Gas Mileage - Who is really green?

[arminnie]

"Green" is the current buzzword in advertising.

I have a 5 year old car. My speedometer reading is just over 15,000 miles. Is someone who drives 15,000 a year (5 times as much as me) more environmentally sensitive because they have a Prius?

I actually have a fairly small car - Pontiac Vibe (same as Toyota Matrix) which gets 37 mpg on highway. I think I could drive a Hummer and still be more efficient than someone who drives 25,000-30,000 a year.

New Orleans is really small. I walk most places. I rarely drive over a mile or two. But I have taken this car on multiple road trips to Arkansas.

I don't drive long distances in Arkansas either. I remember when my dad was selling a 15 year old van - no one could believe that the 40,000 mileage was not a roll-over.

 

[tvguy]

Really too many variables to say. My Suburban gets 9 miles to the gallon, which is horrible, but I can carry 9 adults in comfort, so I think I'm more environmentally friendly when I have 9 people than someone driving alone in a Prius at 60 miles to the gallon.

The Prius is a good example something on the surface that is environmentally friendly, but in really is a rolling environmental disaster. Some group ranked cars based on their total impact on the environment, with the average car being rated at 100, less than that was more environmentally friendly, more than 100 was less environmentally friendly. Total impact includes impact of manufacturing , then use, and then impact of recycling all the components at the end of the car's life. A Toyota Corolla was rated 75....a Prius 150, and a Hummer H2 125. Fuel use hurt the Hummer, the extreme toxics used in the manfacturing of the battery pack, and in replacing and recycling it in a Prius more than off set any fuel savings and reduction in air pollution.

 

[Belle2667]

"Green" is the current buzzword in advertising.

I have a 5 year old car. My speedometer reading is just over 15,000 miles. Is someone who drives 15,000 a year (5 times as much as me) more environmentally sensitive because they have a Prius?

I actually have a fairly small car - Pontiac Vibe (same as Toyota Matrix) which gets 37 mpg on highway. I think I could drive a Hummer and still be more efficient than someone who drives 25,000-30,000 a year.

New Orleans is really small. I walk most places. I rarely drive over a mile or two. But I have taken this car on multiple road trips to Arkansas.

I don't drive long distances in Arkansas either. I remember when my dad was selling a 15 year old van - no one could believe that the 40,000 mileage was not a roll-over.

I have a Vibe too. Love love love it. Mine, however, has 118,000 miles on it. Sadly, I have a long commute and not too much is within walking distance.

Man oh man the mileage difference I have when using non-ethanol gas. I can get 5 more mpg with non-ethanol. Too bad the last non-ethanol gas station just converted. How does that play into play with being green?