Sometime in the last 24 hours, my 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid’s odometer ticked past the 100,000 mile mark. No cascade of balloons fell, no party horns sounded, but my car deserves a parade.
My hybrid looks like any other small, 4-door car. It doesn’t plug in, it takes regular gas, and it has never let me down. I love this car for:
- Its reliability. It’s maintained according to the dealer’s schedule. I’ve bought new tires and replaced the hybrid battery. Years ago, I owned a Ford. I lost count of the number of times it left me by the side of the road, in the dark, in winter, in the bad old days before cell phones. Not so with the Civic.
- Saving gas, money and time. The mileage varies between 43 and 47 mpg. It routinely goes more than 500 miles on one tank of gas. So I spend less money on gas and less time at the gas station. In 2003, regular gas in Florida cost $1.60/gallon. Today when I filled up it cost $3.44/gallon. Given rising world demand for gas, I expect that price trend to continue.
- Reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). According to TerraPass, my car generates about 4,855 pounds of GHGs per year, given that I drive about 10,000 miles a year. (TerraPass has a simple calculator that tells you your emissions, based on your specific car and commute.)By comparison, today’s most popular car – the 2013 Toyota Camry – produces 6,936 pounds of GHGs per year for the same distance traveled. Before you buy your next car, consider checking out the GHG emissions along with other factors.
So today I salute my car – and look forward to the NEXT 100,000 miles with my reliable, gas-sipping, planet-saving buddy.
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