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Did You Know A Used Car Can Be Better Than A New Hybrid?

Agent009 submitted on 5/20/2008 Official Bell & Ross Timestamp: 3:04:49 PM

17 user comments | Category: Misc News | Source: | SOURCE: blog.wired.com

Ditching your gas guzzler is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint, but if you really want to do something about global warming, get a used car.

You'll be putting less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

As Matt Power notes in this month's issue of Wired, hybrids get great gas mileage but it takes 113 million BTUs of energy to make a Toyota Prius. Because there are about 113,000 BTUs of energy in a gallon of gasoline, the Prius has consumed the equivalent of 1,000 gallons of gasoline before it reaches the showroom. Think of it as a carbon debt -- one you won't pay off until the Prius has turned over 46,000 miles or so.

There's an easy way to avoid that debt -- buy a used car. The debt has already been paid. But not just any used car will do.

 



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Did You Know A Used Car Can Be Better Than A New Hybrid?

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Agent009

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User Comments

budfrogS4

Wouldn't the debt only be paid if you bought the car with greater than 46k miles? Still a wierd concept to think about.

Just buy a used Golf TDI...

— budfrogS4 (View Profile)

Posted on 5/20/2008 3:44:02 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

r15mohd

and when diesel hits $5 you'll regret every second of that purchase.

hybrid is the answer, it eliminates the use of oil. it is not like diesel's where it still solely an oil product.

so to all those who think tdi's and 335d's, etc is the way to go. look at your gas stations, oil is roughly a full dollar more than regular gas. and when you have to pay $6-7 for a gallon of diesel, i hope you ENJOY IT!

— r15mohd (View Profile)

Posted on 5/20/2008 5:08:18 PM | | Votes: 1   

budfrogS4

Ya, not as much as I'd regret touching the gas pedal in a Prius...

If you assume 15k miles a year, 40 mpg and $1.50 difference in gas price it'd come out to $5-600 a year in additional cost for fuel. I'd gladly pay that premium instead of crying every time the stoplight turns green.

— budfrogS4 (View Profile)

Posted on 5/20/2008 5:30:54 PM | | Votes: 5   

budfrogS4

You also forget that despite good mpg numbers, that's far from "elminating" the use of oil. If Americans really wanted to elminate the use of oil we'd be churning out biodiesel instead of contributing to the politically developed, heinous misuse of crops called ethanol. Which, by the way, your Prius is using a gallon of every time you fill up.

Oh, and just wait until 2009-10 when upgraded refineries begin to come online to process Canadian crude. The main reason why we're not producing enough diesel, thus raising the price higher than gas, is because most refineries in the US are not capable of producing large amounts ULSD, so they don't. These new refineries not only have sulfur extraction processes included in their scopes, but the Canadian crude has a product distribution that favors higher diesel output compared to the sweet stuff we get from overseas.

— budfrogS4 (View Profile)

Posted on 5/20/2008 5:47:07 PM | | Votes: 4   

budfrogS4

No, producing more diesel from crude isn't the answer, but it's a great transition for the widespread implementation of biodiesel.

— budfrogS4 (View Profile)

Posted on 5/20/2008 5:49:04 PM | | Votes: 3   

Hantra

Well that's nice. It takes 113K BTU's to manufacture it. You still have to transport it over here, and that's another 500 gallons. Plus you have 800 pounds of nickel that will poison the environment long after you're gone.

Gee thanks Prius drivers.

— Hantra (View Profile)

Posted on 5/20/2008 4:42:26 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 7   

budfrogS4

Although I agree with the direction you're taking, each Prius only has 32 lbs of nickel in the batteries. There should also be less weight in lithium in the new lithium-polymer battery packs, but I have no idea how bad it is to mine/extract lithium.

— budfrogS4 (View Profile)

Posted on 5/20/2008 5:53:26 PM | | Votes: 1   

800over

The nickel from the battery would be recycled of course. Metal is so valuable people are stealing copper wire. You think they won't recycle a prius?

— 800over (View Profile)

Posted on 5/21/2008 4:13:44 PM | | Votes: 1   

Shredmo

So I should get in line to purchase a used 1987 Chevy Sprint?

I'd rather be caught riding a 1987 Huffy Magna ;)

— Shredmo (View Profile)

Posted on 5/20/2008 5:17:09 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 4   

Htay7500

I never really considered a hybrid as a 1st car and never will. its gonna be something used, not a diesel however.

— Htay7500 (View Profile)

Posted on 5/20/2008 5:22:12 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

budfrogS4

The only thing I can say is at least test drive one. If you stil don't like it, that's fine.

— budfrogS4 (View Profile)

Posted on 5/20/2008 5:54:34 PM | | Votes: 2   

Htay7500

old diesels (it doesn't matter who made them, MB, hino/toyota) can cause harm to my asthma, and knocks me out silly, so I definetly gonna avoid that. I'm also not gonna buy into the hybrid craze either. they aren't the future. something durable and can rack hi-milage like a diesel can works for me. hybrids work best around the city but I can walk around or take metro if I'm in or around the city.

— Htay7500 (View Profile)

Posted on 5/20/2008 6:08:41 PM | | Votes: 3   

lexusis350

Well I'm not too worried about reducing my "carbon footprint" so I'll stick with new cars. May the hippies start deboosting....

— lexusis350 (View Profile)

Posted on 5/20/2008 11:29:09 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

jasonhutchcraft

Electric cars. Buy one. They arent so great now, but in 6-8 years, they will be tremendous. Then we can forget this silly business of hybrids. Oh, and while were at it, if we want to make a huge difference, take a page from the communications industry and force drivers to buy an electric vehicle by not supporting gasoline and deisel engines. Its working with tv. If you want to drive a gasoline or diesel powered car, make them have to purchase an additional permit, and yeah, charge them 6 dollars a gallon for gas. Rich people and car junkies will buy it and use them, but not the average joe. While there at that, switch to nuclear power and give away free electricity. Its been suggested before.

— jasonhutchcraft (View Profile)

Posted on 5/21/2008 10:31:18 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

monkeyrun

err .. by that logic someone else will eventually buy that gas guzzler you traded in. So it is probably greener if you just keep that piece of crap.

— monkeyrun (View Profile)

Posted on 5/21/2008 8:19:57 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

ChicaneShooter

"...hybrids get great gas mileage but it takes 113 million BTUs of energy to make a Toyota Prius."

and how many BTUs does it take to make a conventional car? i'd presume NOT a whole lot less. this is just another article SPUN to diss the prius.

whatever extra energy goes in a prius, can only be from the electric motor and batteries. ANY full electric car will need those TOO.

the prius and other hybrids are the best green machines for NOW and the near future. plug-in hybrids are the next step. and high efficiency full electrics next.

— ChicaneShooter (View Profile)

Posted on 5/23/2008 7:16:22 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

ChicaneShooter

the article also ignores the fact that many people buy ONLY new cars.

while there are definite advantages to buying low mileage used cars (i last bought new in 1999; current 3 vehicles were all used); every purchase of a new car is also a VOTE sending a msg. to mfgrs. that that particular offering was found desirable. they are thus encouraged to continue its production, along with improved models of same.

one friend is already on his SECOND prius. another, on his THIRD. the latter was one of the early adopters of the 1st generation prius. if not for folks like him, there would not be the PLETHORA of Hybrid models offered today.
latest friend to get a new prius is an economic consultant and newly chosen Chancellor at our local university. he could afford an escalade, or an S-class, if he so desired. but reflecting his intelligence and social responsibility, he chose a new Prius.


— ChicaneShooter (View Profile)

Posted on 5/23/2008 7:31:36 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

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