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My SUV Will Beat Up Your Hybrid & Save The World!

Updated: 01/14/2021 by Financial Samurai 51 Comments

Range Rover Evoque Black
RR Evoque Black Edition ~$68,000

My SUV is sweet. Why is it that some hybrid vehicle drivers eventually start looking down at non hybrid-owning drivers in disdain? 

Is the “holier-than-thou” complex too hard to contain during flights of fuel sipping passion?  It’s natural to feel that whatever you purchase is the right purchase. 

After all, if I overpaid for a hybrid vehicle (zing!) in hopes of saving the environment when a similar non-hybrid vehicle will do, I’d defend my decision and look down on others as well!  Don’t be mad, let me explain.

THE FINANCIAL SAMURAI VEHICLE

For those of you who have been following this site for a while, you’ll know that I’ve had plenty of cars over the past 10 years, and I now drive a 9 year older beater SUV which is MAYBE worth $6,000. 

I love “Moose,” my SUV, as I affectionately call him, because he adeptly takes us up the snowy mountains during the winter with its 4-wheel-drive capabilities. 

Moose can conveniently carry up to 5 people with plenty of storage space, which is especially helpful when our parents visit.  Too bad Moose only gets 15mpg in the City, and 19mpg on the highway.  I can hear the hissing and booing now!

I bought my SUV for $8,000 three years ago, from a woman who was in a hurry to dump her car before relocating to Amsterdam.  Special brownies anyone?  The hybrid craze at the time was dizzying, where seemingly rational people would spend $25,000 for a Prius vs. $15,000 for a comparable Toyota Corolla. 

If people did the calculations, they’d realize the premium price paid for the car is much greater than the gas savings over an average 7 year ownership period.

Consumers weren’t adhering to our “1/10th” rule either, as I knew plenty of sub $100,000/yr income earners spending $25,000 for these hybrids.  I must repeat here again that it is absolutely financial destruction if you are spending more than 1/10th your annual gross income on a car.  Multi-millionaires follow this rule, why shouldn’t the rest of us?  Don’t give into your weak desires!

MOOSE GETS DISRESPECTED, I FIGHT BACK

Moose and I lived in harmony with the hybrids for a couple years until we encountered an evil man on a bike one day.  The bicyclist rides up to Moose, gives him a “thumbs down”, and rides away.  After five minutes, we see the same bicycllist in a parking lot loading up his bike onto his Prius!  Annoyed by the encounter, I drive up to him and explain his hypocrisy.

“Hey you, with the spandex, and shaved girly legs.  You got a problem with us?” I ask.

“Uhhh, no problem.  How can I help?” he answers in shock.

“You dishonor Moose here,” I say as I pat the dashboard. “Let me tell you why your hybrid is worse for the environment than Moose.  You think you’re all enviro friendly and cool just because you have a Prius, but you’re wrong.”

“Uhhhh?”

“By buying a new hybrid, you do more damage to the world than any second hand purchase car can do.  You see, unless you destroyed your old vehicle, you ADD to the world’s pollution when you buy new.  You encourage car manufacturers to pump up their production volume, emitting an incredible amount of waste in the process.  Your Hybrid has higher emissions than zero, compared to zero incremental emissions from my second hand car!”

“Hmmmm, I see.  Please don’t hurt me.”

“So quit with your superiority complex Steve, and hand me a beer!”

“Ok, Sam, you win.  I was just fooling with you!”

We hug it out and go for a ride together.  We’re actually not strangers, but buddies!

My SUV Is Great For My Family

Good for you for owning a hybrid, just don’t look down on us who don’t.  We may not be able to afford a $30,000 level 4 Prius because we don’t make $300,000 a year like you. 

More scientifically, now you know that if you don’t lead your old car to the slaughter house, hybrid owners are doing more damage to the world than us poor second hand vehicle user folks. If you’re considering a car to save the world, then ALWAYS buy second hand, and preferably make it a hybrid if you really care!

Don’t be a vegan who wears leather shoes.  It’s just not right.  Let us all continue to co-exist peacefully.  Ahhh, I feel better now.

Related:

The 1/10th Rule For Car Buying Everyone Must Follow

Safety First: Finally Bought A New Family Car

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Updated for 2021 and beyond. My SUV is now a Range Rover Sport HSE and I love it!

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Filed Under: Automobiles, Budgeting & Savings, Education

Author Bio: I started Financial Samurai in 2009 to help people achieve financial freedom sooner. Financial Samurai is now one of the largest independently run personal finance sites with about one million visitors a month.

I spent 13 years working at Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse. In 1999, I earned my BA from William & Mary and in 2006, I received my MBA from UC Berkeley.

In 2012, I left banking after negotiating a severance package worth over five years of living expenses. Today, I enjoy being a stay-at-home dad to two young children, playing tennis, and writing.

Order a hardcopy of my upcoming book, Buy This, Not That: How To Spend Your Way To Wealth And Freedom. Not only will you build more wealth by reading my book, you’ll also make better choices when faced with some of life’s biggest decisions.

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Comments

  1. Geek says

    November 24, 2009 at 10:37 am

    2000 Jetta 2.0litre. Bought him in college, used, for more than 10% of my income but in cash. Come to think of it, I guess I was still in my parents’ household at that point and could fall back on them, so it was <10% of their income. I paid rent, bought the car, and ate a lot of rice though.

    I can keep it running for another 80k (7 years?) with my good mechanic with no problem, it's not as expensive to fix as everyone says German cars are. And I still like it.

    But the itch!! I'm considering a house so I will NOT get another car for a few years yet anyway.

    Reply
    • admin says

      November 24, 2009 at 11:09 am

      Geek – Scratch that itch and just visit your local Ferarri dealer (or Honda) and go for a test drive! Enjoy the new car smell, thank the salesperson, and WALK AWAY! It really is a free form of fun, with no oblgation to buy. Buy a house before a car for sure, esp now! Sam

      Reply
  2. Geek says

    November 23, 2009 at 2:27 pm

    I’m thinking of getting the old boy detailed. That would hold me over for quite a while. After winter though.

    Reply
    • admin says

      November 23, 2009 at 2:29 pm

      Geek – What model is the old boy?

      Reply
  3. Geek says

    November 23, 2009 at 8:53 am

    I would be interested in seeing results of a real study-maybe consumer reports?-about buying new vs. used, and cost of repairs vs. age of car.
    Buying new is often worse for the environment though. Sadly. I like new.

    Reply
    • admin says

      November 23, 2009 at 10:23 am

      Geek – Don’t buy new, no matter how intoxicating the new car smell is! :) Just go to the car dealership every so often and sit in the models and breathe it all in. Afterwards, thank the salespeople and walk away.

      Reply
  4. admin says

    November 21, 2009 at 7:29 pm

    @Matt SF Yep, that was my inspiration for the title of this post!

    Reply
  5. Matt SF says

    November 21, 2009 at 10:19 am

    Reminds me of that bumper sticker that one ups the “my kid is an honor student” with…

    My bad ass son just kicked the s**t out of your honor student.

    Reply
  6. BG says

    November 21, 2009 at 7:56 am

    @David
    I agree, I don’t own any “Flex Fuel” vehicles, but the only thing they sell our here is flex-fuel Gasohol / E10.

    Having ethanol in our gas makes no sense environmentally or economically for many reasons, so how did we end up in this position? — All we are left with is “follow the money”, and that leads to corn-industry pushing this crap on us.

    Reply
  7. David says

    November 20, 2009 at 8:25 pm

    @BG I’m glad to see someone else shares my opinion on ethanol. The other point we haven’t touched on is we’re a corn-based society and can’t just turn one of our major food sources into a fuel. Try reading the ingredient labels on the food in your kitchen and put all the food with high fructose corn syrup on one end of your kitchen table and the food without on the other. Your table will probably tip over from the imbalance before you can finish.

    It’s one thing if a car is designed to run on ethanol, but if isn’t don’t force us to buy the stuff anyway. Thanks for the link to the article.

    Reply
  8. admin says

    November 20, 2009 at 9:04 am

    @SanFranciscan I was hoping more people from green San Francisco would chime in, thnx!

    I don’t want this to be a post ganging up on hybrid-vehicle owners. Au contraire, this is a post to DEFEND non-hyprid vehicle owners from those who attack us and think we’re polluting the environment worse than them.

    We learn that batteries are deadly, and the 30% price premium is also hard to swallow. Net net, who really is polluting more?

    Reply
  9. SanFranciscan says

    November 20, 2009 at 8:57 am

    Admin said: “If people did the calculations, they’d realize the premium price paid for the car is much greater than the gas savings over an average 7 year ownership period.”

    How do you measure “gas savings”, exactly? I bet you just multiply gallons consumed * price per gallon. This is wrong. It does not measure the real cost of burning those gallons — that is the cost of the greenhouse gases you put out. This cost, unfortunately, takes a while to accumulate and is harder to measure, but is a very real cost.

    Admin further said: “You see, unless you destroyed your old vehicle, you ADD to the world’s pollution when you buy new.”

    This is only true if you could still drive your old car but choose to buy a new car just because. If your old car was no longer functional or falling apart, then buying a new car makes sense. There is a natural rate at which cars die and have to be replaced, and this does not create artificial demand. At that point, given the choice between hybrid vs. non-hybrid, it absolutely makes sense to carefully consider your options.

    Reply
  10. Charlie says

    November 19, 2009 at 9:30 pm

    new cars are SO expensive. I like the idea of hybrids but I don’t think I’d ever pay for a new one. I’m just happy using public transportation and getting around that way. I’ve never even owned a car actually and have saved so much money that way!

    Reply
  11. BG says

    November 19, 2009 at 10:37 am

    @David
    There is still a major issue with ethanol and the majority of the US auto fleet. Older cars with electronic emissions (O2 sensors, etc), were designed for 100%-pure gasoline. When you run a 10% ethanol mix in these cars, they actually end up burning _more_ fuel due to the computer not understanding the exhaust characteristics of the blended fuel — they run rich. Practically all gas pumps in the US serve up a 10% mix of Ethanol now.

    Ethanol has a lower BTU rating than gasoline, so Gasohol / E10 (10% ethanol, 90% gasoline) would expect to have a 3.2% reduced fuel economy, yet people are seeing 10% (or more) reductions in fuel economy in some cars (early Prius is an example).

    If your car can go 1000 miles on 40 gallons of pure-gas (25mpg), and you suffer a 10% (or more) reduction in fuel economy with Gasohol, then the same trip now takes you 44.44 gallons of gasohol (of which 39.996 is gasoline, and 4.44 is ethanol). Basically, you just burned 4.44 gallons of ethanol, and the exact same amount of gasoline for the same damn trip if you had just been driving in pure-gas in the first place. How much energy was wasted in producing that 4.44 gallons of ethanol that had ZERO positive effect? Answer: ALL OF IT.

    For these cars, having Ethanol in the gas is actually _worse_than_water_. There are other really bad things about having anything higher than E0 in your fuel: rubber seals breakdown, water saturation, etc.

    This is why 10% Ethanol blends are not allowed in Germany.

    Reply
  12. Kosmo @ The Casual Observer says

    November 19, 2009 at 7:56 am

    @admin
    Do you have any corollaries to your 1/10 rule? I tend to get 130K+ miles out of a car before getting something different (basically, I drive them to the point where big things start failing). Clearly, if I exceed the 1/10 rule, it’s not as bad as someone who flips cars every couple of years – because the percentage of my LIFETIME income that gets sunk into cars is still lower.

    Reply
  13. admin says

    November 19, 2009 at 8:28 am

    Kosmo – It’s just a rule to go by, and isn’t the law. It’s just good to have rules on big ticket items, esp with no return policies.

    It’s great you are getting the max out of your car. There are so many factors to consider with a car, that I found if one can follow this one rule, one will generally be safe from financial destruction.

    The rule helps curb my car desires, and motivates me to earn more.

    Flipping cars can be quite profitable actually. I sold 4 cars for 1-3k profits each over the past 8 yrs. Of course I also lost thousands on the other 4 cars due to depreciation and bad timing.

    I used to have a car weakness, and that’s why it’s important for me to develop this guideline!

    Reply
  14. admin says

    November 19, 2009 at 5:58 am

    @Credit Card Chaser Haha, yup, not according to their 1040. I worry for them once the government legalizes pot and blow though.

    You’re right, the 1/10th rule is probably a minority. It’s just a good rule I like to follow.

    Reply
  15. admin says

    November 19, 2009 at 6:54 am

    @Larry L, New York True story, I drove all the way out to Bethpage Golf Course once, parked my car up front, left it, and proceeded to LOSE my car keys somewhere on the course! I had to take the damn train back to the City, and of course my car was towed given cars couldn’t park overnight.

    Damn I hated public transportation that day! There’s no way in heck i’d use public transportation as my main means to commune on Long Island. NYC, SF, Chicago, Boston, yes. Elsewhere no!

    Reply
  16. admin says

    November 19, 2009 at 6:45 am

    @Neal@wealthpilgrim.com “Larry the Lexus”? HAHAHAHA. Maybe I’ll introduce Larry to Moose one day.

    Reply
  17. Larry L, New York says

    November 19, 2009 at 6:35 am

    @jj

    You assume everyone lives in an area that has great public transportation. In my case NYC it completely makes sense. On Long Island, where I live, by car is the best method. Any other method (via bus, LIRR or taxi) would double or triple the time it takes to get somewhere.

    Reply
  18. Credit Card Chaser says

    November 19, 2009 at 12:03 am

    @admin

    Naturally – of course not according to their 1040 but nonetheless you are probably right :) Although, you might be surprised at how many probably are not making anywhere near that amount but rather it’s just very important to them to give off that impression.

    Reply
  19. Credit Card Chaser says

    November 19, 2009 at 12:01 am

    @jj

    Naturally there are more environmentally friendly options available like using public transportation as you mention or of course buying a second hand car that gets great gas mileage like a Honda Civic instead of a large SUV (or a car with a 6.1 liter HEMI like mine – yea, I know I couldn’t resist lol) the intention of the post just appears to be trying to prick a pin in the arrogance that many people that buy brand new hybrids seem to have as if their decision is the absolute #1 most environmentally friendly decision possible. FS just showcased via this post that they are in fact wrong to think this.

    Reply
  20. Credit Card Chaser says

    November 18, 2009 at 11:55 pm

    I hope that someone didn’t already mention this and I overlooked it but you should check out the cover story from the issue of Wired Magazine a few months back where they covered a lot of environmentally oriented myths. Your article is right along the same lines of one of the common myths.

    I definitely agree with your 1/10 rule except for when you take it to the extreme then a college student or someone who does not yet have an income but needs a car to drive to work then that may make for a legitimate exception.

    Whenever I think about that rule I always picture driving by some run down apartment complex and seeing a fancy Escalade with expensive rims on it parked out in front in a residents parking spot and just wondering… :)

    Reply
  21. Neal@wealthpilgrim.com says

    November 18, 2009 at 11:48 pm

    I had to break my vow of staying “unplugged” when I saw this title.

    I love it…….pass me a brownie while you’re at it.

    I used to drive a Prius and then I saw the error of my ways. Now I drive Larry the Lexus – thank you very much. It’s big and bad. I love it.

    Reply
  22. admin says

    November 18, 2009 at 11:59 pm

    @Credit Card Chaser Cool, didn’t see the Wired Mag a few months back. Will check it out.

    The Escalade with the spinners for $60,000 total is most definitely owned by someone in that run down apartment complex probably making $1 million+! :)

    Reply
  23. David says

    November 18, 2009 at 9:53 pm

    @admin Transferred into the Air National Guard and ended up deploying more than if I’d stayed on active duty. Guardsmen don’t collect their retirement until 60 and I don’t have my 20 years in.

    I guess I’ll have to retract my stated about ethanol having a negative net energy balance. New studies show it’s not negative anymore due to improvements and is now a positive 1.25, although other studies show it to be more like 0.70. I don’t know who’s doing these studies, but gasoline has a BTU rating of 18,400 BTUs/lb, and ethanol is actually 47% less @ 9,750 BTUs/lb, so my guess is the number finagling is over the efficiency of the production process.

    And you can’t fuel airplanes with ethanol yet. The Air Force is testing a 50/50 blend of jet fuel and ethanol but we won’t be using 100% ethanol anytime soon.

    Reply
  24. admin says

    November 18, 2009 at 10:27 pm

    @David Out of curiousity, if you did 18 years, why not just do 20 years to qualify for a pension?

    Maybe in 10 years, we’ll have 100% consuming ethanol engines.

    Reply
  25. admin says

    November 18, 2009 at 10:17 pm

    @MLR If someone must buy new, and no other choice for some reason, sure, buy a hybrid. But I don’t agree it is the financially savvy thing to since the break even is so long.

    Reply
  26. admin says

    November 18, 2009 at 10:14 pm

    @LeanLifeCoach very interesting data on the implication of nickel and the process of production in batteries. Thanks for that insight! These are the tidbits of info that I will include in my weekly wrap of what we’ve learned.

    I love the 1998 Honda Accord!

    Reply
  27. MLR says

    November 18, 2009 at 7:02 pm

    You’re argument makes a lot of sense if we assume that people have two options:

    1) Buy a new hybrid
    2) Buy a used car

    However, if someone is absolutely stuck on buying a new car, sometimes buying a hybrid is the financially AND environmentally wise thing to do. Just gotta do some math to see where the break even point is to see if it justifies the hybrid premium.

    Reply
  28. JoeTaxpayer says

    November 18, 2009 at 6:57 pm

    1/10 rule? I thought I was familiar with the rules of thumb, never caught this one. That’s 1/10 every year toward transportation? Not that a car cost shouldn’t exceed 10% of one’s income. Right? Interesting post FS.

    Reply
  29. LeanLifeCoach says

    November 18, 2009 at 7:42 pm

    Ahhh but it gets worse… “the nickle in the batteries for the most popular U.S. brand is mined in Canada, the raw material is shipped across the pond to Europe to be refined. Then this base material is sent to China to be turned into a foam only to be forwarded to Japan to be made into a battery. It has been said that that the process in making the batteries does more environmental damage than an Landrover Discovery”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqVNKlbP9OU

    I’ve had the pleasure of the opportunity to drive a Lexus RX400h for a period of time. The torque from the electric motor is killer sweet, more fun than a hemi’. Honestly, unless you are real gentle on the accelerator the gas mileage is not all that great. My 1998 Accord mileage is nearly as good but does not come with a $600/mo+ payment or outrageous insurance payments….

    I can also park it wherever I want!

    Reply
  30. admin says

    November 18, 2009 at 7:14 pm

    Joe – Our rule of thumb is simply to spend no more than 1/10th your gross annual income on the purchase price of a car. If one can stick to this rule on the initial car purchase, everything else will take care of itself.

    Want a $50,000 bimmer? Make $500,000 first.

    Reply
  31. admin says

    November 18, 2009 at 6:29 pm

    @jj I agree, wassup with these Morons who drive big vehicles!?! Haven’t people ever heard of walking? Sheesh!

    Reply
  32. The Genius says

    November 18, 2009 at 5:15 pm

    @jj Are you saying you walk to work and never drive? You’re completely missing the point. The post isn’t about being eco friendly, it’s about going against snobs like you who think they’re better than others because you drive a more fuel efficient car, which so happens to be worse for the environment if you bough new.

    The Genius

    Reply
  33. jj says

    November 18, 2009 at 4:51 pm

    Just use the public transport, morons.
    You come up with any kind of excuse to not stop driving those monstrosities.

    Of course buying second hand *may* be better than buying new, but if you are going to buy new, it’s better if you buy something that burns less petrol than otherwise. Best would be to realise that, after all, you don’t need a truck to go to the shop around the corner.

    But I doubt that buying 9 cars in 10 years, whether they’re second hand or not, can be considered “eco-friendly” (whatever that means).

    Reply
  34. Bobby says

    November 18, 2009 at 2:54 pm

    Drive a 1987 Vanagon (18mpg) that is very secondhand and will not suffer much if I collide with a Prius. I reckon I’m saving the environment while being conveyed tastefully hither and yon.

    Reply
  35. admin says

    November 18, 2009 at 3:51 pm

    @David Cash For Clunkers = Personal Finance BOMB! The average $24,000 new car purchase (and cost) in the program equates to a $240,000 year annual gross income, but the average GDP/capita is only $50,000. The government has unwittingly delayed thousands of impressionable consumer’s retirements! No worries, b/c the rest of us will bail them out! Whoo hoo!

    Interesting angle regarding ethanol requirements and the negative energy equation.

    David, 18 years in the air force huh? Well done! Do you get a pension or anything? What are your thoughts on my other article regarding “Why Are There Homeless Veterans In America?”

    For the record, I’m NOT anti-hybrid buyers, I’m anti-arrogance! :)

    Reply
  36. admin says

    November 18, 2009 at 3:26 pm

    @Larry L, New York Feeling good is selfish ha! Good point though. It feels good to buy your hybrid thinking you are saving the world, and then it feels good to belittle non-hybrid owners as well I guess.

    @Ken – I agree, carpooling is great. There was a picture of how many vehicles a BUS would take off the road, and that # was 40! 1 Bus = 40 cars! Ever since I saw that picture 2 years ago, I started busing it to work every day.

    Reply
  37. admin says

    November 18, 2009 at 3:22 pm

    @Bobby Funny, before my buying my first property, I thought about buying a EUROVAN to substitute as my vehicle AND home since the world was ending back in 2001. Love the full size bed fold out and center table.

    Yeah, you probably will win against a Prius. But, you’re table might flight out the window in the process!

    Reply
  38. admin says

    November 18, 2009 at 3:19 pm

    @John DeFlumeri Jr Payment free driving is the way to go! You should be able to get 10-15 years more easy if you choose to!

    Reply
  39. admin says

    November 18, 2009 at 3:17 pm

    @BG Wow, a 1971 C10? That really is old school! I loved my 1987 BMW 635CSI… that is the most beautiful car in the world imo. Too bad it leaked steering fluid every time I stopped.

    How did I have 8 cars in 10 years? Easy, buy and sell a car every 14 months on average! Read the post, I’m sure you will enjoy it. I’m just glad I don’t have a 4 car garage… then maybed I’d have 16 cars in 10 years!

    Reply
  40. admin says

    November 18, 2009 at 3:12 pm

    @Len Penzo Really great point about destructive mining as well as disposal of the toxic batteries! I was thinking that at worst, a Hybrid vehicle would be net neutral to the environment, but you mentioning hybrids are damaging to the environment is a great angle. Thnx!

    Reply
  41. BG says

    November 18, 2009 at 1:52 pm

    But you can grow a tree in your Ford Focus Hybrid (seen the commercials?). I agree with the premise, buy old beaters, and fix them up — much cheaper, and better for the environment.

    I have two vehicles: 1997 Ranger (120k miles), and a 1971 C10 (miles unknown, but probably more than 300k miles). I’d rather drive a museum piece than new plastic crap. Then again, the geek in me would love to have one of those sweet electronic dashes that the hybrids have. Wonder if I can retrofit it into the ’71…

    How in the world have you gone through 8 cars in 10 years?!?

    Reply
  42. Ken says

    November 18, 2009 at 11:23 am

    I think we are better off carpooling and using public transportation (if your town provides). Hybrids are overrated in my opinion and the break even is so far in the future. Good post!

    Reply
  43. John DeFlumeri Jr says

    November 18, 2009 at 10:36 am

    I understand you real well. I too own an suv, all paid off, and reliable as hell. Capable for any task! 2004 Ford Explorer 4×4 v-8. 43,500 miles. I liik forward to 5 or 10 years more of payment-free driving!

    Reply
  44. Len Penzo says

    November 18, 2009 at 9:03 am

    You are right. The environmental impacts of hybrids are substantial, Sam. You and Moose aren’t doing any more harm to the environment, than a hybrid. (And you’re saving the destructive impacts to your wallet too.)

    The Hybrid’s Achilles’ heal vis-a-vis their environmental impact comes from pollution caused by their very complicated battery system used to power their electric engine. The caustic substances that power those batteries have to be disposed after they fail – eventually, those substances can leech into groundwater. On top of that, destructive mining is required to create those batteries in the first place.

    Len
    Len Penzo dot Com

    Reply
  45. Larry L, New York says

    November 18, 2009 at 8:32 am

    But they are saving the environment right?? But they saving money on gas right?? Wrong on both counts. The only reason they are doing this (like most purchases) because it makes them feel good.

    Reply
  46. Evan says

    November 18, 2009 at 7:24 am

    I agree with you that you are purchasing the “hybrid term” – I am pretty sure there were cars in the 80s (albeit ugly) that had as good if not better gas mileage and were relateivly (taking into account inflation) cheaper. Here is a cool list from the late 70s up until 81:

    https://www.mpgomatic.com/2007/10/08/super-cheap-high-mpg-cars-1978-1981/

    I don’t understand your “not adding to the problem” argument. Unless you can guarantee that the person you bought the car from didn’t go purchase a new car it is all irrelevant.

    Reply
  47. admin says

    November 18, 2009 at 7:43 am

    @Evan
    It’s the lesser of two evils, if we consider driving cars “evil.” If two consumers both rode bikes, and one bought a hybrid and another bought a 2nd hand vehicle, there mathematically is less net addition to pollution for the 2nd hand buyer whether the original seller buys a new vehicle or not.

    My point is: those who drive new cars or new hybrids shouldn’t look down on the rest of us until they know exactly what the manufacturer/seller has done.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 5 Tips To Save Money Buying A Car - Untemplater — Untemplater says:
    June 20, 2015 at 6:32 pm

    […] hit that you avoid by buying second hand. Plus you’re being green by buying existing inventory. Buying new isn’t good for the environment because unless you destroy your old car, you’ve added and supported a new pollution-emitting […]

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