There's Corn in my Car

Last November, we were shopping for a minivan, thanks to impending arrival of a third child.

We test drove the Kia Sedona (hated it), the Toyota Sienna (too expensive), and the Chevy Uplander that now sits in my garage. It was 5 months old and had been used by a car rental company. It was in perfect condition with low miles and a great price tag. It also had great features like a DVD player, power door, 6 disc CD changer, etc.

One feature we were particularly excited about was its "Flex Fuel" capabilities. It could run on regular gasonline, or E85, a mixture of grain ethanol alcohol and gasoline. After we bought it, I hunted for an E85 gas pump to no avail. I checked online only to discover that Mississippi didn't have a single gas station offering E85.

Now, a year later, that has changed! A local BP now offers E85 (For the locals, it is "Cappy's" at the corner of Old Canton Road and Lake Harbour Drive in Ridgeland). It is currently priced at $1.69 per gallon. Your mileage may vary up to 20% from regular gasoline, but I have only noticed a 5% decline. Mathematically, this is a much better option for me.

This is still much controversy about whether this is better for the environment. I will continue to monitor that, but I mostly see an opportunity for America's independence from oil-rich Middle Eastern countries.

It was very nice to fill up and only deduct $38 from my bank account! You can check your local E85 prices here.