Business Up To Day

Taking a look at one of the most competitive and fast-moving industries in the modern world, the car industry, there are many cars that can lay a justifiable claim to being the best family car, depending on the criteria by which we’re going to judge them.

But if we include a requirement for family cars to be “green” as well – then the list becomes whole lot shorter.

The truth is that many family cars simply aren’t all that environmentally friendly – particularly when judged by today’s higher than ever environmental standards.

All the major manufacturers are making huge efforts to make their family cars ever-more environmentally sound as they realize that families’ green agenda grows continuously – as does their desire to extract ever more miles per gallon of fuel; something which also just happens to be beneficial for the environment and your pocket.

One car which can justifiably lay claim to being the best all-round green family car is undoubtedly the four-door saloon; the Honda Civic IMA Hybrid.

The car’s 1.3 litre engine combines the performance of a 1.8 petrol engine with the efficiency of a 1.0 litre engine thanks to its hybrid nature; using the small petrol engine to accelerate with an electric motor-generator to power the car while cruising.

In fact, the Honda Civic IMA Hybrid delivers a highly respectable 61.4mpg on a combined cycle – with a range of around 720 miles from just one tank of fuel, and its purchase price won’t break the bank.

The car also benefits from being in a low insurance group, and has low tax because of its 109g/km CO2 emissions.

Of course, the battery doesn’t need to be plugged in as it recharges itself. The Honda Civic IMA Hybrid also features a 7-speed CVT automatic gearbox and it switches itself off when the car is stationary and idling.

The car industry is a rapidly evolving one, with car manufacturers forced to react constantly to pressures from government officials and environmental activists. For those involved in the car business, there is little doubt that hybrids are the cars of the future – with their economical fuel efficiency and their low emissions they save money for their owners and help save the environment. So what kind of person drives a hybrid?

Families

Twenty years ago, when choosing family cars, it’s unlikely that it even crossed a prospective purchaser’s mind to ask “how good is this car for the environment?” It’s far more likely that they were considering how big the interior was, and in the Dad’s case, what its top speed was! Miles per gallon have always been important, of course, and this remains true today.

However, many parents of young children looking for the best family car today also take a car’s environmental credentials seriously. After all, if you can buy a car that improves the air quality for your own children, it’s bound to influence you a little.

Bright young things, and old ones too

It’s difficult to know which generation is the most environmentally conscious these days. Many young drivers today have grown up with a much greater awareness of how one important individual actions can be in protecting the planet.

They are therefore more likely to choose a car that will do as little environmental damage as possible.
With hybrid cars’ fuel economy and low emissions, they help the environment on two fronts – using less fossil fuel and reducing the number of greenhouse gases produced.

However, it’s also true that many of the first people to convert to hybrid cars were in the older generation. Perhaps they’re thinking about protecting the environment for future generations or maybe it’s more to do with getting value for money with the great miles per gallon you can get from a hybrid.

Of course, every person has their own personal reasons for buying a particular car, and it’s unfair to pigeon-hole, but value for money and environmental concerns are just two reasons why all kinds of people are choosing hybrids over conventional cars.