About a week ago I found out what I’m getting for Christmas – a new (or different) car. Yes, our loyal 13-year-old jalopy has developed nasty leaks and has decided to call it quits. Even our trusted mechanic agreed – the time has come. So I began the search! Of course, since I’m a greenMOMster I checked out all the safety ratings of the cars that we’re considering. But what about the gas mileage? Well, here’s a nice surprise – unlike some of the other government websites that will remained unnamed, I found a great government website that allows car shoppers to compare the gas mileage and annual fuel costs of the cars they’re considering – very cool! All you have to do is go to the U.S. EPA’s fuel economy website, select four cars that interest you, and the website provides a nice comparison with lots of helpful information. Another informative site is the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy’s (ACEEE) greenercars.org website.
Of course, a car’s “green cred” isn’t just about fuel efficiency. Many other factors come into play, such as the type of fuel it uses (how green is the production of that fuel?) and what sorts of environmental impacts were created in manufacturing the car? There’s a great website, based out of the UK, that gives information on this topic. Not all U.S. cars are listed, but it’s a good place to start. Check out Next Green Car for lifecycle info.
Unfortunately, with 3 kids and 3 dogs, I’m not checking out the most fuel efficient models – our greenest choice is to leave the car home as much as possible – but at least this website allows us to do a little comparison shopping to find our best options. It won’t be a pink cadillac, but it’ll have a nice sound system so I can listen to the Boss while drivin’ the new family swag-wagon.
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