I can%26#039;t afford a hybrid car or an Electric one but I can afford a fuel efficient one, is that good or bad? Should I feel good or bad that I am buying a fuel efficent car? It is a Toyota Yaris and it is very good on fuel. I want to help the environment so I would have liked an electric car but I can%26#039;t afford one. I need a car for work as I go to many different homes and work with seniors, so should I feel good or bad? I am happy that I will not be driving my big old car as it was very bad for the planet, but this new car does use gas. The money I am saving by not buying an electric car I am putting that towards buying a house, but would someone who really cares about the planet put the money towards an electric car? What do you think?

Other Answers (8)

• Obviously, wealthy people have more options, but that doesn%26#039;t mean that us everyday Jen%26#039;s can%26#039;t do our little part to help the environment. Don%26#039;t panic about what other people think or how you should feel. Do what you can and don%26#039;t worry about what you can%26#039;t do - if we all changed one little thing like moving from an SUV to a fuel-efficient car, the combined difference would be huge! 0% 0 Votes
• actually the amount Hybrid is the sme amount you can use the fuel in your whole life! and now i thinkyou should switch to a normal car nothybrid because it also consumes electricity 0% 0 Votes
• Every little bit helps...
  Are your seniors close enough that you can ride your bike sometimes? 0% 0 Votes
• Yay!!! your doing a great job!!! it%26#039;s good just plant a couple trees with your house and you%26#039;ll be fine 0% 0 Votes
• I had hardly any money, and bought a used Toyota Echo (standard transmission)--which was the sub-compact car Toyota made just before Yaris. Our family traded in a minivan and recycled an old beater and went to one fuel efficient vehicle, and we feel great about it! I think you should too! In many places, electricity is only marginally better than gas in terms of it%26#039;s impact on the environment (if it comes from a coal-burning generating plant, for instance.) The main thing is to do the best we can, and to keep putting pressure on manufacturers to do better on their end! 22% 2 Votes
• Hmmm...a 2008 car that gets %26quot;good%26quot; gas milage? I looked up what they stated about the Yaris. 29 mpg in the city, 35 mpg on the highway.
  
  My 1996, four door, V6 Merc Sable gets 30 mpg in the city, and 36 mpg on the highway. No, it has not been altered in any way, shape or form. No, that isn%26#039;t with weirdo driving habbits, that some people are doing. That%26#039;s simply with standard driving, using cruz control on the highway, and filling with premium gas.
  
  You can buy a very decent used Merc Sable for $1500. A brand new Yaris (stipped down model) is $11,550.
  
  Be sure to find out what gas (premium, regular, ect) they are reccomending with the Yaris for it to get the best millage.
  
  Then compare all of that with the price of buying something like a used Merc Sable.....then figure out which will do more to save the enviroment, and save your wallet/gas bill.
  
  A used Merc Sable, which was manufatured years ago, and you are giving a longer, useful life to? Or a bran new Yaris...how many years will you be making payments?
  
  My Merc was built in Canada and shipped to the U.S.A. (in 1996). What country is your Yaris being made in, and shipped from?
  
  How much will your brand spanking new Yaris be worth the second you drive it off the lot?
  
  There are a suprising number of used vehicles (besides Merc Sables) out there that get great milage. There%26#039;s a 1986 four door, diesel, BMW for sale at a used lot where I live. They get about 40-45 mpg. Price is $2200. It%26#039;s in lovely condition...looks brand new, in fact.
  
  ~Garnet
  Permaculture homesteading/farming over 20 years
  
  P.S. Correct....my Merc is a 1991 11% 1 Vote
• Anything that reduces the amount of gas you are using is a good thing. When deciding which vehicle is more affordable you need to consider all options not just the purchase price.
  
  If you calculate the average number of miles you will drive and how many miles per gallon your car averages and factor in the current price of gas you can figure out how much it will cost you to run. You may also want to take into account any tax credits you will get from a hybrid. I own a Prius and I got around $2K credit 6 years ago. In CA I also save money because I don%26#039;t have to get my car smog checked every other year. I can drive in the carpool lane when I%26#039;m by myself and I only have to change the oil every 7500 miles most cars recommend oil changes at 3-4000 miles.
  
  Taking all those things into account you may still be better off getting the Yaris. We have to make the best choices given our circumstances and you are going in the right direction. Awareness is the key, you at least thought about the options and their impact, and you should feel good about that. Hopefully when you are in the market to replace this vehicle there are lower impact options that fit your lifestyle. 11% 1 Vote
• I currently run ethanol (corn alcohol) in a 1999 Dodge 3500 truck. But all Cummins engines were modified from the factory to run on BioD since around 1992 without any modification.
  
  Most vehicles are already equipped to run on Alternative Energy. In fact you’re probably even driving one right now and didn’t even know it. Go to www agua-luna com for a list of this vehicles