For Earth Day I bought an Eco-Friendlier Car!
It's Earth Day and this celebration is virtually the holy grail of holidays for environmentalism so in honor of the importance of going green and being earth friendly I bought another brand spanking new eco-friendly car! I did a lot of research (both online and in person) before buying. My choice? A 2009 Subaru Legacy Limited sedan in black. The Subaru Legacy is a Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle and has achieved "SmartWayT" certification by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for achieving "strict, predetermined levels for fuel economy and tailpipe emissions." Subaru says the PZEV is the cleanest-running gasoline-powered vehicle sold, emitting zero evaporative emissions and meeting California's Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle (SULEV) tailpipe standard (they say it's 90% cleaner than the average new automobile). Here is how it works: The catalytic converter features a finer honeycomb mesh to more effectively convert exhaust gases by neutralizing them through a chemical reaction. A charcoal filter in line with the engine air filter absorbs fuel and oil vapors that normally escape into the atmosphere when a typical engine is turned off. Special fuel injectors also reduce evaporative emissions when the car is at rest. And the ignition timing is adjusted automatically on start-up to heat the catalytic more quickly and ensure the emissions controls are working at peak efficiency at all times. Safety was also a huge factor for me because I have six grandkids ages 1 - 9 years old, so the great safety ratings and crash test results were a large part my decision. The 2009 has stability control standard and handles very well. Feels pretty sporty around the curves. The AWD helps. The base engine has more than enough power for my driving habits. The interior layout is great; very logical and oriented toward the driver. For a "family car" it's a fun car to drive. It's a little small compared to other midsized sedans, but is very comfortable. Antilock disc brakes, front-seat side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags and whiplash-reducing front headrests are all standard on the 2009 Subaru Legacy. In Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash tests, the Legacy received the Gold Award (its highest honor) based on the car's "Good" ratings (the highest) in frontal-offset and side-impact crash tests, as well as the ability of its head restraints to prevent whiplash in rear impacts. In government testing, the Legacy again scored the highest possible marks -- a perfect five-star rating for both frontal and side-impact crash protection. The Harman Kardon stereo was a very nice touch. It sounds magnificent! The handling is nice and tight. Clean and logical cockpit layout. You don't see a ton of them on the road; which makes it a little unique. My car buying experience was OUTSTANDING and it took just over an hour to complete the entire transaction, from test drive to keys in hand, paperwork done. Jaclyn my salesperson even went the extra mile and helped me get both my cars back home safely. A BIG thank you Jaclyn Embry the Internet Sales Manager, Ben Prachy, Fixed Operations Manager, and John McCann the Sales Manager to Shaver Subaru in Thousand Oaks, California. They all gave me an AskPatty.com Certified Female Friendly car buying experience! Want to test drive a Subaru Legacy? I highly recommend:
Happy Earth Day!
Jody DeVere Connect with AskPatty on: YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/askpatty MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/askpatty Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/AskPatty-Automotive-Advice-for-Women/15290925093 LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/askpatty2007 Twitter: http://twitter.com/askpatty Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/askpatty/ Subscribe to our RSS Feed: http://feeds2.feedburner.com/AskPattyBlog
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