Gas Guzzling Geometry
Shopping for an SUV or Mini Van? Concerned about the escalating costs of gasoline. Time to dig up your calculator and do some math.
A significant difference in MPG can seriously deplete your disposable cash. Let's do a quick example.
Say your looking at an SUV versus a Sedan. The SUV gets 20 MPG while the Sedan gets 25 MPG. This does not seem like a significant difference. The truth is that it will not seem significant unless you figure out the difference over the life time of the vehicle. Let's assume you want to get 100,000 miles on the vehicle before you have to buy a new one. At 20 MPG, the SUV will require 5000 gallons, while at 25 MPG, the Sedan will require 4000 gallons.
This 1000 gallon difference will require over $2,000.00 to come out of your wallet over the next few year.
What if you were comparing a real gas guzzler with a fuel efficient compact? Let's assume your dream Tank gets only 15 MPG, while your practical Compact gets 40 MPG. Over a 100,000 mile life span, the tank will require 6667 gallons, while the Compact would only require 2500 gallons. This 4167 gallon difference would be around $9,000. That's what I remember I use to pay for a car!
So remember to factor in all the benefits and costs the next time you decide to buy a new vehicle.