2nd vehicle (commuter)
Hey Everyone, by nature of the sport we enjoy, most of us have a truck/suv. How many of you have an extra vehicle for when your not towing the boat?
My dilemma is that my truck is showing its age and seems to have more nuances popping up and I'd rather not accelerate these issues by driving it all the time, not to mention, it seems like a waste to drive a truck to/from work. I have done all the math and figured out when it would actually start to "pay for itself", in some respect I don't find it realistic in regard to how we operate in life versus what an ROI calculation spits out. For instance, things are cheaper to fix on a small car versus a truck or I take a road trip on the holiday to see the family, those are areas where a big chunk of cash is saved and doesn't affect the cash flow so much on that particular month. Discuss your experiences with having a second vehicle.... |
i bought a 2004 mazda 3 hatchback 5 speed last year that gets close to 30 a gallon just to drive around town and back and forth to work and sometimes the occasional 60 mile trip to Raleigh or Wilmington to hang out for the day. what I save alone in gas pays more than what it costs me to own it. now I did just buy it outright and spend 6500 on it and it is really clean. being I run a car stereo and rim shop I did put a little system in it and a buddy of mine at a body shop painted my factory 17" 5 stars gloss black for me, tinted the windows and it is really a nice looking and driving little car to put around in. I also like the hatchback for getting groceries or throwing the wakeboards in to go hit the cable park when im not going out on the boat. but I have no regrets about the purchase, it does save money and I actually have something other than gas receipts to show for it
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I own and f250 diesel and was spending $100 atleast a week on fuel and about a year ago I bought a 2002 nissan sentra and now I spend about $80 every 3 weeks. So for arguments sake say $110 a month on fuel vs $400 with the truck, to me it was a no brainer. I easily cover the truck payment with the fuel savings from the car. I haven't had to spend to much on the car just little things here and there, so as for me I am a huge advocate for a commuter car. The big thing to remember with a commuter car is that it's only purpose is for transporting from A to B, it doesn't have to be the best looking or fastest car, just safe, reliable, and fuel efficient.
I do try to take the truck out atleast once every 2 weeks just to make sure it's running fine but for the most part it is used when needed or if we feel like riding around with a little more room. I'd say go for it just don't dump lots of money buying the commuter then don't try to jazz it up with stereo and wheels etc that we all like to do to with our boats and such. |
look for a used manual diesel jetta/golf, fun around town with booming torque but get stellar MPG's and are pretty reliable to boot.
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Somehow we acquired a dodge seibring last summer, and it saves me a ton of cash. I hate driving it, but it's hard to drive my 1 ton back and forth to work when 49 bucks lasts over a week in that car.
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I've had a 99 cavalier for 3 years that I got for $2400. It has paid for itself a couple times now on gas savings alone, not to count the mileage I haven't put on my truck. My coworkers get a kick out of me having a new expensive wakeboat and pos car. They had me put a Mastercraft sticker on the back of the cavalier.
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I'm rocking a 2004 Caddy that i picked up for $1500 because the check engine light was on. (the older lady who owned it before only ran 87 octane fuel in it which kicked the light on) It gets 25mpg and has been one of the best investments i've ever made. My truck sits in the garage until it is needed.
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I have an 07 civic si and an 01 excursion 7.3. I don't think keeping the civic has really penciled given what I spend to insure and maintain it, but there are certain intangibles to having an "extra" car in case one of ours has to go in for service. The civic costs me about 1/3 what the excursion does at the pump between better mileage and cheaper fuel. My fast and furious days are starting to wane and I have been kicking around the idea of something more economical when the time comes, like a jetta tdi sportwagon most likely.
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I went back and forth on this topic with my wife for close to a year. I was driving my truck 60 miles round trip to work getting 14 mpg. It was killing me in gas but she just didn't like the idea, finally she caved and i bought a used chrysler 200 that gets close to 30mpg's. Even with the added cost of insurance i still feel like I'm saving money. I've put over 10k miles on that things since last July. The wife likes to take if from me every once in awhile when she has allot of driving to do. The other bonus is with a third vehicle I can work on one car by myself without having to worry about getting to work the next day. My truck is currently out of commission because i broke off a leaf spring shackle bolt last night. I cant image not having a third now.
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This is probably the best advice you will get out of any of these responses. You want to get a commuter car to save money right? Buy the cheapest most reliable car you can that gets the best gas mileage. Don't dump any money into it that is not completely necessary. I had a loaded 2005 tahoe that was killing me in gas a few years back. I sold it for $20k and picked up a 2003 F150 with low miles for $11.5k and a 1999 honda civic with only 97k on it for $4k. The truck sits in the garage for the most part unless I'm towing or going to the snow and I drive the Honda daily. It has quite a few dents and dings but it is mechanically sound and gets me from place to place at 34mpg. I've come to really enjoy driving the honda and beating the crap outa it and everytime I have to fill it up it makes me love it even more! |
Most people do not do the math associated with a second car. Make sure you include maintenance (tires, brakes, oil/changes), registration and insurance. I recently tried to determine if I needed a commuter alongside my C350 since it is 240 miles round trip to the lake and I drive quite a bit for work. In my case it didn't work because I wanted a nice used Prius in the $14K range averaging 15,000 miles a year. In this exercise I was going from 22mpg to 49mpg and trying to predict how long it would take to break even. It became clear to me that the $2851 was a good trade if I got rid of the Benz but keeping them both was a more difficult decision as I would have to pay $950 to insure the Benz because I still would like to drive it and at $1950 in savings it would take me 7 years to break even. I know I am looking at a relatively expensive second car but the math would be the same. It is also difficult to truly understand how much wear I am not putting on the Benz and what that means in $$$$.
2010 or Newer Prius ($14,000) Insurance ($30 x 12 months) $360.00 Oil Change ($100 Synthetic @ 10,000 miles) $150.00 Gas cost (15000/49mpg x $4 gallon) $1,224.00 Tires (50,000 mile tires - $340 installed) $102.00 Total: $1,836.00 Mercedes C350 Oil Change ($100 Synthetic @ 3000 miles) $500.00 Insurance $949.00 Tires ($750 every 22,000 miles) $511.00 Gas Cost (15000/22mpg x $4 gallon) $2,727.00 Total: $4,687.00 |
My family has a 2011 ML350, 2012 honda accord, and 2009 saab 9-3. My dad used to have a tahoe but with his commute to work, he was paying more in gas (his tahoe was paid off) than he could be paying for gas in the accord as well as the payment. So, he decided to get rid of it and get a commuter car (the honda). It was a good choice.
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Had a 2011 f150 Fx2 super crew that averaged about 16-17 MPGS. (Lie-o-meter) Sold my boat, so I was driving a truck for no reason since I was really the only person in the truck either. so about 90 bucks in gas a week, and the payment was 550 bucks a month too.
So I got rid of the truck and now drive a 2011 BMW 328i. My payments went down to 460 bucks, and its 50 bucks a week for gas. When i do get another boat, ill probably buy a beater truck. Free oil changes too! |
Prius
Since we bought a Prius our truck is used only for towing the boat and motorcycle trailers. You can imagine how small our gas expense gets in the dead of winter!
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You can pick them up pretty cheap if you look around, but they are starting to get in higher demand and used prices are beginning to creep up on them. I paid $9700 for my 09 with 122k miles, loaded out with leather and every option except the touch screen stereo, and in mint condition with the exception of one small dent on the lip of the hood. |
^^^ enough torque to offer up some fun without sacrificing any MPG's, my buddy has one with intake and tune, its shockingly quick and he nets 46mpg hway after tune...
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Lets call all things equal between a prius and vw diesel as far as mpg... right now in my area in MN, diesel is $.80 more per gallon. The difference is pretty substantial.
The last few years or so I haven't had a second vehicle. I always used to and I missing having one. To me, it just makes sense. I feel like if I tried to cheap out on this and not buy a Prius, I would eventually end up with one after having a different car for a year anyway. MPG and cost wise, I just think its the way to go. The market of vehicles that get close to 40 is pretty big, seems the prius is really the king of that high 40's mpg vehicle. Unless you went full electric. |
no prom queen, but I use a 94 honda accord. got it from my old man as original owner and currently has 128k on the odo. 30-35mpg's all day long and runs great. not a new mercedes or mazda but it's reliable. I noticed the other day I've driven the ford tow truck 500 miles in the last 6 months. should last me a long time with that type of use.
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I'm in a similar situation, only mine has to do more with depreciation. My company gives me a $550 car allowance and pays for my gas and tolls.
The issue is I drive a lot. I will probably put 50k miles on my new F150 Limited this year. With that many miles, it doesn't take long to get upside down. I don't just drive to the office. I spend a lot of time driving to client's homes or business so I really can't drive a POS. I've been considering a used 4Runner since we can pull the boat with my wife's Escalade. |
Last year my wife was doing an internship an hour from my work. I bought a 93 geo metro for the hour commute. I paid 600 bucks for the car but i probably had 1500 into it after a month.
I put 40k miles on that car getting 45-55 mpg. (3 cyl 5 speed). In march we moved back to town and i put it on craigslist. I sold it for 2800 bucks. Amazing how some basic mods and upkeep can skyrocket retail! |
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Since you're probably going to look at something a bit older as a commuter, this is completely relevant:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VjmARPMXaY |
When you talk about depreciation and insurance (south florida rates) of two vehicles I'm not so sure there is that big difference.
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I guess I've been under the impression that real world mileage on the Prius is around 47 to 48. Never knew the tdi was going that much higher on mpg than advertised.
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And to prove that I'm not totally biased and looking at this through jaded eyes, one more:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46nMnCt75qI Yes, the Prius was the overall winner, but the TDI won 2 of the 3 driving challenges. And the 2 challenges that it won are the 2 driving conditions that I do the most: backroads and highways, making it better for my needs. If you're gonna spend a ton of time on the open road, it's the best option. If you're gonna spend a bunch of time in town commuting between redlights, then there are a few other options out there that may be better at that type of driving. |
plus i wouldn't be able to live with myself in a prius but a diesel....(especially manual) would be fine!
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Also, I feel this is pretty relevant to discussion of how "economical" a Prius really is...skip ahead to about the 3:30 mark: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmxUsGiGp3w |
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This is in my Jetta TDI a little over a week ago driving from Houma, LA to Port Fourchon, LA (about 65 miles of 2-lane backroads with several red lights and stops). Average speed of around 58-60 mph. I also reset my tripmeter at the last fill up and you can see that I had already done over 300 miles on less than a 1/2 tank of fuel. I've yet to run it all the way to near empty, but I calculate 650 miles/tank is easy, and have no doubt in my mind that I could easily push the 700 mile limit on one tank.
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My truck is in the shop right now, a daily driver car is looking real appealing. |
At least where I live diesel is a good 25-30% higher cost, so erase 30% of that mileage when comparing to a gasoline powered car.
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Both my wife and i drive 50 miles round trip a day, so 100miles a day
My commuter is a 2002 malibu which i bought new it now has around 253K on the odometer, gets mid 20's in winter to around 30's summer. My tow vehicle has 260K on it 99 7.3 For me it just doesn't make economical sense to put money into a tow vehicle when i beat the heck out of that... it gets slammed with 2 yards of dirt, wood, hauls sleds, boat... but all that added up is probably 5% of my miles.... Next vehicle i buy will be a nicer passenger car in the (don't laugh) $16k-22K range. I just can't stomach $100 fuel ups driving a nicer truck.... My wife drives a 2002 Suburban that we had to buy last spring due to a 1 year old and twins on the way... looking forward to parking that as well. |
My commuter is an E500. Love it.
Very comfortable, gets good mileage. Awesome road trip vehicle. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
I think a lot of us diesel guys with boats have a "Patrick Swazye" car in the driveway. This is the Roadhouse (movie) car that gets good mileage and won't cause tears if it's gone when you come out of a movie theater or the Bass Pro Shops parking lot. Nothing sucks more that a screwdriver punch through your door or a broken window. I got mine to save on gas..but also to take it to places where the parking is not so friendly. Plus my daughter is learning to drive in it..as opposed to driving the F250 for now. 2013 Ford Focus....35 mpg on the highway.....averaging about 30 to and from work...cut my monthly bill in half. I'm really impressed with the Toyota and Jetta mileage numbers. :)
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Rocking a 2004 Chevy Cavalier 5 speed with 50k miles that I purchased for 3800 2 years ago. You could always get screwed with a used car but its been good so far. 32 mpg regular vs. 16 mpg high test in the truck, the car will pay for it self if it hasn't already. I try to drive the truck once a week, been more recently with the North east snow we've been having. On clear days its been great in the cavalier.
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'07 Ford Taurus. Company car and I'd never own one myself...what a POS car, cheap rental car garbage. But the free gas and nearly free car ($27 every 2 weeks) is more than enough incentive to drive this bland, poorly built, lifeless junk.
If I were buying another car to commute, it would get okay mileage and be semi fun to drive. First Generation CTS-V comes to mind. Early 996 Porsche would be fun. BMW 650 also comes to mind or an early 2000's M3. He'll, the 335's are a pretty reasonable price now. |
I ended up getting into a 2010 Honda Insight with 52k miles on it for a really good price. Nice not having to worry about the truck as a daily driver.
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Daily driver - Insight Pure commuter - Prius IMO. |
I really enjoy it.
Compared to some other economy cars I have driven, the drive-ability is actually pretty nice. It serves its intended function well. Like most economy cars, you get a fair amount of road noise, but definitely not the worse I have ever been in. My GF and I had test drove a new-ish prius at one time, dont be fooled by the insight looking like a copy of the prius visually, they are very different on how they operate/feel. Harsh temps here in MN right now, so I let the car warm up quite a bit, combined with running the heat, defroster, low traction/slippery roads, and it has snow tires on it right now, I got right at 37 MPG first tank and the current tank, I am getting close to 36. I am fairly certain in the summer I will be in the mid 40's consistently. My only real complaint is the way the CVT engages from a start, its just not smooth. Seems to be the nature of the way the system works. Also, the braking feel is kinda weird with the re-generative braking. The braking feel is inconsistent, seems to be based on how agressive you brake, how fast your going, etc... I have gotten used to both things and they don't really concern me anymore. |
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