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Periodically, the government here tells us that the average age of this country's vehicle fleet is too high, and that we should all be driving new or nearly new, economical and clean-running cars. If the environmental impact of a car were confined to its day-to-day operation, this would make sense.

A car consumes as much energy during manufacture as it will consume in a century of statistically average operation. It consumes a great range of raw materials, although recycling, particularly in Europe, is reducing the quantity consumed. So, while it is important that a car be economical in it use of fuel, there are other, equally important considerations.

Ecologically, a used car is better than a new one, but some people have to buy new cars in order to create a supply of used cars for others to buy. I'm definitely in the latter category. Apart from a four-year-old Vauxhall Chevette (easily the worst car I've ever owned), all of my cars were ten years old, or older, at the time of purchase. This is more a reflection of my usual financial state than anything else. My last five cars were between seventeen and thirty years old when I bought them, and all of them were reliable, economical and comfortable. One, an Audi 100, was remarkably fast.

Don't be deterred by lower fuel mileage than your neighbour claims to get. Fuel is not the only running expense, or the only environmental factor. Consider tyre life. A typical tyre consumed between twenty and thirty litres of oil in manufacture, along with a surprising amount of steel. If you can get good retreads where you live, do it. Retreading is done in the same way as fitting the original tread, often on the same machines, and the replacement tread is probably identical to the original tread. This is beneficial to the environment.

If you care enough about the environment, you might plan the use of your car. Pick the shortest practical route to the places you need to visit, and try to avoid multiple short journeys on a cold or half-warmed engine. Your engine will last longer, and you will not need to change the oil as often. A manual gearbox is mechanically more efficient than an automatic one, and if you have good mechanical empathy you will get better mileage with it.

If you want to go a step further and buy a diesel car, be careful. Diesel engines do not tolerate neglect, so make sure it has had regular oil and filter changes. Smoke should be minimal. A diesel engine will smoke if it is badly tuned with too much fuel being delivered, or if the injectors are dirty or worn, or if the engine itself is worn. If it idles smoothly and quietly, it's probably badly worn. Diesel repairs are expensive.
Incidentally, diesel engines emit more carbon dioxide per litre of fuel, for two reasons: diesel fuel contains a higher proportion of carbon than petrol, and a litre of diesel weighs more than a litre of petrol.

So, the best car for the environment might be of medium size (1.5 to 2.5 litre engine), between ten and twenty years old, well-maintained and well-engineered. In severe environments, such as Sub-Saharan Africa or the Middle East it is very likely to be a Mercedes, Peugeot, Renault or Toyota. Protect the environment - buy cars that last.

Learn more about this author, Bert Meinders.
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