Fourty years ago, right after the second oil crisis, regular unleaded gas was selling for 12 cents per litre. At that price, a run-of-the-mill 6-cylinder-engined vehicle that burned 12 litres of gas every 100 kilometres was considered cheap to run. At the time, it was normal for consumers to buy on the spur of the moment. Back then, only a handful of diehard environmentalists were worried about the diminishing ozone layer. Global warming was just starting to gain minimal attention, and the concept of greener-vehicles didn’t even exist. Honestly, we didn’t give a hoot.
Fourty years later, regular unleaded gasoline is selling at 11X the price of the early 80’s, and a vehicle that burns 12 litres per 100 kilometres of petrol is considered a guzzler, as we discover that the polar ice caps are melting at an alarming rate. And finally, the global warming message has taken hold in our collective minds.
Nowadays, vehicle expenses are the second most important family expenditure, the first being the purchase of a house. Skyrocketing fuel prices these last 10 years have helped small energy-efficient gasoline-powered vehicles gain popularity. We are now seeing diesel-engine vehicles, gasoline-electric hybrids, diesel hybrids, plug-in hybrids, extended-autonomy electric and electric vehicles. Technology has made huge strides, as well as the reliability and autonomy of these vehicles.
Spur-of-the-moment purchases are less common in 2013. A multitude of variables come in play when the time comes to choose a new vehicle. Henceforth, considerations such as budget, price and residual value (leasing), interest rates, fuel prices, fuel consumption, driving habits, maintenance, local climate and road conditions, among others, need to be dealt with before choosing a specific model. In order to help you make these choices, let’s take a look at compact non-hybrid gasoline-powered vehicles, which are considered as ‘’green vehicles’’ in today’s market.
Fourty years later, regular unleaded gasoline is selling at 11X the price of the early 80’s, and a vehicle that burns 12 litres per 100 kilometres of petrol is considered a guzzler, as we discover that the polar ice caps are melting at an alarming rate. And finally, the global warming message has taken hold in our collective minds.
Nowadays, vehicle expenses are the second most important family expenditure, the first being the purchase of a house. Skyrocketing fuel prices these last 10 years have helped small energy-efficient gasoline-powered vehicles gain popularity. We are now seeing diesel-engine vehicles, gasoline-electric hybrids, diesel hybrids, plug-in hybrids, extended-autonomy electric and electric vehicles. Technology has made huge strides, as well as the reliability and autonomy of these vehicles.
Spur-of-the-moment purchases are less common in 2013. A multitude of variables come in play when the time comes to choose a new vehicle. Henceforth, considerations such as budget, price and residual value (leasing), interest rates, fuel prices, fuel consumption, driving habits, maintenance, local climate and road conditions, among others, need to be dealt with before choosing a specific model. In order to help you make these choices, let’s take a look at compact non-hybrid gasoline-powered vehicles, which are considered as ‘’green vehicles’’ in today’s market.
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