Math on having a second vehicle
I'm thinking about getting a little run around car instead of driving my Duramax as a DD. I drive about 200-250 miles a week and am looking as spending around $5000-$6000 on a little car. I would l...
Forum Discussion
DW and I both have 2 vehicles plus I have a motorcycle.
I see them as a tool that has a job, performs a task.
I have the 2011 F150 and a 1997 4 banger Ranger.
I bought the Ranger for my son about 5 years ago for $3K and he has since moved on. I liked it so I kept it. She gets 26 mpg getting me to work and back with ice cold AC. I also use it to get feed, groceries, park it somewhere where I don't care if it gets stolen or banged up with door dings, etc. Insurance is $220/yr. Other than changing the oil and a set of tires I have not dropped another dime on it. Odometer stopped working years ago so no telling how many miles are on this one.
The F150 hauls the FW, cattle to market and the tractor wherever it needs to go. Other than that it stays in the barn with the tractor. Insurance is $1600/yr.
Then there is the 2003 Honda C1100 Shadow. 48 mpg going to work and back and weekend back road trek's. Tires are expensive and are only good for about 10K miles. Any savings on gas and Ins is destroyed on tires. Insurance is $80/yr.
The wife has a 2005 Ford Five Hundred. Excellent car. 30 mpg, big trunk, smooth ride, only issue with it was the AC compressor. It now has over 230K miles. Used to be her going out of town car until she bought the G37. Now it's her going to the mall, grocery getter, I don't care if I get a door ding car. Insurance is $320/yr.
She also has a 2009 Infiniti G37X. This is her baby. Stays in the garage most of the time. She drives it to go out of town to visit family, Bunko night with the girls and her 'oh, look at me' car. Insurance is over $2k/yr on this one. 5 years old and has about 35K miles on it. All original except for the oil. It still has the new car smell. We bought this one thinking we were going to sell the Five Hundred but she won't turn loose of it. There is not much resale left in the Five Hundred so we might as well keep it until the wheels fall off.
We weren't going into this thinking we need 5 vehicles. It just ended up this way. Insurance isn't bad once you hit the multi vehicle discount and the kids are off of your policy. I have one agent that handles all our insurance needs so there are discounts.
Is this the thrifty approach to transportation? NO, but I don't have to do everything with one tool.
I don't have to worry about getting to work in the morning. One of them is sure to start.
I don't have to worry about parking a new vehicle in a parking lot full shopping carts and swinging doors.
I don't have to park at the outer edge of a parking lot to avoid damage. Beat it up, I don't care. The nice one is at home.
My previous F150 was 15 years old when I sold it without a ding or scratch on it. I had to walk to the outer edge of any parking lot to keep it that way :(
Can you tell I have a thing about door dings? :)
I see them as a tool that has a job, performs a task.
I have the 2011 F150 and a 1997 4 banger Ranger.
I bought the Ranger for my son about 5 years ago for $3K and he has since moved on. I liked it so I kept it. She gets 26 mpg getting me to work and back with ice cold AC. I also use it to get feed, groceries, park it somewhere where I don't care if it gets stolen or banged up with door dings, etc. Insurance is $220/yr. Other than changing the oil and a set of tires I have not dropped another dime on it. Odometer stopped working years ago so no telling how many miles are on this one.
The F150 hauls the FW, cattle to market and the tractor wherever it needs to go. Other than that it stays in the barn with the tractor. Insurance is $1600/yr.
Then there is the 2003 Honda C1100 Shadow. 48 mpg going to work and back and weekend back road trek's. Tires are expensive and are only good for about 10K miles. Any savings on gas and Ins is destroyed on tires. Insurance is $80/yr.
The wife has a 2005 Ford Five Hundred. Excellent car. 30 mpg, big trunk, smooth ride, only issue with it was the AC compressor. It now has over 230K miles. Used to be her going out of town car until she bought the G37. Now it's her going to the mall, grocery getter, I don't care if I get a door ding car. Insurance is $320/yr.
She also has a 2009 Infiniti G37X. This is her baby. Stays in the garage most of the time. She drives it to go out of town to visit family, Bunko night with the girls and her 'oh, look at me' car. Insurance is over $2k/yr on this one. 5 years old and has about 35K miles on it. All original except for the oil. It still has the new car smell. We bought this one thinking we were going to sell the Five Hundred but she won't turn loose of it. There is not much resale left in the Five Hundred so we might as well keep it until the wheels fall off.
We weren't going into this thinking we need 5 vehicles. It just ended up this way. Insurance isn't bad once you hit the multi vehicle discount and the kids are off of your policy. I have one agent that handles all our insurance needs so there are discounts.
Is this the thrifty approach to transportation? NO, but I don't have to do everything with one tool.
I don't have to worry about getting to work in the morning. One of them is sure to start.
I don't have to worry about parking a new vehicle in a parking lot full shopping carts and swinging doors.
I don't have to park at the outer edge of a parking lot to avoid damage. Beat it up, I don't care. The nice one is at home.
My previous F150 was 15 years old when I sold it without a ding or scratch on it. I had to walk to the outer edge of any parking lot to keep it that way :(
Can you tell I have a thing about door dings? :)
