We're currently in the market for a new car. The extended, 4-year lease on our 2004 Honda Civic (a fuel-conscious if not wildly green auto) is almost up. So the choice right now comes down to two: Either a diesel car into which we'll put biodiesel, or a new Civic Hybrid.
We took the 2008 Civic out for a test drive today and were impressed. It's a sturdy, solid car that has a significantly greater luxury car-feel than our 2004 model. It's also got an automatic transmission (as opposed to our stick) and is a 4-door, which is standard on the new Civic Hybrids. The window sticker lists the MPG as 40 city and 45 highway, respectable numbers if slightly below those of the Toyota Prius.
What impressed us the most was the sound - or lack thereof - of the engine. When the thing kicked into electric mode, which it does when idling, it was virtually silent. You could hardly tell the car was running at all!
We made it clear to our Honda sales representative that our main intention is to simply turn in our old car and pick up a used diesel. After seeing Josh Tickell's amazing documentary Fields of Fuel just a week ago the biodiesel option is first and foremost in our minds. However, the test drive did open us up to a new possibility, one in which we have the option of supporting a fairly progressive-minded company (Honda) in the growth of their modest support of the green movement.
To be continued...
______________________________________________
Green Style Mag is a blog that's in the process of growing into a website. Their message is simple: Go green while keeping your sense of style. We like.
No comments:
Post a Comment