Buying a new car involves weighing priorities, weighing your wallet and sometimes a little bit of impulse. There once was a time when gas prices and the environment ranked low on this list of priorities, but today they are moving on up. Vehicles that run on alternative fuels or are hybrids are therefore the best option for nearly all purposes. On a less practical level, some people also find them "cute."
They are generally more expensive, but they use less fuel - an important consideration when gas prices are more than $2 per gallon. A typical small sedan hybrid costs several thousand dollars more than its non-hybrid counterpart. On the up side, however, they can be expected to achieve a fuel economy as much as 10 miles per gallon better than the non-hybrid. Most small hybrids get anywhere from 45-65 miles per gallon. In addition, the efficiency of hybrids with manual transmissions are typically better than those with automatics.
But hybrids aren't the only option for people interested in fuel efficiency or the environment. Another promising fuel source is biodiesel, which is an alternative to petroleum diesel that can be used in normal engines with little or no modification. It is derived from oils and fats by a chemical process.
Given that diesel trucks are widely used and that manufacturers such as Volkswagen make highly efficient and affordable diesel cars, the use of biodiesel is a good option. Plus, Willie Nelson endorses it and uses it in his Mercedes. The "redheaded stranger" is for it, and so are we.
Instead of getting oil from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, why not explore alternative energy sources? They are more secure, don't necessitate dependence on foreign oil and might eventually be cheaper - especially if alternative fuels and vehicles begin to be mass produced.
According to a study in the magazine The Economist, oil prices are likely to remain high or spike at times during the next several decades. Among the factors causing this problem are a decline in the idle production capacity of countries such as Saudi Arabia, which acts as a buffer to prices. In addition, security is an issue in many oil-producing countries - a terrorist attack could bump up oil prices enough to make it quite costly to drive inefficient vehicles.
The often-heralded decline in oil reserves might not occur for quite some time, but that is no reason to buy a vehicle that is bigger than needed for practical purposes. Alternative-fueled vehicles are the way to go.
