YACT: What's the most eco-friendly, efficient & affordable car?

rootaxs

Platinum Member
Oct 22, 2000
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Off the top of my head i can only think of two practical cars at this point:
a) Civic Hybrid
b) Jetta/Beetle TDI

They're both in the $19k range for the base units and go between 45-50mpg. I know power shouldn't be an issue when it comes to eco-friendly cars but i think it should still be worth discussing a bit.

Between these two i think the Civic would be the most friendly (e.g. gas/electric hybrid) but the TDI definitely has more kick and, if one were to choose the wagon, more practical for a family - it would probably also be better suited to city driving due to the better low-end torque.

If you were to choose, which one would you get/suggest?

Thanks :)
 

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
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Personally, I think the civic HX is a better bargain. You can get it for about $14k instead of $19k. It gets about 44MPG, and is SULEV emmissions(I THINK!).

It might not give the peak milage returns as the hybrid, but then again it's 5k cheaper, and you don't have to worry about replacing expensive batteries and dicking with new technology.

[edit]You can get a Golf TDi for quite a bit cheaper than a Jetta or a Jetta wagon. I would imagine that the TCO for the Honda would still be less though.
 

FoBoT

No Lifer
Apr 30, 2001
63,082
12
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fobot.com
huh, this isn't really off-topic, check this page i found linky

Selecting the most fuel efficient car does not necessarily minimize ownership costs. For example, while the 1997 Volkswagen Passat TDI was the most fuel efficient car in its class (midsize cars with automatic transmissions and MSRP < $21,000), its total ownership costs were rated by Intellichoice as "worse than average", as the fuel savings are dampened by lower than average resale value (which increases depreciation costs), high insurance costs, and high repair costs.
 

brtspears2

Diamond Member
Nov 16, 2000
8,659
1
81
New beetle TDI 42/49, Chevy Metro 40/46 ( both golf karts)
Civic HX 35/44
Suzuki Swift, Toyota Echo. Basically all the smaller cars get a nice number of 35-50 mpg.
 

Demon-Xanth

Lifer
Feb 15, 2000
20,551
2
81
eco friendly 'eh? Well, they say diesel is a carcinogen...









Edit:
no, I am not against diesels.
 

wnied

Diamond Member
Oct 10, 1999
4,206
0
76
What's the most eco-friendly, efficient & affordable car?


The car thats never made. You dont have to pay for it, you dont have to worry about its reliability and it will never hurt the environment.
~wnied~
 

MemnochtheDevil

Senior member
Aug 19, 2001
521
0
0
I'd go for the jetta but I'm a current Passat owner, so I'm definitely biased. I love the driving feel of my car and it gets pretty good gas mileage (1.8t, 22+ city, 31+ highway). I'm looking forward to test driving the Passat TDI next year, a wagon might be the next vehicle for my family (when we need 2 cars). I'm 6'6" so jettas are a bit cramped for me (especially if anything goes in the seat behind me).

VW's definitely total ownership costs will be higher than some japanese makes, but I doubt they'll approach the hybrids. There is so much new tech in a hybrid car that it's going to need more repairs in the long run. Hybrid technology needs a couple more years to get to the level where I'd buy one. There is more security in the TDI since VW has been making those TDI engines for quite a while (lots of diesels in Europe).

I'd say a Jetta TDI wagon would be a nice fuel efficent, practical family vehicle. It gives you a 4 year of B2B warranty and is a very safe vehicle. I'd also think it'd be a lot more fun to drive. If you don't need that much room, look into the golf TDI or a Jetta sedan.

Memnoch