PureGin.org

Going greener can be a whole lotta fun, as well as saving money and helping the environment. So I've discovered after buying a second hand 2004 Volkswagen Golf TDI.

We'd been talking about replacing our '97 Chevy Cavalier with a smaller, more fuel efficient, safer, more reliable car for about a year.  Recently rising gas prices, as well as some mechanical difficulties with the Cavalier (the latest was a leaking water pump) had been adding some urgency to the situation. 

Finally, about four weeks ago we gave in to the fact that having another car would make life much easier, now that I'm spending four days a week at Vancouver Island University.  We looked at lots of options (well, Pamela did much of the research, trawling Craigslist, the Auto Trader) and read up on green vehicle options at the Green Car University (what a name!), as well as Wikipedia, of course.

We decided we wanted to buy a used car, something five years old or newer, though we did look at some new cars including the Honda Fit.  We almost bought a 2008 Toyota Yaris.  But in the end we found a good deal on a very nicely maintained 2004 Golf TDI via a private sale.  So far I've been getting about 900 km per tank of diesel - mostly driving to and from work, but also taking the car on trip to Vancouver, and another visit to Victoria.  This represents about twice the gas mileage of our previous principle vehicle, a 1997 Chevy Cavalier.  

Since the cost of fueling a private car over 10 years is typically between two and three times the purchase price of the car, buying the most fuel efficient vehicle available makes good economic sense, independently of any considerations for sustainability or the environment.    We're saving around $135  per month, which is a substantial portion of the monthly amount of the five year amortized cost of the vehicle.

Of course, the issues of sustainability and environment were very much on our minds, and since driving a car represents a large portion (about a third) of our energy consumption, and probably more like one half of our carbon emissions, we were committed to making a responsible choice here, and it feels like a step in the right direction. 

Another consideration was safety... driving and automobile travel represents one of the largest sources of personal risk for the most of us in the so-called 'developed' world.   I wanted a car with an outstanding safety record and safety features.  For example, I tested out the braking (on a suitably deserted, clear, dry stretch of road) by doing a full-on panic stop from 50km/h.   The car came to a very fast, smooth stop, with no pulling, veering, shuddering or skidding - it felt perfectly controlled at all times.  Visibility is great, and I really like how much better I can see while driving at night, compared to the headlights provided by the Cavalier.

However, the principle characteristic of the new Golf TDI is that it's FUN!  It's solid, responsive and a real joy to drive.   It's hard to resist the temptation to just open up the throttle and let 'er go, just because I can.  I find I have to watch the speedometer pretty closely, because the car is so quiet and smooth that I've found myself doing 120km/h on the Parkway (90km/h speed limit!) without really noticing how fast I was going.   Not too much point in buying a car with great fuel mileage and then driving like a race car driver ;)

In summary - I have been hearing a lot of complaining about the carbon tax on fuel.  I have to say I'm in favour of it - it's provided an incentive for me to buy a more efficient car, which besides saving us money and reducing our impact on the environment, is a whole lot more fun to drive.   What I would like to see is more assistance (rebates, tax credits, loan assistance, green trade-up programmes) for those who might have difficulty with the purchase of a new vehicle. 

Another thought that occurred to me during our hunt for a new vehicle was this - we just didn't have any reasonable options available from the North American auto makers.   In Europe, I could buy a nice, fun,  compact, diesel powered Ford.  Why not in North America? 

The next phase of the adventure with our new Golf TDI is stepping up to Biodiesel.   I'll be posting our experiences here, so stay tuned...