There’s a lot of confusion about cars and driving right now. Technical car stuff is definitely not my forte! I just leap into my trusty little Prius and get going. Gosh, I remember my first car in London: a hand-me-down from my grandmother, which was called “The Red Peril” because grandma was a pretty scary driver – screeching round corners, hooting the horn and regularly bashing into things. The Red Peril came complete with enormous rusty dent marks all over the back and sides and a passenger door, which didn’t open – but I loved that car to death. Anyway, all my current car questions about how to drive green needed to be taken to an expert. Michael Mendelson of Premier Auto Lease was able to make sense of it all – so check out what he has to say..
SU: So if money were no object, what would be the greenest car on the market now?
PAL: “Money being no object” – and that’s the key phrase – I’ll give you the top three:
1. Nissan LEAF & the Tesla – the only two pure ZEV (Zero Emission Vehicles) available to consumers at this time.
2. Chevy Volt – ZEV vehicle for 40 miles, then an internal combustion gasoline engine kicks in. So after 40 miles it works basically the same as other hybrids.
3. Toyota Prius – the hybrid “green car” all others are measured against.
SU: What does a mom with 4 kids on a tight budget do if she wants to save on gas and try to be a bit green?
PAL: This person would need a 3rd row & “bit green” would be a 4cyl PZEV (partial zero emission vehicle). I would suggest she take a look at a 4 cylinder 2 wheel drive crossover or small SUV – there are so many recent additions to this class! – but my first recommendation would be a basic Toyota Rav 4. If she added a 3rd row it would be in the $24K range and in the $300’s on a lease.
As a 4 cylinder PZEV it gets roughly 22mpg city/28mpg hwy. It’s a great budget option, plus Toyota now offers two years of free maintenance which makes it an even better value.
SU: What about traditional hybrids – I test drove a couple and the only one that really felt great was the Prius. That was 3 years ago – are there now new models that are comparative in performance and technology?
PAL: The Lexus HS250H is loaded with technology and performs well, but it’s a much heavier car and less aerodynamic than the Prius, so the MPG is approximately 35 city/hwy.
The Honda Insight is a less expensive option, but as you might expect it’s lacking in technology and performance when compared to the Prius.
I really like the Ford Fusion. It holds up well in a lot of ways except it’s more expensive than a Prius. Again the Toyota Prius is the hybrid by which all others are measured, and no hybrid in its class quite measures up.
SU: If I wanted to buy/lease a Pruis kind of vehicle, but am on a very tight budget, is there another you would recommend?
PAL: I’ll give you some vehicles that are not hybrids but also PZEV, low emissions & high MPG.
1. Mini Hatchback automatic is in the $21,500 & in the high $200’smo on a lease. Free maintenance including brakes & 29mpg city/37mpg hwy.
2. 2011 Toyota Yaris, Mazda 2 & Nissan Versa automatic with A/C are in the $17,000 or in the $200’smo range on a lease. They are 29mpg city/35mpg hwy.
3.There are actually some $15,000 options but you will have to forgo A/C, automatic & power doors.
SU: We’ve all heard that hybrids may not be green because of the battery situation – any thoughts on that?
PAL: The reality is there will always be some environmental impact from any product we mine. Period. We need to find a balance that’s truly beneficial from mining, from usage to disposal. Some countries (Canada mostly) have tightened up regulations in recent years so Nickel mining, while not perfect, is much more environmentally friendly than it was just three years ago. Nickel is said to be 95% recyclable.
Right now all hybrids use either nickel metal hydride modules or battery packs. The Chevy Volt will be the first hybrid to use Lithium ion batteries. These are important because they have a higher energy density, can charge on a standard 110V outlet and as of now will likely be the future of electric cars. PAL would LOVE to see a Lithium/Diesel hybrid someday soon which some manufacturers are working on.
SU: If I’m looking for a new gas efficient car of any type, what are the advantages of leasing over buying or vice-verse?
PAL: In my opinion there are no advantages to buying unless you know you’re going to keep your car at least 5 years. If that’s the case then buying is the way to go. The advantages of leasing are less money down, lower monthly payments, no warranty issues, your payment is a write off and the bank takes the depreciation, not you. Some people may ask, “Why lease, I have no equity?” The answer is because NOTHING depreciates more than a car. Before 5 years 97% of cars won’t be worth close to your original investment.
SU: Tell us about electric cars – I’ve heard in 3 years time, we’re all going to want one?
PAL: What PAL thinks about Hydrogen & Electric cars is that we don’t have the infrastructure to support them for the masses, and it’s slow moving technology. Electric is obviously much further along but we need a cost effective plug-in car 110V that will charge in a standard outlet with a range of at least 150 miles before the masses will be on board. Even then it won’t be easy. PAL thinks further developing current hybrid technology and embracing clean diesel fuel is the way to go for now.
You can ask Michael any specific questions by joining connecting with him in our community.
