While President Barack Obama is considering tapping the United States’ strategic oil reserve to stabilize gas prices that have been rising out of control, many people are asking themselves what they can do to protect themselves from this unexpected expense increase. The best solution is to stop driving, if you can. But for those who rely on driving in their day-to-day life, the solution is to instead drive an eco friendly car with high mileage.
Eco friendly cars save money
The concept is straightforward: a car that uses less gas to get from ‘Point A’ to ‘Point B’ means the driver fills the tank less and therefore spends less money. Although a fully electric car is going to save the most money for the driver, the lack of a widespread charging network doesn’t make it practical for most people at this time. That’s why hybrid cars, clean diesel cars, and vehicles with high mileage are the best solution at the present time.
What cars are green?
One of the most popular eco friendly cars is the Toyota Prius hybrid, because of its reasonable price (starts at $23,000) and its high mileage (51 mpg city 48 mpg highway). Another great green car that drivers should consider is the 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid with a starting price of $28,000 and mileage of 41 mpg in the city and 36 on the highway. A different option is the 2011 Jetta TDI Clean Diesel, with a starting price of $24,000 and mileage of 30 mpg in the city and 42 mpg on the highway. An additional environmental benefit of the Clean Diesel Jetta is that it emits less CO2 than standard fuel vehicles.
What else you can do to save money and be fuel efficient
If you aren’t yet in the market for a new car but you want to save on your fuel consumption with the car you currently have, be sure to keep your tires at their optimal inflation as it will improve your fuel efficiency, take shortcuts to save yourself time and gas, and most importantly, drive less. Consider carpooling to work with a friend or colleague, walk or bike to destinations that aren’t far away, or make use of public transportation.
If you have any ideas for other ways to cut down on driving, be sure to leave them in the replies.
