How to Downsize Your Car

Introduction

Have you thought about downsizing your car? For decades, most Americans have driven large sedans and steered clear of small vehicles. Recent years have found even larger pickups and SUVs becoming the most popular vehicles on the road. Now, with historically high fuel prices, a growing focus on greenhouse gas emissions, and concerns about a growing dependence on imported oil, that’s changing. More people than ever are considering downsizing their vehicle to save gas and lighten their environmental footprint. However, downsizing doesn’t necessarily mean wedging yourself or your family into a subcompact. Rather, there are logical ways to get the functionality and style desired in a vehicle while also saving money and the environment. Here are some things to consider.

By: Ron Cogan

Length: 2:59

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Tips & Warnings:

Stick with the standard engine in your new vehicle of choice. It will almost always meet your needs while also operating cheaper and more efficiently.
Buy a smaller vehicle and rent a larger one for those vacations when more passenger capacity is needed.
Don't buy a smaller vehicle, or choose a smaller engine, if this doesn't really meet your needs. A smaller engine that works harder to carry a heavy passenger load or tow a boat may not be more efficient than a larger engine.

Step1

Determine how many passengers your vehicle realistically needs to carry most of the time. Some people buy larger vehicles than they really need for those rare times when additional people will ride along, such as during annual vacations.

Step2

Examine special needs. Do you need to tow a boat or trailer? Do you carry heavy or bulky loads? Have a family with four or more children? Sometimes downsizing isn’t easy if you really do need a workhorse vehicle.

Step3

Stick with the base engine unless there’s an overriding reason to do otherwise. While optioning up to a larger V-6 or V-8 may bring more power, they cost more to buy and almost always consume more fuel than the standard engine that comes with any model vehicle.

Step4

If you’re sold on a particular model like an SUV, think about downsizing to a smaller class of that vehicle. A compact SUV may be just as functional for you as a larger, less fuel efficient full-size SUV.

Step5

If you need greater carrying capacity for skiing, snowboarding, bicycling, or just carrying along an abundance of gear during outings, consider a rack or carrier. Specialty carriers and racks allow hauling along lots of gear outside that you really don’t have to stuff inside a vehicle.