running on bio-diesel if it is not tuned properly it is more polluting than petrol due to fine particle pollution. Personally I prefer vans or pick ups (BTW we call pick ups , utes in Oz) and I have a prejudice for Toyotas. If you are after just a diesel car , apparently Peugeot have been making them for decades and at least in Oz old ones can be picked up cheap.
i think the girls just looking for something that moves with wheels, not neccessarily the earth mobile. putting a biodeasal kit in your car, from what ive read about it so far, can be confusing, changes with each car, can be rather expensive to install, and also not all cars can take the used chunky vegetable oil from restaurants, you need extra equipment to do that. if you have the time to experiemnt, im sure its awsome to get into, i plan on gettin g a used mercedes and try to install one. honda civics are really good cars, fuel efficient, safe, and shouldnt set you back too much. also subarus are good, wont be as fuel efficient as some of the smaller ones
i think for now i may have to settle for something that has wheels, brakes and hopefully some kind of steering mechanism, but i'll make "the earth moblie" my eventual goal, once i learn more about cars. i have 2 friends with restaraunts, so i'd have a source for the oil. a motorcycle...oh, believe me it's so tempting! but it would be a real problem in deep winter, getting to party bookings dressed for work, which is kind of what i need it for in the first place. i would love a motorcycle!
not true because if you put a 0 polluting fuel in no matter how poorly tuned your car is you still get 0 pollutent output. the emissions is no more toxic than water...my mom has one so I know
do read Divorce Your Car by Katie Alvord (might be Alford) befor eyou chose anything. She has plenty of ideas for living "car lite" or car free. If you do need to go down this road, look for Toyota or Honda, as they get many many miles if maintained. My 87 Accord DX has 230,000+ miles and my 82 Toyota Tercel was closing in on 170,000 when it blew an oil seal (would have been a moderately priced repair, but I sold it to someone who could do it himself for not much money) My 95 Mazda 626 has 178,000 on it. just know that there is no wiggle room in "oil every 3K mi." I do have AAA just in case. I've called once and they were hours away and I limped the Honda 50 mi. home. I had replaced the radiator and the hose slipped!
This is based on info from one of the state EPA's. I emailed an officer from one who had contacted me because he liked my web site so much.Click on my public profile).He thought the least polluting fuel is LPG.Are there vehicles running on LPG in USA? Out here only vehicles that are expecting to do high kilometers such as taxis have the conversion done, due to the cost factor.
Kitty - it would probably help if you told us:- What you want the car for - ie commuting just you, family run around, do you need to carry loads, if so are they bulky, heavy, fragile, etc,etc What do you prefer driving - Moominmamma for example,will only get in the driving seat if we have a van ie the kind that get turned into MPV's and sold for much more money when they are rebadged as Ford Galaxy's or Chrysler Voyager's - but do you prefer saloons\hatchbacks\estates\pick-ups,etc. (PS we had to get rid of the last van when they tightened up the law on restraints in the back, but most of them are low-geared, and are speed -limited, so the two big polluting phases, pulling away from zero and speeding are kept in check - plus if the worse comes to the worse, you sling a mattress in the back and head off for the beach). Do you want a manual or an automatic. What's your budget Do you have anyone to go with you who knows about cars. After that there are several bigger issues - to have or have not (a car), whether you are eco-warrior enough in your current situation to go hunting for models that seem to only be available in California or Australia, or even to just being an eco-worrier, as in, where does my next load of vegtable oil come from or how many miles to I have to cruise to the only gas pump stocked with LPG or even the fuel alcohol used in Brazil. If we can "park" those issues, then there certainly may be some models that do less damage to the environment than others in terms of - pollutants from exhaust - noise pollutants from use - recyclability - durability - bio-degradibility.
Well, I bought a Honda Civic when I was in desparate need of a vehicle. It was the cheapest, most fuel effcient and practical car that I could afford. It is a really good little car and I like it a lot. Some great things about it: over 40 miles per gallon of gas & low insurance cost because it is a safe, economy car. I am hoping that it will last a long, long time. But, the next time I need a car, I will buy a hybrid or something like that. Hopefully, by then, I will be able to afford it!
what is LPG? i want something small and fuel-efficient, but not so cramped i can't drive with the kids for farther across town without them driving me crazy. if i'm still near my co-op, i won't even need it for groceries, the only time i'd carry big loads is coming back from the farm, and camping trips and festivals. however, i will need it to carry smaller loads to and from party bookings - that's really what i'm going to need it for most of the time. occaisionally i may need to drive my aging parents somewhere, so it should have room for a wheelchair to be easily put in, carried, and lifted out. i've lived car-free for over 10 years, and believe me, if i could find a way to continue doing so i happily would. unfortunately rochester's public transportation is so unreliable i daren't depend on it to get me to parties is a timely fashion. i actually probably could get away with a motorcycle, if i had a place to park it where i was sure it wouldn't be stolen, and if it weren't for the problem of winter driving. the snow in rochester can get quite deep, and sometimes the city doesn't plow adequately. my budget will most likely be very low to start, although that will depend on several factors that aren't quite certain yet. i'm not certain i'll have someone to go car-shopping with me, and that's a concern because i don't want to get screwed over.
LPG = Liquified Petroleum Gas (Technical stuff here http://www.difflock.com/lpg/lpg.shtml and many other more right on sites) I've only known one person who uses it, and that was about ten years ago when the only pump selling the stuff was about 35 miles away - he had to arrange his trips to make sure he would call pass the right garage. I know the technology has come a long way, but still don't see it a lot on UK forecourts. If all your transport was about town, then dual-fuel or electric would be so much better environmentally, but I suspect these are way beyond your budget. If you're on a tight and low budget, then probably the most environmentally friendly thing you can do is restrict your usage - saves putting fuel in the tank which you can't afford, and if US insurers are anything like UK ones, some firms offer big discounts for guaranteed low mileage. Most small cars, (examples Nissan Micra, Volkeswagen Polo, Honda Civic- sorry, I don't know if they are branded the same in the states),aren't going to hit any of your requirements in my experience unless you have kids who are never fractious and shopping that has no hard edges or a tendency to bruise. Plus wheelchairs and access for less mobile elderly relatives are pretty restricted. Also small diesels are a rare breed. We've had long periods with-out a car, during which time I would rent-a-wreck for the few real occasions when it was just the best transport option - is that a possibility. Inevitably it meant going to some back-end of nowhere industrial unit to pick up a well-maintained but older car and hire it for a week for the same price as a midget car from Avis or Hertz for the day.
When you consider getting a car, consider the following factors as well: Maintenance frequencies and costs-In addition to not wanting to have a car nickel-and-dime you to death with frequent repairs, you will not want a car that will be expensive to repair because the parts or labor involved will be astronomical. Availiability of parts-If a car is an unusual or rare model, finding replacement parts may become difficult as the car ages. If you're looking for a compact to mid sized sedan, your best bets probably lie with the Toyota Camry or Corolla. Even an older model will not be a bad purchase provided that it has been maintained well. If you'd rather look at a Honda, both the Civics and Accords do pretty well. The only thing is that Honda has what are called "interference" engines, which means that the timing belt must be replaced at the recommended intervals (usually 60,000 miles), because if it goes, you're in for a major repair bill-possibly as much as a low four-figures! Hondas are also usually more expensive to repair, but because they are quite reliable, this shouldn't be a major concern. I have heard many stories of people putting as much as two or three-hundred-thousand miles, sometimes more with the Toyota and Honda models in question. As much as I laud the Volkswagen diesel models, they are usually very hard to come by on the used car market. Regardless of the car, keep an eye out for rust, especially if the car is older or comes from a rust belt state.
