Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com - View Single Post - Cost of getting into a fuel efficient car

bestclimb · 04-14-2011, 01:27 AM

So on a whim, and because I feel like pointing and laug...commiserating with the next guy driving an empty superduty who complains about fuel prices yet refuses to do anything about it.

I pointed my browser to craigslist in my area. In "cars&trucks-by owner" I put in 3000 for a top price and hit search.

I found 9 ads posted either today or yesterday that had cars I feel I could touch 50mpg consistently in the summer in without doing much in the way of mods(guino and a kill switch).

At 52 weeks a year 5 days a week times 50 mile round trip commute
(not figuring extra driving or time off which maybe a wash, but I bet the extra driving beats out time off) gets me 13000 miles per year.

13000 miles a year /20mpg is 650 gallons times 4 (and rising) is 2600 a year
13000 miles a year /45mpg is 288.8 gallons times 4 (and rising) is 1155.5 a year

so a < 3000 dollar car can save 1450 a year in fuel costs.

Looking at my 9 cars 6 of them are less than 1450.

add in 400 a year in license and insurance and I am at 1150 in savings I am down to 4 cars that will pay for them selves in less than a year.

Odds are that if I pick carefully, one of them will be able to last at least a year (13,000 miles) without anything other than regular maintenance (most could allow couple hundred in maintenance before hitting the 1150 dollar brake even point).

*If fuel hits 5 a gallon 7 of them remain "free"
*If my current ride gets less than 20mpg more choices are available
*If I drive more than 50 miles round trip the pay off is sooner
*If I take the guzzler the efficient car is replacing off insurance and park it coupled with fuel hitting 5 a gallon 8 remain profitable
*If fuel hits 5/gallon I drop the guzzler and I haggle even just a little I could pick any one of the 9
*If I can't be bothered to drive efficiently only 3 of the cars have a chance to make this work
*If I choose poorly I may not break even
*This plan does not work if I have a legitimate use for a larger ride
*I can't go this route if my ego won't fit in an econ-o-box

04-14-2011, 01:27 AM	#1 (permalink)
bestclimb Smeghead Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: South Central AK Posts: 933 escort - '99 ford escort sport 90 day: 42.38 mpg (US) scoobaru - '02 Subaru Forester s 90 day: 28.65 mpg (US) Thanks: 32 Thanked 146 Times in 97 Posts	Cost of getting into a fuel efficient car So on a whim, and because I feel like pointing and laug...commiserating with the next guy driving an empty superduty who complains about fuel prices yet refuses to do anything about it. I pointed my browser to craigslist in my area. In "cars&trucks-by owner" I put in 3000 for a top price and hit search. I found 9 ads posted either today or yesterday that had cars I feel I could touch 50mpg consistently in the summer in without doing much in the way of mods(guino and a kill switch). At 52 weeks a year 5 days a week times 50 mile round trip commute (not figuring extra driving or time off which maybe a wash, but I bet the extra driving beats out time off) gets me 13000 miles per year. 13000 miles a year /20mpg is 650 gallons times 4 (and rising) is 2600 a year 13000 miles a year /45mpg is 288.8 gallons times 4 (and rising) is 1155.5 a year so a < 3000 dollar car can save 1450 a year in fuel costs. Looking at my 9 cars 6 of them are less than 1450. add in 400 a year in license and insurance and I am at 1150 in savings I am down to 4 cars that will pay for them selves in less than a year. Odds are that if I pick carefully, one of them will be able to last at least a year (13,000 miles) without anything other than regular maintenance (most could allow couple hundred in maintenance before hitting the 1150 dollar brake even point). If fuel hits 5 a gallon 7 of them remain "free" If my current ride gets less than 20mpg more choices are available If I drive more than 50 miles round trip the pay off is sooner If I take the guzzler the efficient car is replacing off insurance and park it coupled with fuel hitting 5 a gallon 8 remain profitable If fuel hits 5/gallon I drop the guzzler and I haggle even just a little I could pick any one of the 9 If I can't be bothered to drive efficiently only 3 of the cars have a chance to make this work If I choose poorly I may not break even This plan does not work if I have a legitimate use for a larger ride *I can't go this route if my ego won't fit in an econ-o-box __________________ Learn from the mistakes of others, that way when you mess up you can do so in new and interesting ways. One mile of road will take you one mile, one mile of runway can take you around the world.