www.TalkingClimateChange.com

As gasoline prices keep on following a constantly upward trend, every one has started looking for cheaper and better options. While there are some options apart from gasoline engine run cars, the debate about which option is the best among these alternatives shows no chances of dying down. As of now, there are only two main financially viable and somewhat proven alternatives to gasoline cars and these are diesel and hybrid cars. Just like everything else in life, both kinds of cars come with their own positive and negative points, and which one is better depends on a number of factors like who is using the cars and for what purpose etcetera. While the ‘who’s better’ debate lingers on among both car manufacturers and consumers alike, we compare some of the main features of both hybrid and diesel cars.

Mileage: Mileage is the main reason why people are looking for alternatives to gas run cars in the first place. No wonder then, mileage will also be the first thing you will need to consider when you compare diesel and hybrid cars. Most diesel run cars provide mileage that is at least 20% to 40% higher than gas run cars. This means that a gallon of diesel will take you a much larger number of miles than a gallon of gas will. At the same time, hybrid cars are also known to provide fuel efficiency that is at least 20% to 35% higher than gas cars in most cases. However, this has been known to vary a lot when it comes to actual driving and many people claim that consumers get at least 10% less mileage than that claimed by the company. When you put both these facts together with the fact that the price of diesel is much lesser than that of gasoline, you can easily come to the conclusion that running a diesel car is going to be much cheaper than running a hybrid car in most cases.

Price: When it comes to price, both diesel and hybrid cars cost more than regular gasoline vehicles. However, while hybrids can cost anywhere between $3000 to $ 10,000 more than regular gas versions of the same car, diesel cars also do not cost much less, especially when you move towards prestigious brands. Price difference between gas and diesel models generally varies from maker to maker and model to model and there are a large number of cases where a diesel vehicle costs you almost the same or just slightly more than a petrol car with the same features.

Maintenance and Other Costs: Maintenance is one place where diesel generally scores one over hybrids. While diesel cars also require more care and maintenance than gas run cars generally, they have proven themselves to be sturdy, reliable and long lasting. Hybrid cars, on the other hand have not been around for a long enough time to have these things tested. On the other hand, since there are very few hybrids around even now, spare parts and servicing costs more than what you would need to pay for a regular gas or diesel vehicle. Spare parts and service for diesel cars are both cheap and easily available when compared to hybrids. The high costs of batteries and the need to replace them is one more area where hybrids lose one more point to diesel cars.

Environment Friendliness: There is no doubt which car scores way above diesel cars when it comes to polluting less and creating a lesser amount of green house emissions. Diesel cars pollute more than even regular gas cars, while hybrids pollute lesser than gas cars. So if you want to do your bit for mother earth, then a hybrid is what you should go for.

Using a hybrid car is one of the best ways of doing your share for the earth. Apart from saving gas prices for their owners, hybrid cars also save mother earth from the ravages of pollutants and greenhouse gases. However, many people who want to buy hybrid cars are held back by the high cost of these cars and their low availability. A solution to these problems lies in going for a used hybrid car instead of a new one. Gone are the days when only a couple of companies were making hybrids and these cars were tough to come across. Almost fifteen makers have put their hybrid cars on the market as a result of which, old hybrid users are going in for new ones, putting their used hybrids on the market for sale. Therefore, it has become much easier to find and buy used hybrid vehicles. Keep in mind however, that just like conventional gas and diesel cars; one has to be more cautious when buying a used hybrid car. Some of the things that you should pay attention to when buying a used hybrid car are:

The Vehicle’s History: Getting a used car history through the vehicle’s identification number is advised whenever you are planning to buy a used car. Services like CarFax etcetera can provide ownership and accident details about used vehicles which might prove to be deciding factors when making the final decision to buy or not to buy.

Personal Inspection: Like in the case of all used cars, it is important that you get your hybrid vehicle inspected by a specialist, a mechanic or a used car dealer who deals with such vehicles. Even if you are paying for the service, consider it money well spent since such an inspection is the best way to gauge the actual value of any vehicle.

Mileage: Once again, just like regular cars a hybrid car that has clocked up lesser miles on the odometer is a better buy than one that has done larger distances. This is mainly because the lesser a car has run, the lesser is the wear and tear on components and the lesser will be the money that you spend on it post purchase. At the same time, a car that has run less will also get you better prices if you want to sell it off again. However, keep in mind that mileage is never as important as maintenance, and even a car that has a high mileage but has been maintained well can give you great performance and service. Another kind of mileage that you need to consider in the case of used hybrids is the gas mileage of the car, considering that the major reason for buying a hybrid is the amount of money that you are planning to save on gas.

Battery Life: One of the most important things that you should consider when buying a used hybrid car is the battery life left. While Honda warranties a battery life of 8 years/80,000 miles per year, Toyota car batteries are guaranteed for a period of 8 years/ 100,000 miles per year. While replacing the battery after the warranty has expired can prove to be a costly affair, in most cases, a well maintained car will not need it or can do with replaced modules instead of a whole new battery pack.