Tuesday, July 22, 2008

money saving cars

Everyone asks, how are we going to help the environment by using less gas in our cars? There is a solution. Buying a hybrid car reduces fuel emissions as well as saving you hundreds or even thousands of dollars. How a hybrid car works is plain simple. If you are braking or your car is at a halt the electric battery powers the car. It also boosts the acceleration process. This saves the fuel you have to spend in traffic jams or streetlights. The Toyota Prius is a Hybrid at around 50mpg. It costs around $24,000-$25,000. In my perspective the car is but ugly. Of course there are other options like the Honda Fit and the Honda Civic are low cost hybrids that look cool. They clock at around 37-43mpg. If you cant afford these new lines of hybrids then take a look at the non hybrid Honda Civic. Priced at around $19,000 this car is inexpensive, sleek with top of the line reviews from the consumer reports magazine. It also has a nice mpg at around 34, though not as good as the Prius, it still saves a lot of fuel. By the way my mom owns a Honda Civic and she raves about it. She says it saves her $$$$ everyday, and with rising fuel prices that's a big plus. It has five-star safety ratings and a lot of space. I am thinking about making a science fair project about hybrid cars.....hmmmm.

2 comments:

Kristin said...

Yes, I do love my Civic! And I'm getting very close to 40 miles per gallon, which has been great for my budget since I have a very lengthy commute to work every day.

It did cost a bit more than $12,000, though. They're usually around $19,000 +, depending on features. Where did you get that price from? The Prius is closer to $25,000.

Great post, Conor!!

Anonymous said...

Toyota designed the Prius with that shape on purpose. It has very low aerodynamic drag to help save fuel.

Even Honda is copying the Prius shape-- Take a look at their as-yet-unnamed New Global Hybrid: http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080717/FREE/907766262/1065

Anyway, I love my Prius. The fuel savings is nice, but the main reason why I bought it is because it's lower-maintenance than normal cars so I don't have to visit the mechanic as much. Technologies such as:

- Regenerative braking that saves brake pad wear-- No brake pad change in the Prius until 100,000 miles (not a typo).

- The Power Split Device transmission in the Prius has just 22 moving parts, no gear-shifting wear-and-tear. Tranny fluid change at 60,000 miles. This is why I think the Prius hybrid drivetrain is superior to Honda's.

- The Prius has no timing belt, alternator or starter to wear out and need replacement.

Frankly, after driving my Prius, I'm never going back to a regular car. Normal cars just feel downright primitive. :-D