Editor’s note: Think a hybrid car is your only option for achieving significant gas savings? Think again: our friends at Low Impact Living point out several alternatives to investing in a new Prius. This post was originally published on Tuesday, May 27, 2008.
When I filled up my car this weekend with $4.09 gas (choke, gasp, sputter), I was sure glad I have a Toyota Prius and won’t have to fill up for another couple of weeks. But I hear from a lot of folks that they think they can’t afford a hybrid and they have to hang on to their sub-20 MPG cars. That got me to thinking about ways to find affordable hybrid options so folks can save money and reduce their contribution to global warming. Here is what I’ve found.
Buy a used hybrid! The Honda Civic Hybrid is probably your most affordable choice, as they are quite a bit cheaper than my beloved Priuses. (What is the plural of Prius? Priuses? Pri-i?) The Civic Hybrid gets 40-45 MPG and is a great all-around commuter car. I searched and found a 2005 Honda Civic Hybrid with 49,000 miles for $16,000 in Los Angeles. I found a 2006 model in Kansas City with 52,000 miles for $18,000. The only Toyota Prius I could find in LA for under $20K had 79,000 miles on it! You might also try looking for Ford Escape Hybrids– there seem to be many of those available around the country. You can search for used hybrids in your city by clicking here.
You can get a used MINI. The MINI Cooper is not a hybrid, but it gets pretty great gas mileage– it gets 32 MPG on the highway. From what I hear you don’t need to get the “S” model (S has 172 horsepower vs. 118 for the standard), as the standard MINI has plenty of pick up. Also, the standard gets better gas mileage than the S and it’s cheaper. You can get a good used one for $16-20,000 across the country. You’ll be saving gas, reducing green-house gas emissions AND look super-cute! You can find MINIs here.
Order a Smart Car. Like the MINI, the Smart is small but mighty. The base Smart for two starts at $11,600 and it’s a real mileage winner– it gets 33 MPG in the city and 41 MPG on the highway. Yes, there is a waiting list for these little dynamos: depending on the dealer and where you live it can be 2-4 months. But it’s a great economical option. Click here to learn more about the Smart cars.
How about an electric car? You can get a ZENN car for less than $16,000. Just plug it into the wall, charge up, and away you go. It only goes up to 35 MPH, so you need to be doing non-highway, intra-city driving. But it’s an amazing auto and you can be green-house-gas-guilt-free! Learn more about the ZENN here.
Or you can wait a bit longer for Honda to unveil it’s new “affordable hybrid.” Honda President Takeo Fukui announced last year that Honda would be releasing a new hybrid brand in early 2009 that would be cheaper than their current Civic Hybrid line. Honda has been tightly guarding the details about its next hybrid, but you can read more about it here.
And while you ponder your efficient-auto options, be sure to get the best gas mileage you can with these gas- and money-saving driving tips.
Read More about Fuel Efficient Alternatives to Hybrid Cars:
- Goodbye Trucks and SUVs; Hello, Gas Saving… Geo Metro?
- 100+ EcoDriving Tips to Get Better Mileage in Your Car
- 2009 Jetta BlueTDI Comes to US This Summer, Sports 60 MPG and Cleaner Emissions
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The Toyota Yaris, Toyota Corolla, Honda Fit are all under 15k brand new (retail) and get 35mpg highway.
There are a ton of cars that are better than the stupid Smart car and mini. Call those out.
The Toyota Yaris, Toyota Corolla, Honda Fit are all under 15k brand new (retail) and get 35mpg highway.
There are a ton of cars that are better than the stupid Smart car and mini. Call those out.
motorcycle?
motorcycle?
Jacob is correct. There are plenty more inexpensive(<$16K), cost effective, new (or used) cars available. It seems you didn’t look much past the short list of used hybrids (not cheap!) – if you only came up with Mini & Smart…
Besides, both Mini & Smart require premium fuel (91+ octane).
-Jim
Jacob is correct. There are plenty more inexpensive(<$16K), cost effective, new (or used) cars available. It seems you didn’t look much past the short list of used hybrids (not cheap!) – if you only came up with Mini & Smart…
Besides, both Mini & Smart require premium fuel (91+ octane).
-Jim
you know, it’s weird… i used to drive a ford escort – i think it was a ’94. a european guy i drove to the airport as a favor to a friend told me it was a model of the escort that was designed in germany. it got 40mpg – no bullshit. sure, it was a stick, was basically all plastic, had no a/c, etc., but it had a hell of a lot more personality than a yaris or a hybrid, and 40mpg?
you know, it’s weird… i used to drive a ford escort – i think it was a ’94. a european guy i drove to the airport as a favor to a friend told me it was a model of the escort that was designed in germany. it got 40mpg – no bullshit. sure, it was a stick, was basically all plastic, had no a/c, etc., but it had a hell of a lot more personality than a yaris or a hybrid, and 40mpg?
My buddy drives a 1990 corolla and it used to get 39 mpg, sadly it’s starting to get old and with the new ethanol blends in California he now only gets around 34 to 35, but it’s still quite puzzling to see a 18 year old car routinely beat fuel mileage of newer vehicles. Hybrids while they are nice are expensive and really your paying for the fuel you save up front. It will take 7 – 10 years to pay for the added expense, at least until they come down in price or fuel gets more expensive. I’d rather get a new VW diesel or even a used diesel and convert to run on veg oi, then wait for a few years and get a plug in.
My buddy drives a 1990 corolla and it used to get 39 mpg, sadly it’s starting to get old and with the new ethanol blends in California he now only gets around 34 to 35, but it’s still quite puzzling to see a 18 year old car routinely beat fuel mileage of newer vehicles. Hybrids while they are nice are expensive and really your paying for the fuel you save up front. It will take 7 – 10 years to pay for the added expense, at least until they come down in price or fuel gets more expensive. I’d rather get a new VW diesel or even a used diesel and convert to run on veg oi, then wait for a few years and get a plug in.
I just bought one of the new Chevy Cobalt XFE models, sticker says 36mpg highway. Out the door the price was $13,450 (incl tax, title, license, and $600 in cosmetic options)
I mainly do city driving, and over 702 miles I’ve averaged 32.7 mpg. This is with a 5 speed, but for 09 every model (including automatics) will get the same tweaks the XFE models got mid way through the 08 model year, which bumped it from 33hwy to 36, 5mpg better than the automatic transmission.
I’ll be traveling from Detroit MI to Boulder CO in just over a month, and will get a good look at what the true highway mileage is.
Plus I get the added bonus that this American car is actually built in the US.
I just bought one of the new Chevy Cobalt XFE models, sticker says 36mpg highway. Out the door the price was $13,450 (incl tax, title, license, and $600 in cosmetic options)
I mainly do city driving, and over 702 miles I’ve averaged 32.7 mpg. This is with a 5 speed, but for 09 every model (including automatics) will get the same tweaks the XFE models got mid way through the 08 model year, which bumped it from 33hwy to 36, 5mpg better than the automatic transmission.
I’ll be traveling from Detroit MI to Boulder CO in just over a month, and will get a good look at what the true highway mileage is.
Plus I get the added bonus that this American car is actually built in the US.
How come the Honda Fit only gets 35 mpg and the US Smart cart only 41 mpg? I have the UK version of the Fit, the Jazz and I can manage 50mpg on the highway, 40-45 in town. I’m sure the Smart car here gets at least 50 mpg too. Why wouldn’t they sell the more economical versions of these cars in the US? Its not like the European Jazz is underpowered.
How come the Honda Fit only gets 35 mpg and the US Smart cart only 41 mpg? I have the UK version of the Fit, the Jazz and I can manage 50mpg on the highway, 40-45 in town. I’m sure the Smart car here gets at least 50 mpg too. Why wouldn’t they sell the more economical versions of these cars in the US? Its not like the European Jazz is underpowered.
I gave up cars completely. I use my bike, or public transportation. Every now and then, I take the equivalent of one months car insurance payment out of the bank and buy a bottle of French wine for me and my wife. Every night I spend an extra hour awake with my wife, to wear off the extra energy I have after sleeping on the train on my way home each day. I don’t drive so my six pack is coming back, and I have time for my garden on the weekends so my food bill is going down as the quality of my home-grown food goes up. Every so often I have a nightmare where I’m six months behind on my car payments and my car is last years model, then I wake up and thank God for showing me the way out of this addiction!
I gave up cars completely. I use my bike, or public transportation. Every now and then, I take the equivalent of one months car insurance payment out of the bank and buy a bottle of French wine for me and my wife. Every night I spend an extra hour awake with my wife, to wear off the extra energy I have after sleeping on the train on my way home each day. I don’t drive so my six pack is coming back, and I have time for my garden on the weekends so my food bill is going down as the quality of my home-grown food goes up. Every so often I have a nightmare where I’m six months behind on my car payments and my car is last years model, then I wake up and thank God for showing me the way out of this addiction!