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[flamingweasel]

I'm seriously considering getting a new vehicle. The Kia's handling in the rain has always been bad, but the higher rainfall and steeper hills in Seattle mean I'm really unhappy driving this thing. I figure I drive it about 400 miles per month, on average -- that's a trip to Portland plus some miscellaneous city driving 2 or 3 times a month. The

Comments

[joyquality]

More important than not being able to learn on a flexcar, I wouldn't be able to use a flexcar even if I got my license. They require you have had a license for 5 years before you can join.

5 years

[keturn]

Five years! I did not know that. I guess some of us will not be driving flexcar for a while then.

[flamingweasel]

It doesn't have to be a new car, but I've currently got something in a similar format as the Geo Metro, and there's no way I'll ever buy a car like this again.

I was actually looking at used Golf TDIs.

[roninspoon]

Were I you, and admitedly I am not, I wouldn't even consider a hybrid. I did some research on them when I got a new car last year, and they're really a sucker's bet

[flamingweasel]

Yes, yes, yes, and yes. I want, very much, to go biodiesel. It's the only choice I could make that I'd be totally happy about. The problem is, to make that choice I have to pay too much for a vehicle of questionable build quality. My mom and sister had a ton of problems (little $100-$200 bits of body work or dashboard widgets falling off) with their New Beetles. Admittedly different car, but it's enough to make me a little gunshy.

[roninspoon]

If you really want all the straight dope on diesel and bio-diesel, ask job "Hey Ted, is diesel really the way to go?" Within the day, you'll get a response that is likely no less than 6 pages of very detailed information regarding fuel, vehicles, and emissions, and there's a good chance that you'll get weekly updates. The dude's seriously turned into a diesel evangelist. He, by the way, is a fan of the Golf TDI. He nearly convinced me to get one.

[pmb]

Used may be your salvation here for putting your money where your mouth is - it takes a lot of energy to make a car (they have lots of "embodied energy" - a crappy term, but the intuition is sound), so saving a gas car from the scrap heap is definitely environmentally defensible (as long as said car isn't one of the 5% of cars on the road responsible for 90% of the pollution)

If you don't do that, I say get a Honda Fit or go hybrid. Finding diesel is annoying.

[esmesquall]

Hey, now I feel a little less guilty about my continued ownership of my crummy gas car, which I bought used three years ago! Of course, I really don't drive it much (whereas it used to only take me six weeks to hit the 3,000-mile mark).

[flamingweasel]

The way to put the most money near my mouth would be to keep the car I have, of course. My car is, unfortunately, pretty disposable, and so it's going to be a lot closer to the trash heap once it's sold. I feel pretty guilty about that purchase, but ... anyway.

The "embodied energy" thing is actually the biggest factor in support of diesel. They're simpler engines, and as far as I know they last a lot longer than gas cars.

That said, the only reason I'm even considering hybrids or Flexcar is the availability of diesel in this country. Despite hatchbacks being a very popular format of vehicle, there's precisely one company which made (past tense) their hatchbacks with diesel engines. I hate that I'm limited to buying a damn Volkswagen to get the car I want.

[conform]

I'm a Flexcar fan. I'd say: get a Flexcar, and when you need to come to Portland, take the train and... get a Flexcar in Portland when you need it. Taking the train is very relaxing.

[esmesquall]

Seriously, the train totally rocks.

[ideath]

I agree with Seamus. But no one wondered about that.

"but no one..."

[flamingweasel]

Nu-uh!