If you feel like you are under pressure to change your car, and every one of your friends is opting for a new wheel, you might be thinking about giving in. In fact, it is a habit to take on a car loan or lease for a few years, change the wheels, and never own a car in your life. However, if there is nothing really wrong with your car, and you are still getting a decent mpg, its emission figures are within the limits, you should think twice giving up your wheel. It might be worse for the environment than you think.
Fuel Consumption
There is really not that much of a difference in the fuel consumption of older and newer models, especially if you don’t cover huge distances. Your savings and greenhouse gas emission might not be so different, after all, at least not enough to justify the cost of a new car. You will have to check how many miles you are getting out of the tank and try to improve your driving technique instead of going for a new model with a 10-15 percent improvement and higher running costs. There are some really economic older cars that are perfect – and often better – for everyday commute.
Carbon Footprint
If you haven’t looked at a supply chain of a new car, you will never know how much the carbon footprint of a new vehicle’s manufacturing can be. In fact, you would need to drive it for a couple of years before you save enough energy and fuel to justify the production and transport costs. If you look at the list of different parts and technologies that go into a modern car, you will realize that most of them are shipped from the other side of the world, not to mention the energy use of the car manufacturing industry.
The Environmental Waste
The car industry is one of the largest polluters in the world, and their transport systems are responsible for a huge amount of greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, when you recycle your car, there will be certain parts that cannot be reused, such as the plastic, the rubber, and the glass. These will end up in landfill, and only a small proportion of car part are getting sold by scrap yards. If your car is still working fine, you are just putting extra pressure on the environment by getting a new one.
Small Cost-effective Improvements
There are certain cheap parts upgrade that will help your older car drive like a new model. You will not have to spend thousands for an upgrade, only hundreds. In my case, finding new mopar parts for my Chrysler car. You can get a tire pressure monitoring system that will help you drive more efficiently, by keeping your wheels in a good condition. You might also get your engine reconditioned, which will improve its efficiency and reduce your greenhouse gas emissions, for much less than replacing the whole car.
Choosing the Correct Speed
If you don’t have the pressure of having shiny new wheels, you might also be more sensible on the road. You will know which speed your car is the most efficient, and what type of road it likes. If you change your vehicle every couple of years, you will need to allow yourself time to get used to driving it and making the most out of its performance and efficiency. Just because you don’t have a green driving mode, you can still learn efficient driving methods.
Knowing Your Car Better
It is much easier to operate an older car, even if your options are limited, you will possibly not have a shiny bright display console that will tell you about the performance of your engine and let you switch between different driving modes, but you will know how to handle the controls. And you can still personalize your car to make it look cooler, using Personalised number plates or other ways to make it stand out. You will also have fewer problems with the computing system and avoid your car going to an emergency mode just because one of the sensors is not communicating with the on-board computer.
Only Changing What Needs Improvement
Instead of changing the whole car and wasting the rest of the working parts, you can simply focus on the things in your vehicle that need improvement. For example, you can add an aftermarket reverse camera or parking aid, so you can get the feel of an old car. You might improve your suspension, install a Bluetooth system to get the hands-free experience and enjoy your audiobooks or podcasts behind the wheel and make the most out of your time on the road.
Short Haul Journeys
Older cars are designed for short haul journeys, and they often perform better than newer models. Unless you invest in a hybrid or electric model, you will need to choose carefully to get a car that matches your older model’s performance in city traffic. You can have an executive car that preforms like a city runaround when it comes to fuel consumption and pollution. If you mainly use your car to fo to and from work, you might be better off sticking with your older model.
Cheaper Insurance In Some Cases
An older car with a lower value will also have a lower monthly or yearly insurance cost. You might be dreaming about an executive or luxury car, but you have to ask yourself whether or not you can afford to keep it on the road. The higher the value of the car is, the more the depreciation will be. If you choose to take on a credit, and your car needs repairing, you might end up owing more than your vehicle is worth at the moment, so you will inevitably lose money. Not to mention that repairing newer cars is generally more expensive, too.
Having an old car when all your friends and colleagues are driving the latest model might make you feel inferior, However, there is a chance that your vintage wheels are better for the environment after all.