Keep or dump my Tahoe

[jbischke]

Back in 2001 when I sold my company I bought a Chevy Tahoe and paid cash. I'm a lot more environmentally sensitive these days and wouldn't buy a new Tahoe. So I've been thinking about trading it in and getting something more rational. Having said that I also think that in order to truly cap problems the solution is not buying more new cars but rather keeping the cars we have on the road longer and therefore minimizing all of the energy that goes into producing new vehicles. This article and associated comments had a lot to do with my thinking:

Look beyond gas mileage when making an environmental choice - (37signals)

So I'm curious. As an environmentally sensitive person does it make sense to go out and buy a different car or just keep what I have?

[WanderingOak]

Well, nobody said you had to go out and buy a NEW car. You could trade your Tahoe in for a used car that has a smaller 'footprint'. I'm not sure where you live or what your lifestyle is, but another option would be to keep the Tahoe for when you need a 4WD tank, and ride a bicycle most of the time.

Case in point, I have a 4WD pickup truck, that I only drive when I have to haul something or there is snow on the road. It is a pig on gas, so I'd be mad to drive it every day, but I need a truck every now and then, so I'm no going to get rid of it either.

[dastrovia]

I am not a greenie but your vehicle has 2 things going against it. First it guzzles gas. Second it is an old car so it is not likely to be putting out as clean emissions as a newer version.

having said that though somebody would be driving it I guess.

seems like the answer is to get a newer car that is smaller and wont eat up gas as much. not sure if the emissions are better with the better fuel mileage