If you need to get yourself a car, you essentially have three options. You can buy yourself a gas, hybrid, or electric vehicle. You probably understand that each one comes with both cons and pros. 

You may also know that several companies have self-driving cars that they’re testing. You can even see them on the streets in some cities, especially in California, where many of these companies have their headquarters. 

You may want a self-driving car, but they’re not quite ready yet. In fact, significant obstacles prevent them coming out. Some of these vehicles continue to cause accidents, proof positive that they still need work. 

Finding legal representation following a self-driving car accident becomes crucial, but most Americans will not encounter one, at least not yet. That’s because most of the companies making them want to test them more before they even allow them on busy streets.

In any event, let’s get back to the three car options you have: gas, electric, and hybrids. In this article, we’ll talk about the pros and cons that come with each option.

Gas-Powered Cars

If you want to get a gas-powered car, then you’re getting something familiar, and that’s one major reason why so many consumers still like to buy them. Maybe they know that purely gas-powered vehicles damage the environment, but they’ve been around so long that some people who dislike or fear change stick with them mainly for that reason.

If you buy a gas-powered car, you’re also getting a vehicle with abundant fuel sources all over the country. It’s probably true that eventually society at large will phase out gas-powered cars, but it doesn’t seem likely that’s happening anytime soon. 

The environmental damage remains the main drawback, and that does convince some people to go in another direction. There are plenty of individuals who don’t find the concept of climate change compelling enough to make the switch, though.

Hybrid Cars

As for hybrid cars, they’ve been around and affordable to many consumers for a little more than 20 years. In those two decades, most people who expressed skepticism have gotten to a point where they trust these vehicles. They’re partly electric, but also still partially gas-powered, so some consumers still trust their capabilities more than strictly electric-powered vehicles.

Many hybrid cars will cost you a bit more than their gas-powered equivalents if you buy them brand-new. Someone looking to buy a used one might have trouble, since used hybrid vehicles in good condition often leave used car lots very quickly. 

With hybrids, the main benefit remains the fact that you’re paying less for gas than a purely gas-powered car, but you still have the gas to fall back on if you don’t completely trust electric cars yet. Hybrids seem like the best of both worlds, which is why some consumers keep gravitating in this direction.   

Electric Vehicles

Electric vehicles have been out for a few years now and available for widespread purchase. The main benefit remains that if you buy an electric car, you don’t ever have to spend any money on gas. You must still pay for the maintenance that you would with any other car, but as the years pass, there’s no denying how much money you will save over vehicles that use gas for fuel.

Some people still don’t trust electric cars, though. If they take climate change seriously, then they might buy a hybrid, but they may think that electric cars still don’t seem reliable enough to purchase one. 

It’s true that some parts of the country don’t have very many charging stations yet, and some consumers point to that as the reason why they don’t want to make the switch. However, if you live in or around a major city, then more electric car charging stations keep appearing with seemingly every passing day.

It’s probably not too logical to avoid buying an electric car these days because you don’t feel like there’s enough charging stations, unless you live somewhere very rural or remote. If you live out in the middle of the Nevada desert, or somewhere equally desolate, and you sometimes like to take long car trips, that’s when you might feel like a hybrid or a gas-powered car still makes the most sense.

If you need a new vehicle, then you need to carefully consider the cons and pros of each option. Think about what you prioritize and make your choice accordingly.

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