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The New York Times printed a article recently, reviewing the newly available Honda Civic GX , a car that runs on compressed natural gas – and can be re-filled in the home. The article compared it to its more traditional counterparts, a hybrid, electric, and regular gasoline fueled engine. My wife and I are planning for a auto purchase this summer, as our current ride is approaching its golden years. Though we wish to keep our Subaru, we know that it would be best to relegate it to short trips to the park-and-ride bus stop, and as a back up AWD car when the Syracuse weather turns ugly.

Now our dilemma, which type of car would be our best option? I have been researching my options, and have narrowed my choices down to 3 models – The Toyota Prius, The Honda Civic GX, and a subcompact reliable car such as the Honda Fit, the Nissan Versa or the Toyota Yaris. Alas, my Chevy Volt remains on the drawing board and not in the showroom (if only GM had had a change of heart 3 years earlier.)

There are many variables that come into play when choosing a new vehicle.

Here are the ones that we considered:

• Should I buy used or new?
• What size auto do I want?
• How much am I willing to put towards the cost of that vehicle?
• How safe has the car tested in government crash test ratings?
• What are the reliability ratings for the models I’ve chosen?
• How comfortable is the car?

Of course, trying to reduce your impact on the environment brings in other factors:

• What vehicle has the least emissions?
• What vehicle has the best gas mileage?
• What environmental practices are taken into consideration in the vehicles production?

The last item that I considered is: what will the cost and availability of the fuel be over the next 5 years?

I have been concerned with peak oil and the decline of energy availability for several years now. My employment requires me to have a reliable vehicle, as I travel to see clients in their homes. I want to make sure that I will be able to continue performing my duties at this job as long as possible, while maintaining access to transportation.

So let’s talk pros and cons.

The Prius to me stands out as the “easy” choice – low emissions, high mileage, and good resale value. If gasoline prices spike, its operating costs will remain low, and its high mileage means that it will hold onto its value. Cons include: remains dependent on foreign sources of oil, so called “next generation” of Prius rumored to be coming out in next few years- promising even better mileage, relatively high cost to purchase, concerns about the car lasting beyond 100k miles.

The Subcompact Car pros: low cost, would take on reduced amount of debt, relatively high mileage would mean a 60%+ improvement in current mileage (22 to 36 mpg), could be paid off quickly and would maintain value as a reliable car, low emissions values for a NY State car would mean a reduction from current levels. Cons: completely dependent on gasoline, small size reduces mass and therefore safety in a crash. Much more polluting than other choices.

The Civic GX pros: Natural gas vehicles are clean burning and run on fuel still abundant (though declining in availability in North America), there are several nat-gas filling stations in the Syracuse area that provide gas to public customers, possibility of installation of home refilling station. Currently CNG costs for public refueling are 25% less expensive than gasoline per gallon equivalent, and 50% less expensive when using a home refilling station. Also, there is a $4,000 federal tax credit for car and $1,000 tax credit for the home filling station installation. Cons: large investment – despite tax breaks, home fueling station would be added expense. Natural gas prices are more volatile than gasoline, and any perceived jump in demand (cold winter, or hot summer) or destructive hurricane could cause prices to spike. Questionable resale value, hasn’t been sold outside of a fleet vehicle status in NY State until 2007. More limited range would reduce availability for long trips.

Well we haven’t made our mind up yet, and continue to keep our options open. We’d love to have your thoughts on what you believe the best choice would be. Anything else have I failed to consider? Let me know in the comments or at steve@groovygreen.com.