Go Green - Buy Second Hand

By our in-house correspondent

In the current economic climate, we all want to save money.  And if the threats about climate change are true, we want to be doing our bit to reduce our impact on the environment too.

So how best to save money and go green? The answer, surprisingly, is buy a second hand vehicle! Whilst new cars may have an edge on fuel economy, the environmental impact of their manufacture is considerable.

Take the darling car of the green lobby - the Toyota Prius: It takes 113 million BTUs of energy to build a Prius. There are approximately 130,000 BTUs in one gallon of petrol. So it takes the equivalent of 1000 gallons of petrol to make a Prius. Think of this as a carbon debt that needs to be paid. Once you save 1000 gallons of petrol by driving your Prius, you have then paid off the debt. To pay off this debt would take you 100,000 miles if you bought a Prius as opposed to a second hand car that can do 35mpg. With a second hand car, the debt has already been paid - you are green motoring from when you first get into the car.

The other side of the coin is the cost.  With economic uncertainty looking set to last, buying a new car and paying the associated high costs and dealer premiums may not be the wisest move.

The second hand car market remains buoyant and at Wickford Cars we have quality cars to suit all budgets.

So go green, save money and call us today.

In the meantime, here are Wickford Cars’ top five tips for money saving motoring:

1. Buy an economical second hand car

2. Don’t use the air-conditioning unless you have to.

3. Be light on the accelerator and anticipate the road ahead to enable you to drive as smoothly as possible.

4. Remove roof racks when not in use.

5. Buy your petrol at the same place you get your weekly shop.  The discounts at the pump are large.