While we, personally, feel like we're being fiscally irresponsible if we sell a car that we've put less than 100K miles on, trading for a new car really isn't that bad ecologically or altruistically. After the original buyer eats the steep depreciation, it will undoubtedly be sold, used, to subsequent buyers. Many of whom couldn't afford new, and who will undoubtedly eek every possible mile out of the energy that went into producing it. Then, of course, it will mostly be recycled (sorry Pennsylvania) into new cars.