Struck by the sheer number of electric cars on the streets of Decatur/Atlanta this morning, I thought this was a very apt conversation.
If you’re looking for a fuel-efficient vehicle, there sure are a lot of choices these days.
Hybrid. Diesel. Electric. Plain-ol’ Gas.
What do you drive? Which do you recommend? What are your major considerations in making a selection?
Photo courtesy of Metro Atlanta Chamber via Flickr
Per what some others have pointed out here, it’s hard to beat the Nissan Leaf for the money when it can be leased for practically nothing. For a plain ole gas car, we have two friends who both rave about their Mazda3’s. (disclosure, we have a Mazda6, which isn’t that great when it comes to fuel efficiency, but we’ve otherwise been happy with it.)
When and if we replace our car, I hope it’s with the more affordable Tesla that’s in the works.
Ah, yes…the Tesla is my new attainable fantasy car (mostly because my other fantasy car, the Aston Martin Rapide, is 1) never going to be more than a dream unless I happen to win the lottery; and 2) no one’s idea of a “fuel efficient” vehicle). It’s a nerd in hot guy packaging!
Curious about this “practically nothing” thing? How much and how do I get it down to that number? š
You can find this on various blogs online, and I think it was Dawgfan who pointed it out here. It’s a combination of the state and federal tax credits, which can be spread over the lease period. The estimates I’ve seen are about a hundred dollars a month for the lease, which for some works out to zero when you factor in not buying gas.
I drive a 2015 Leaf and am very happy with it, but I wouldn’t have considered it without the tax credit. I probably would have opted for a fuel efficient gas-fueled car. I think the electric vehicle tax credit is a big factor for many people.
Once upon a time I put 20,000 miles per year on my car. Now I average just over 5,000. While my current vehicle may not get great mileage, it does very well on the gallons per year scale. As an added bonus I don’t have to replace my car as often.
That’s true efficiency!
Totally agree with the point you are making. And in the spirit of it, I will add that increasingly the most efficient car for me is someone else’s (Uber, Lyft, etc.)
Maybe this is a different thread, but how do you use Uber/Lyft around town? I use it while traveling but don’t normally at home.
How? Open the app and ask for a ride to the bar. Get too drunk and get kicked out of that bar, open app again and request a ride to a better bar that won’t kick you out for stupid shit. Get drunker at the second bar, drop your phone and smash it to pieces. As long as the second bar you went to is Trackside or the Yacht Club, you can simply ask the bartender to call your wife to come pick you up. That’s how it works for me, at least…
[Edit: Obviously, it’s better if you can avoid smashing your phone so that you can use Uber again to get home. Because Uber will let you stop at Waffle House or the Majestic on the way home but your wife probably won’t.]
Here’s my funny Uber story: Last year we visited the Bay Area, and I had a mishap on one of the city buses. If you’ve ever ridden a bus in San Francisco, you know that the sudden stops on those steep hills can be…disruptive. I’d just had a big lunch, so things were a bit tighter than usual, and when the bus came to a sudden stop, the effort of trying to keep from sliding off my seat caused my pants button to pop off and fly across the bus (yes, seriously). Since I’d forgotten to wear a belt, there was nothing to keep my pants up, our hotel was in Sausalito ( across the bridge), and I was truly embarrassed. Uber to the rescue. We got off the bus, I Googled the closet clothing store (Patagonia), and an Uber driver had me there in five minutes. I bought some pants that I normally never would have bought, and left mine there for recycling. Yes, I left my pants in San Francisco.
Made me giggle out loud in front of other people.
Nope. I can’t top that. Yet…
“At Home” giggled, and I laughed out loud. Great story.
Ha. And how do you avoid one star ratings from the drivers?
At this point we still mostly use it for going out to eat to places we can’t walk to and aren’t easy to get to on MARTA, especially where parking is difficult (VA Highlands, Midtown, Buckhead). We also used it a few times over the holidays to get to parties (including one in Alpharetta, which is the furthest trip I’ve taken with Uber–my wife’s employer footed the bill). I should note that we both do our fair share of drinking, and Uber or Lyft is a huge bargain compared to a DUI.
We’re not far from being able to dispense with owning a car altogether thanks to services like Uber, Zipcar, and MARTA, but family out-of-town would keep us from that taking that step. It is possible, though, that if our current car lasts long enough, we never replace it.
I use Uber to get to work when my car is at the shop so I don’t have to bother co-workers for a lift. Its also good for meeting up with friends for cocktails – no buzzed driving!
I’m outing myself to those who know me by answering your questions, but what the heck…
What do you drive?
2013 Mazdaspeed3 (a hopped-up turbo version of the regular Mazda3 hatchback).
Which do you recommend?
This is my second Mazda, and I couldn’t be happier. Also, Car & Driver just put two Mazdas (the 3 and 6) in their “10 best” edition.
What are your major considerations in making a selection?
(in order of importance)
1. Fun to drive (263 HP!)
2. Fun to drive (280 pound feet of torque!)
3. Fun to drive (turbo!)
4. Four doors with a hatchback
99. Mileage (I average 19 mpg with 90% city driving and it requires premium). The mileage isn’t great, but did I mention it’s fun to drive?
With a call sign like 7.62×39, I wouldnt expect you to have an electric car.
Not judging, I’m a big fan of 7.62 and fun cars.
I drive a V8 305HP Pickup Truck. Avg. 17MPG with about 50/50 city/highway driving. I filled up my tank for $50 with Premium and I was giddy about it.
If I go electric, I could only accept a Tesla. Leaf, Volt, etc. are just too ugly to drive and have far too limited of a range
I concur. The Leaf is among the ugliest cars ever. In fact, it looks like the entire Nissan line was developed as a middle school class project.
I agree with you except for the new 2015 Murano. Beautiful!
I think of the Leaf like sweatpants. Economical, practical, but do you really want to be seen in them?
We love our Prius. Only fill up about once a month, and it’s fun to drive while roomy enough to haul loads of pine straw if I need to.
bicycle.
Still waiting on my Elio…
“…Struck by the sheer number of electric cars on the streets of Decatur/Atlanta this morning,”
I admit my first thought upon reading that sentence was DM in a crosswalk getting brushed back by a line of Leafs.