Abcess Makes the Fart Go HONDA
We're contemplating replacing my car. It's 10 years to the week I got my 1998 Accord. It's only got 50,000 miles on it. But I just worry about driving the kids around in an older car.
The dilemma is whether or not to get a zippy little commuter car for Rich and I'll use the CRV for the couple times per week that I use a car. But that would be his third new car in a row, and I think on principal, it's MY turn.
We were going to look at the Honda Fit, which gets decent mileage. It gets a combined fuel economy of about 30 MPG, vs the CRV which gets about 20. But Rich and I are rather large and I'm not sure we'd be comfortable in it. So, I'm wondering if they make a Honda Fat?
I am a horrible energy hogging consumer, but I don't think I'd feel good about trading in my sturdy accord for a little tinny car. I also was thinking Minivan because I want to be able to drive the kids around and do some carpooling.
It's a conundrum. The thing is, I barely drive at all. I put maybe 5k miles per year on a car. So, even at $3/gallon gas the difference between 20 & 30 miles per gallon is less than $100/year. but when I need a car, I really need to get somewhere, so becoming a 1 car family would be kind of hard at this point. And there is the guilt that if I buy a gas guzzling minivan I will singlehandedly turn the planet into a bubbling cesspool before my kids finish high school. But at least I can carpool them there, so I think one minivan would be better than 2 sedans going to the same place...
I'll probably go around and around this thing in my head until the year ends and the super cheap lease deals are all gone.
The dilemma is whether or not to get a zippy little commuter car for Rich and I'll use the CRV for the couple times per week that I use a car. But that would be his third new car in a row, and I think on principal, it's MY turn.
We were going to look at the Honda Fit, which gets decent mileage. It gets a combined fuel economy of about 30 MPG, vs the CRV which gets about 20. But Rich and I are rather large and I'm not sure we'd be comfortable in it. So, I'm wondering if they make a Honda Fat?
I am a horrible energy hogging consumer, but I don't think I'd feel good about trading in my sturdy accord for a little tinny car. I also was thinking Minivan because I want to be able to drive the kids around and do some carpooling.
It's a conundrum. The thing is, I barely drive at all. I put maybe 5k miles per year on a car. So, even at $3/gallon gas the difference between 20 & 30 miles per gallon is less than $100/year. but when I need a car, I really need to get somewhere, so becoming a 1 car family would be kind of hard at this point. And there is the guilt that if I buy a gas guzzling minivan I will singlehandedly turn the planet into a bubbling cesspool before my kids finish high school. But at least I can carpool them there, so I think one minivan would be better than 2 sedans going to the same place...
I'll probably go around and around this thing in my head until the year ends and the super cheap lease deals are all gone.
posted by Margaret at 7:42 PM
5 Comments:
Hey, got linked here from Boston.com...Have you looked at the Mazda5? They're smaller and more fuel efficient than the other minivans, but with enough space to transport an additional couple kids when necessary...and a good deal less expensive than your typical Odyssey/Sienna/Grand Caravan. Just a thought...good luck in your decision.
Dave in Cedar Rapids
I DID see that on the EPA's website. The Mazda5 gets the best mileage of all the minivans. I am going to check them out.
But I don't know anybody who has one.
We've had such great experiences with Hondas that we're a little worried about trying anything else.
So, we'll figure this out soon. I hope.
Thanks so much for writing!
you might want to try looking into zipcar!! you pay a registration fee and then pretty much just pay by the hour (gas included!) for the cars whenever you need them. car-sharing is way more environmentally friendly and you can choose different cars depending on your location and your needs at the time. also it's a local company with great business practices! have a look at the website, it's really an awesome idea that i hope catches on even more.
-mike (fellow somervillain and zipster)
We thought about the Mazda 5 last year, but it was a little cramped for us (in Medford, single car / 10 bicycle family, with kids who were 8 and 10 at the time). Projecting out 7 years to having two high schoolers, we decided a little more hauling capacity was in order, so we bought the Mazda MPV. Smaller than an Odyssey / Toyota type minivan, we have absolutely loved our Mazda over its first year of use. We drove more than usual this year, mostly due to an April vacation trip to Chicago and Toronto.
I've got 3 neighbors who drive and love CRVs, but they seem like overkill considering they aren't big inside. If we get a second car, it'll be a Smart Fortwo. That's all the car I'd want when I'm driving alone.
Hi Mike,
Yep. Zipcars may be in our future. But not until the kids are out of car seats. So, maybe in three years? Right now, I'm driving a lot more than usual because I can't navigate the snowy sidewalks with my stroller. So, getting to a zipcar with my little family would be rather challenging at the moment. But in 5 years, it will be a different story.
DGA, thanks for the info on the Mazda!
-Margaret
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