car efficiency

[bolson]

I made a simple spreadsheet showing economy of cars at $3.50/gal, comparing Prius and Insight hybrids and a standard Fit.

You need either a lot of miles or really expensive gas to make the added cost pay for itself.

Of course there may also be other features between these cars. Maybe the high end is also to be nicer for people who want to pay for nice, and the low end is the budget model for people without that cash. There's some test-driving to be done.

Comments

[soong.livejournal.com]

Yes, but how much do I want to pay for my moral superiority?
(And how much should I tell people I paid for my moral superiority?)

If I wanted to pay more for my moral superiority, I would clearly have to go with the Chevy Volt. This is the only car I could drive if I were running for office (gotta drive American Made) and courting the green vote as I naturally would be.

[starphire.livejournal.com]

Well, you'd only be paying for it IF the cost of gas actually stays close to where it currently is, over the ownership of your new vehicle. Which seems highly unlikely to me if you're thinking more than a few years out, even if things go as well as anyone could hope for re: the availability of oil worldwide at current extraction costs.

Also, are you expecting to be doing mostly highway miles away from the city, or more for workday commuting? I found that in typical commuter driving from Boston to suburb, a *Camry* hybrid averaged about 44mpg whenever I drove it (aiming for good efficiency, admittedly), though it topped out at maybe 35 if it was all highway driving. Why is it that this larger/heavier (and quiet riding & comfy) vehicle does better mpg than an Insight appears to, I wonder?

[dancingwolfgrrl.livejournal.com]

This is a reasonable question, since cost and moral superiority clearly have a direct correlation. I personally feel some obligation to spend more money on greener options because that's an option for me more than for many people, and because I spend a non-zero chunk of my discretionary income on totally non-green pursuits, like "driving places for fun."