Consider Fuel Efficiency When Buying a Car

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Consider Fuel Efficiency When Buying a Car
By Fisher Swanson

When you need to buy your next automobile make sure that fuel
economy doesn't get lost in the shuffle. Buying a compact car
with good gas mileage is both friendly to the environment and
your pocket book. You will enjoy the savings throughout the life
of the vehicle.

There is a lot to consider when buying a car. If you are buying
a used car the condition of the clutch, brakes, engine and
transmission will play a huge role in how much that car will cost
to operate. Even minor problems can result in $300 repairs.

With new cars you need to find the make and model that has a
proven track record and fits your needs. Make sure that fuel
efficiency plays a role in your decision making. If you emerge
from the car buying process with a fuel efficient car you will
burn up less cash in your tank and have more money to spend on
things that matter.

Take advantage of what is known.

When it comes to vehicle maintenance, the one thing you can
easily and accurately predict is how much gas you are going to
use. Gas prices may fluctuate but most people can spend a week
or two logging their gas consumption and get a good idea of how
many gallons they use. If you don't already, track your gas
consumption so you can use this information when purchasing a
car.

Make it the #1 priority.

One way to make sure that fuel efficiency is considered is to
start by looking at cars that get good gas mileage. Make it the
#1 priority and see where that leads you. The problem with
today's car market is car manufacturers know that gas mileage is
not a major consideration when purchasing a new vehicle for many
U.S. customers.

Crunching the numbers.

When you are evaluating a car's fuel efficiency, ask yourself how
long you think you will be driving the car and determine how much
gas will cost.

Let's say you want to get a used car for $5,000 and hope to drive
it for 5 years. Below are some 5 year gas cost estimates based
on driving 15,000 miles per year and buying gas for $1.40 per
gallon. If gasoline is more expensive than $1.40, the costs will
be even higher.

A Sampling of Used Cars:

1994 Ford Explorer SUV (2WD)
5 year gas estimate = $5525

1994 Honda Accord Sedan
5 year gas estimate = $3885

1994 Honda Civic DX Sedan
5 year gas estimate = $2385

A Sampling of New Cars:

2004 Ford Explorer 2WD
5 year gas estimate = $6175

2004 Honda Accord
5 year gas estimate = $3750

2004 Honda Civic Hybrid
5 year gas estimate = $2235

2004 Toyota Prius Hybrid
5 year gas estimate = $1910

This is a small sampling of cars but you get the picture. Unless
you really need an SUV or large truck, you can save a lot of
money by buying a fuel efficient compact car. You will sacrifice
size and sometimes luxury when choosing fuel economy first. Part
of this is because bigger cars and trucks are heavier and will
naturally get worse gas mileage. But it is also a function of
consumers not worrying about gas mileage when they make a
decision on purchasing a new or used car.

A great site for comparing cars fuel economy is
www.fueleconomy.org. At www.fueleconomy.org you can compare
numerous makes and models of both new and used cars and set the
default gas costs to reflect the current prices. The numbers
above are based on a $1.40 regular gas price which is really hard
to find right now. In the case of the 1994 Ford Explorer you
likely pay as much in gas over a 5 year span as you payed for the
vehicle in the first place.

Put fuel economy first and you will find yourself with more money
in your pocket.

About the Author:
Fisher Swanson is a regular contributer to The ThriftyFun.com
News. ThriftyFun publishes information about thrifty living.
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