Commuting revisited- 2011

[Kyle_in_Tex]

My commute is about 70 miles each way. I'm paying about $540./month to buy gasoline at $3.75/gallon. My car gets about 25-26 real world mpg (checked every tank fillup). 2003 Impala, 3.4 V6 pushrod engine.

I'm wondering out loud thinking of options to reduce monthly costs. I have 2 hours a day or more to think about these things. My last commuter was a Saturn that got about 32 mpg on my commute but here's an issue....they have started repaving roads here in Texas with very coarse (marble sized) overlay. You can't hardly hear the radio in most small cars like the Saturn or my mom's '98 Toyota Corolla. I hate this repaving overlay!

Options: #1 Buy mom's Corolla for cheap ($2500). Only has about 55k miles. Gets about 32-34 mpg which is about a 22% improvement. Could save about $120/ month in gas at the expense of the noisy ride. Payoff would be roughly 2 years but would have the benefit and expense of a 3rd vehicle.

#2, Get an electric plug in vehicle that can make the commute. I looked at the Chevy Volt but it won't make it even 1 way on a charge according to what I've read. The Nissan Leaf could make it I think, but surely I'd need my work to offer to let me recharge while there. These vehicles cost over $32,000 or more. The payment would be over $600/month so this doesn't exactly work as my cheapest option. I can't make the numbers work on most any great mileage vehicle that costs over $10K used. My high mileage depreciation devalues whatever vehicle I end up driving. This depreciation can end up costing almost as much as anything else if I were to buy new.

#3, Suck it up and hope the price comes back down soon. I've read to expect these prices to stay up through the summer or longer but I hope not.

I love my job but I love where I live even more. My company is a bit shaky right now and I'd like to see some things get better before I would think about moving closer to work. And, if this job ever ends, there are no other jobs in the area that the pay compares to what I'm getting so I'd have to move again if my job ends. Homes are pricey where my job is but the gas savings would make up the difference I believe.

Are there any other options within reason? Has anyone else thought this through and might I be missing something?

The major costs of commuting are vehicle payment, fuel, depreciation, tires batteries and oil, and of course maintenance and breakdowns. Other costs are insurance and the stress of driving in a noisy tin can compared to a much quieter car at the expense of 5-7 mpg or so.

 

[aczlan]

Have you looked into getting a TDI Volkswagon?
When Dad was commuting to NJ from Upstate NY every week (~6 hrs each way, once a week) he got a 2003 Jetta TDI to replace his 1998 Volvo S70. He went from ~27 MPG highway to 45 or 50 MPG highway.

Aaron Z

 

[BTDT2]

I commute 50 miles and drive a VW Jetta TDI diesel - 42 mpg avg- could get close to 50 mpg if I could stand to slow down

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

I understand the TDI would be the way to go if I had the money to get into one and I didn't care about depreciation. I checked around and used 2006 models (with around 100K on them) are going for 13K to 17K. Aren't they less than 25K new?

Anyway, If I could get one for 15K, the payment would be $457 for 36 months at 6.5%

3 1/2 years ago I gave $6800 for my '03 Impala with brand new Michelins. I have had to replace the transmission at 150,000 miles for $3K. I have put over 100,000 miles on it since I've had it. Payments under the same factors would be $207

So, the TDI payment would be $257 higher, but could save $200 month in fuel. So the difference in payment/fuel would be about $57 in favor of the Impala. Now for the depreciation factor. If I paid $15k for the '06 TDI and put another 100K on it what would it be worth with 200,000 miles on it? I would estimate about $7500 so I would take a $7500 depreciation hit...OUCH! Don't get me wrong, if somebody wants to donate a shiny Jetta TDI to me for a very low price, I'd gladly drive it.

 

[MarkV]

In this economy I would buy Mom's car and drive the wheels off of it. Who knows where gas prices,or, as you implied, your job will be 100K miles from now. No brainer to me. At that price and mileage it will be a fast pay back without adding big personal debt.

MarkV

 

[irvingj]

I also have a TDI Jetta, love it, bought it for it's mileage, and also see right around 50 over the road....

BUT, in your shoes I'd seriously look at a used Buick or Pontiac with a 3.8 V-6. Very tough engine, very decent mileage--28+ over the road, and very comfortable. Used to be they could be had very reasonably.

My Mom had a supercharged Bonneville (SSEI) that got that kind of mileage, even at 75-85mph! (Once it hit 4th gear lockup it never downshifted- only the boost gauge moved up & down a bit....) Her 2005 Buick LeSabre was almost as good.

 

[DieselnHooters]

rent a small room in town, get a mini-fridge , toaster oven and a microwave making the commute a once a week event

 

[Pilot]

Is the Impala paid for?

Spending money on a more expensive car doesn't make economic sense when you consider the interest and depreciation plus higher insurance for a more expensive car. The Corolla, however, looks like a good option, especially if you don't really need the Impala and could go to 2 vehicles.

Noise: Our Saab came with Michelins, which were noisy. When replacement time came, I had a talk with the tire dealer and he recommended Goodyears; I don't remember the model. Much quieter.

Also, some tires claim to have lower rolling resistance, which may boost your mileage a bit, although I don't know if you would be able to calculate the difference.

One thing to remember, is that we periodically have gas price spikes, then the price drops down again but not as low as before the spike (remember a couple years ago we saw $4, then it went down to around $3.25). Except for the Corolla, I wouldn't make any changes until we see where the price settles down to again, especially if the job is chancy.

Range before recharge on electric cars is overstated for real world conditions. One of the car mags drove a Leaf and got about 67 miles, not the 100 they claim. Drive at night, your lights draw down your battery. Need heat on a cold day? Lose range. Battery getting old? Won't go as far. And if it runs down before you get home, you can't just have someone pour in a gallon of electricity. Lastly, you get home, the phone is ringing and you rush to answer it (or whatever distraction you might imagine) and next morning you go out and find you forgot to plug it in.

One thing I would not do is spend several thousand $$ to save money on gas. You would have to get miracle mileage for that to pencil out.

 

[Tony_S]

As Sammy Hagar said..."Get on your bad motor scooter and ride.

 

[jinman]

Kyle, I drove 140+ miles round trip to work for six years before I retired. Actually, when I owned two houses, I'd drive 180+ miles twice a week. I started my commute with my old Dodge diesel truck that got 22 mpg, but the price of diesel forced me to look for alternatives. I bought an old Honda from my neighbors for $1500 and spent $1500 on it in repairs. It got my mileage up to 29 mpg and changed to gasoline which was cheaper as diesel was rising toward $5 per gallon. Of course, diesel came down, but I never went back to commuting in the diesel. Instead, I gave the Honda to my daughter and bought a Pontiac Vibe. The Vibe gets 32 mpg on ethanol added gasoline and 34 to 36 mpg on non-ethanol fuel on the highway. They are pretty cheap now that Pontiac no longer exists. I think you can make a good deal on one for $12k to $14k depending on mileage and features. They are essentially a Pontiac styled Toyota Matrix. Ours has been trouble free. It also hauls four people easily with plenty of room (headroom and footroom). The rear hatch and fold-down seats are super for carrying cargo. If you are interested in a new car with lots of features and good mileage at a low price, check out the Kia Sorento. My inlaws have one and it is impressive.

I'd sure be tempted to take that used Toyota for $2.5k. That's a great buy for the mileage. With proper maintenance, Toyotas will go 250k miles or more. The '94 Honda Accord I gave to my daughter had 346k miles on it and was still going strong. They are excellent commuters and will save in oil change costs and tires/brakes because they are just a smaller car and cheaper to maintain.