Car choice: the best second-hand vehicles that use alternative fuel

Damon Cochrane doesn’t want to spend more than £6,000 – so what are his options?

Are Protons starting to shake off their cheap image?

A car for the head

Liquid petroleum gas is half the price of petrol and cars can be engineered to run on both. I have a lot of time for cleaner-burning LPG, and the factory-modified engines are pretty reliable. I never thought there was a reason to go and buy a Proton, which are very dull and cheaply finished, and no longer sold new in the UK. However, the Proton Gen-2 1.6 ecoLogic GSX is worth finding – especially as they won’t cost very much. I saw a 2010 example at £999 which had a 140,000 mileage. However, a 30,000-mile example, at £1,795, available at one dealer might be the much safer purchase.

The i-Miev was first launched in 2009 (Mitsubishi)

A car for the heart

I did find a bioethonal Ford Focus flexi-fuel FFV Zetec for £3,000, but it is now impossible to buy that fuel since Morrisons stopped selling it in 2010. I suppose the alternative fuel with the highest profile is battery power, despite the fact that this energy source usually comes from a fossil fuel power station, which takes us back to square one. However, if Damon has PV solar panels at home then electricity is being produced by his house during the day, unless stored. Then all he needs is an all electric car to take advantage, such as a 9,000-mile 2010 Mitsubishi i-Miev for £6,000.

If you would like James Ruppert to help with your car choice, email james@freecarmag.com. For more motoring views visit freecarmag.com