![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
Pardon my incoherence, it's been a weird morning. I was woken half an hour before my alarm was to go off by the dog... and then, suddenly, my husband got up to take her out. I snuggled back in, happy as all get out for another 30 minutes of sleep, and was awoken in a little by... breakfast in bed. Scrambled eggs, toast (with butter), and coffee. He'd even prepared a travel mug for me. I'm guessing he really, really, really wants that Xbox 360 (no, dear, I realize you can just do nice things for me on occasion, it's not always about wanting something... right?).
So.
Is there anyone else who's ever had to put a 'don't forget to stop and get gas' sign on their windshield? No? Just me? Actually, I didn't remember to last night (yes, I have done that before) and it was by sheer luck I remembered this morning. And then, then I wasn't even as out of gas as I thought I was! I had two whole gallons left. Two! Ah well, at least now I won't run out of gas - the trip out to the stadium upped my gas mileage slightly. Usually I figure at 300 miles I've run through almost all of my gas, but the highway driving pushed my mpgs up to 22.4 (instead of the normal 20) so I had a little more than I thought left. Ah, well, I won't have to worry about stopping and getting gas for awhile.
But that coupled with the dozens of news stories about how the price of gas is causing a crunch got me thinking. Especially when most of the 'how to save money on gas' articles start with '1) Get a hybrid car'... Granted, that will save you money on gas, but overall? Really? Then again, my ten year old car has 96,000 miles on it, so maybe I'm in the minority - I don't drive that much. I plan shopping to be, if not on the way to and from somewhere, at least close by. We don't go on holiday. (I've been watching too much BBC - change that to 'take vacations') The baseball stadium is about the only place we drive. So I wondered... at what point would buying a new car make sense for me?
So I started researching hybrids. It seems though they've gotten much more realistic about their gas mileage! The highest I found was the Prius, at 48/45 mpg. It was also the cheapest, listing at $21,416. I completely discounted any hybrid that got less than 20 mpg - that's worse than my old car! Granted, those were SUVs and trucks, but still. I came up with a list, and picked three cars: one at the top, one in the middle, and one at the bottom of the gas mileage spectrum.
The top contender, as said, is the Prius: $21,416 and 48/45
In the middle of the pack, we have the Nissan Altima: $25,795 and 35/33
At the bottom, we have the Chevy Malibu (or the Saturn Aura, they're the same): $22,790 and 24/32
Given 0% financing for 5 years (an impossible deal, but let's go with the best possible scenario) that's $356/mo, $429/mo, and $379/mo, respectively. This is not even including higher taxes and insurance!
I drive about 28 miles each day (round trip) to work. That's 560 miles a month. Add in some extra driving and I'll even be generous - 800 miles per month total (that, incidentally, puts me at exactly 96,000 miles in 10 years, though that total includes a few years of long commutes and two long road trips). We've established that my average gas mileage is 20 mpg. So what price does gas have to go up to in order for it to be worth my while to buy a new car?
With the Prius, I'd use 23 fewer gallons of gas. With the Altima, 17 fewer. and with the Malibu, 7 fewer. At this point, the Prius saves me $76/mo. The Altima saves me $56/mo. And the Malibu... well, it saves a paltry $23/mo.
So in a best-case, not-counting-insurance-and-taxes sort of way, the Prius costs me $280/mo more (this one is, by far, the best deal). The Altima is a really stupid decision, costing me $373/mo more. And the Malibu? $356 more.
Yes, I know, it's not all about money, it's about the environment. But if you really want to make people change, you have to make it economical for them (I put up curtains not because I know it's environmentally friendly not to use so much electricity and gas to heat and cool my house, but because my bills are lower and I like the way they look - take note, people with just blinds!). Would I honestly buy a $21,000 Prius over a $14,000 Hyundai? There's a $121/mo difference - granted, the Hyundai only gets about 24 mpg, but at my mileage gas has to go up to $7.30/gallon to even break even.
Another interesting fact - I guess there's an issue with the hybrids being too quiet, and blind people can't tell they are coming down the road? It's weird the problems that pop up.
I'm all in favor of making people ride bicycles - and even my fat, out-of-shape ass would do it if I didn't fear for my life. You're much more likely to die on a bicycle than in a car, especially with the complete and utter lack of bike lanes around here. But think, that would solve three really big problems - obesity, pollution, and cost. People would be in better shape, would not be polluting the environment, and even an expensive bike is cheap to buy and maintain when compared with a car!
But there's no way I'm going one-on-one with an SUV doing 60 where the driver is trying to simultaneously talk on the phone, yell at the kids in the back, eat a bowl a cereal, and get themselves ready for work (makeup or shaving, depending on gender). It's too scary to ride a bike these days. So I guess I have to add 'safe' to the list of things you need to do to make people green.
I took an on-line test that told me I was not at all green. And yet, when I talk to people, I do a lot of environmentally friendly things... sometimes a lot more than the people who are preaching at me. I use less than 40 gallons of gas a month. I don't use chemical cleaners in the house, and certainly don't waste electricity by vacuuming too often! I have a high efficiency washer and dryer, and keep my fridge and freezer full to minimize cooling costs. I have drapes and curtains to insulate my house (and I did install new double-paned windows). I recycle, which is the one thing I do despite the fact that it costs me more money to have curbside pickup. I only have to put out our trash can once every other week (how do people produce that much trash?!). I've even used some of the compact fluorescent bulbs, though those are both a boon and a curse to the environment (You cannot throw them away! They need to be recycled!).
I've completely lost where I was going with this. I'm sure there was a point, but maybe it boarded the wrong train. Or took a left at Albuquerque. Something like that.
I guess I should get to work, or I won't be paying any bills...
So.
Is there anyone else who's ever had to put a 'don't forget to stop and get gas' sign on their windshield? No? Just me? Actually, I didn't remember to last night (yes, I have done that before) and it was by sheer luck I remembered this morning. And then, then I wasn't even as out of gas as I thought I was! I had two whole gallons left. Two! Ah well, at least now I won't run out of gas - the trip out to the stadium upped my gas mileage slightly. Usually I figure at 300 miles I've run through almost all of my gas, but the highway driving pushed my mpgs up to 22.4 (instead of the normal 20) so I had a little more than I thought left. Ah, well, I won't have to worry about stopping and getting gas for awhile.
But that coupled with the dozens of news stories about how the price of gas is causing a crunch got me thinking. Especially when most of the 'how to save money on gas' articles start with '1) Get a hybrid car'... Granted, that will save you money on gas, but overall? Really? Then again, my ten year old car has 96,000 miles on it, so maybe I'm in the minority - I don't drive that much. I plan shopping to be, if not on the way to and from somewhere, at least close by. We don't go on holiday. (I've been watching too much BBC - change that to 'take vacations') The baseball stadium is about the only place we drive. So I wondered... at what point would buying a new car make sense for me?
So I started researching hybrids. It seems though they've gotten much more realistic about their gas mileage! The highest I found was the Prius, at 48/45 mpg. It was also the cheapest, listing at $21,416. I completely discounted any hybrid that got less than 20 mpg - that's worse than my old car! Granted, those were SUVs and trucks, but still. I came up with a list, and picked three cars: one at the top, one in the middle, and one at the bottom of the gas mileage spectrum.
The top contender, as said, is the Prius: $21,416 and 48/45
In the middle of the pack, we have the Nissan Altima: $25,795 and 35/33
At the bottom, we have the Chevy Malibu (or the Saturn Aura, they're the same): $22,790 and 24/32
Given 0% financing for 5 years (an impossible deal, but let's go with the best possible scenario) that's $356/mo, $429/mo, and $379/mo, respectively. This is not even including higher taxes and insurance!
I drive about 28 miles each day (round trip) to work. That's 560 miles a month. Add in some extra driving and I'll even be generous - 800 miles per month total (that, incidentally, puts me at exactly 96,000 miles in 10 years, though that total includes a few years of long commutes and two long road trips). We've established that my average gas mileage is 20 mpg. So what price does gas have to go up to in order for it to be worth my while to buy a new car?
With the Prius, I'd use 23 fewer gallons of gas. With the Altima, 17 fewer. and with the Malibu, 7 fewer. At this point, the Prius saves me $76/mo. The Altima saves me $56/mo. And the Malibu... well, it saves a paltry $23/mo.
So in a best-case, not-counting-insurance-and-taxes sort of way, the Prius costs me $280/mo more (this one is, by far, the best deal). The Altima is a really stupid decision, costing me $373/mo more. And the Malibu? $356 more.
Yes, I know, it's not all about money, it's about the environment. But if you really want to make people change, you have to make it economical for them (I put up curtains not because I know it's environmentally friendly not to use so much electricity and gas to heat and cool my house, but because my bills are lower and I like the way they look - take note, people with just blinds!). Would I honestly buy a $21,000 Prius over a $14,000 Hyundai? There's a $121/mo difference - granted, the Hyundai only gets about 24 mpg, but at my mileage gas has to go up to $7.30/gallon to even break even.
Another interesting fact - I guess there's an issue with the hybrids being too quiet, and blind people can't tell they are coming down the road? It's weird the problems that pop up.
I'm all in favor of making people ride bicycles - and even my fat, out-of-shape ass would do it if I didn't fear for my life. You're much more likely to die on a bicycle than in a car, especially with the complete and utter lack of bike lanes around here. But think, that would solve three really big problems - obesity, pollution, and cost. People would be in better shape, would not be polluting the environment, and even an expensive bike is cheap to buy and maintain when compared with a car!
But there's no way I'm going one-on-one with an SUV doing 60 where the driver is trying to simultaneously talk on the phone, yell at the kids in the back, eat a bowl a cereal, and get themselves ready for work (makeup or shaving, depending on gender). It's too scary to ride a bike these days. So I guess I have to add 'safe' to the list of things you need to do to make people green.
I took an on-line test that told me I was not at all green. And yet, when I talk to people, I do a lot of environmentally friendly things... sometimes a lot more than the people who are preaching at me. I use less than 40 gallons of gas a month. I don't use chemical cleaners in the house, and certainly don't waste electricity by vacuuming too often! I have a high efficiency washer and dryer, and keep my fridge and freezer full to minimize cooling costs. I have drapes and curtains to insulate my house (and I did install new double-paned windows). I recycle, which is the one thing I do despite the fact that it costs me more money to have curbside pickup. I only have to put out our trash can once every other week (how do people produce that much trash?!). I've even used some of the compact fluorescent bulbs, though those are both a boon and a curse to the environment (You cannot throw them away! They need to be recycled!).
I've completely lost where I was going with this. I'm sure there was a point, but maybe it boarded the wrong train. Or took a left at Albuquerque. Something like that.
I guess I should get to work, or I won't be paying any bills...
no subject
no subject
I reset the trip not only to reassure myself that the gas gauge hasn't gone completely bonkers, but also I like to see what my mileage is. It's amazingly consistant, really.
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
I'm still waiting for this to come to the US:
no subject
I test-drove a Corolla last time we went to get a car, and we also looked at the Sentra 9I was repalcing my old Sentra). But both were *tiny* on the inside and my husband was relly cramped and uncomfortable. Say what you want about Hyundais, they are really suprisingly spacious on the inside. For my next car I'm still holding out for the Veyron, though. ;)
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
This is all knowledge lifted from my car-knowledgeable friends, though. Personally, I don't know dick about cars. Although I should probably start doing some research since we're looking at buying this summer.
no subject
And mostly you can get a just-about-as fuel efficient regular car for a lot less money!
Things to know about cars: they need gas, preferably pumped by someone else. The big round thing steers it, and the pedal on the right makes it go faster. ;p Will this be a car for you once you get your license? I recommend the Hello Kitty car shown further up in this post... ;)