The Best Car for the Environment

Easy: the best car for the environment is a used car. "Click and Clack," the car guys, on NPR have made this point many times. Buying any new car generates a big environmental stress. Raw materials are mined and the manufacturing process itself uses great amounts of energy, with environmental consequences. All the plastics used in cars today drain oil reserves, too.

Keeping your car longer and making sure it is in good tune is the greenest thing to do. Money spent to maintain a used car stays in the local economy instead of going off to another city or country.

When your car becomes too expensive to repair, a used car can save you money. Let the first owner pay the large depreciation! A used car can be more reliable than a new one, too. Look for a reliable used car with maintenance records that show proper servicing. On-line maintenance and reliability data is available on used cars, but new and updated models are riskier. Certainly you should find the car that best suits your needs and is just large enough. You can always rent a mini-van for the occasional long trip with the family. Fuel efficiency and safety should be carefully considered, too.

Many dealerships now feature late-model used cars with excellent warranties, too. If you are patient, you can probably find one that still has that new car smell!