New Car or Used?

Yesterday, I went to CarMax™ with my hubby to look at cars to replace his current vehicle. It got me wondering if used cars were better for the environment than new cars.

Because there are hybrid cars now and all-electric cars, I just assumed that they would be the best choice. However, that may not be the case.

I already knew that the value of a new car goes down as soon as you drive it off the lot. The value can decrease by ten percent or more, so that already had me looking at used cars first. But, I did not realize that the most carbon emissions put off by a car are in the manufacturing process and transport of that car to the lot. So, new cars are the main culprits of those emissions.

Not that used cars are not moved around to different lots as well. Typically, they are not transported as far as new cars are from the factories or as often. I know at CarMax™ the area they transfer from is not too far away.

I looked at a couple hybrid models while we were in the lot, but after researching them, I am not convinced that they are the answer to a greener planet. Eco-friendly cars actually have two engines which increases the manufacturing emissions and the batteries they use are not good for the environment. The best case scenario would be if you could hook up the hybrid car to an electricity source that gets its power from renewable energy, but that is not usually the case.

So, the number one choice to help the environment would be to keep your car if it gets good gas mileage and does not need constant repairs. It has already passed the manufacturing and transport stage, so your carbon footprint will be less. You are not adding it to the car junk pile until it needs to be taken there.

The second best choice would be to buy a used car that has better gas mileage than the one you have now. Again, it has passed the manufacturing and transport stage. You are reusing a vehicle, and hopefully with normal care, it will last a long time. You do not lose a ton of money when you drive it off the lot.

If you do not want to continue to drive the car you have, and you can not see yourself in a used one, check out online which new cars have the best environmental rating. http://Fueleconomy.gov is a great resource to use.

Happy car shopping!