Feb 11 2010

Downsize for the Environment

Posted by: Jonathan Marshall

 Yesterday we looked at some of the simple--and for the most part, obvious--changes in driving habits and maintenance practices that can, at no cost, increase your vehicle mileage up to 15 percent, saving you money and sparing the environment.

It should be equally obvious that your choice of what car to drive--today, without waiting for the next generation of plug-in hybrids, fuel-cell vehicles or advanced diesels--can have an even bigger impact on your wallet and the environment.

That also happens to be a central finding of a recent Oxford University study titled "The Future of Mobility." Instead of waiting for manufacturers to perfect some brilliant new engine technology, it concludes, simply "downscaling . . . both size and weight" of conventional vehicles is the best way to reduce emissions in the near future.

Automakers already know how to do that--they did it during the energy crisis of the late 1970s. It just takes consumers to care enough about the environment (or their budget) to buy the smaller and lighter cars on the market.

Consumers are clearly of two minds. On Yahoo! Autos' list of most-searched-for cars in 2009, the Chevrolet Camaro ranks #1. The Ford Mustang, Jeep Wrangler and Dodge Charger and Challenger also made the top 10, showing that America's love affair with muscle cars lives on.

On the other hand, the Honda Civic, Mini Cooper and Smart for Two were in the top 5, so many people care about economy as well as a cleaner environment.

How much difference does your choice make? The 8-cylinder Camaro pumps out about 6.4 tons of CO2 for every 10,000 miles traveled, and will cost more than $1,500 for gasoline, according to the indispensible comparison web site, www.fueleconomy.gov.

Buying instead a peppy and trendy Mini Cooper will save you about $13K and about $400 in gasoline. It will also emit only 4.4 tons of CO2 each year, almost a third less than the Camaro.

Or you can save an additional $5,000 on the purchase price, and a couple hundred dollars on gas, by picking a Toyota Yaris, a no-frills car with what some reviewers call an "impressive safety package." It emits only 4 tons of CO2 per 10,000 miles. Added bonuses: it hasn't been recalled, and you probably won't be pulled over as often as the driver of a red Camaro.

Any one of these cars will reach the speed limit and get you to work and back. So why not save money and save the earth at the same time?

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