Struggling with math, please help

[redpoint5]

I drive a Prius plug-in and love it. That said, I'd look at a Fusion hybrid. It's my favorite rental car at the moment, and I've mentioned it in several posts. I've managed to get 45 MPG without trying, and it's a smooth, quiet ride. No idea what these cars go for, or how long they have been around on the used market, but I imagine they depreciate faster than the Prius since they aren't as widely sought after as an economy car.

[wdb]

6 or 8 cents/mile to drive a car? That's bad math right from the start. The average new car costs over tens times that much -- more than SIXTY cents per mile to operate. The biggest piece by far is depreciation, so you can knock that number down significantly by buying used. Also, driving higher mileage per year will reduce it a bit as well. However you are never going to get into single digits unless you drive fully depreciated cars, do all of your own work on them using stolen parts, and drive uninsured.

Here's the latest figures from AAA:

[gone9]

I feel a fuel cost savings is not accurate enough, you need to calculate the total cost of ownership on both including new fuel cost and see how it works out.

say 15k miles a year this is all hypothetical:
monthly fixed cost:
insurance-50
payment-150

annual cost
registration-120
inspection-40

non fixed
Maintenance
oil/filter/air/-$7.5 monthly
fuel-200 monthly
wear n tear lets say tires cost $800 and last 50k miles-so $22 monthly


this is all very simple but all you have to do is something similar and which ever car cost less =/- better resale after 5-10 years etc.

the above car cost $5314 per year or .35 cents per mile IF you drive 15k per year etc.

[gone9]

Originally Posted by wdb

6 or 8 cents/mile to drive a car? That's bad math right from the start. The average new car costs over tens times that much -- more than SIXTY cents per mile to operate. The biggest piece by far is depreciation, so you can knock that number down significantly by buying used. Also, driving higher mileage per year will reduce it a bit as well. However you are never going to get into single digits unless you drive fully depreciated cars, do all of your own work on them using stolen parts, and drive uninsured.

Here's the latest figures from AAA:

Im not sure how AAA came up with those numbers because that's crazy. I could see those numbers if you paid a dealer for oil changes every 3k miles and for every other "SERVICE" they try to pin on un-informed customers....

My 1999 f250 diesel which cost $375 on even years and $425 odd year for registration EVERY YEAR CA takes that from me, takes 16 quarts of oil every 5k miles, gets about 15-15 mpg with $3.30 a gallon cost me .55 cents per mile to drive this year. that's including my monthly payment, and collision an comp insurance coverage with very high amounts etc...

[Ecky]

If you purchased that truck for $40,000 new on the lot, put 15k miles on it per year and it lost $4,000 in value for the first 5 years (leaving you with a 5 year old, 75k mile truck worth $20,000), that adds almost 30 cents per mile for the first 5 years. That doesn't take into account your monthly payment, insurance, registration or any maintenance.

My Insight, on the other hand, was worth $3,000 75,000 miles ago. It's probably still worth $3,000.

EDIT: Another way to look at it, if you paid $40,000 for it new and plan to drive it into the ground (let's say 300k miles since it's diesel), it's an amortized average 13 cents per mile until the scrapyard takes it. The earlier miles cost more if you ever intend to sell it.

[Grant-53]

It comes down to comparing total average annual cost of operation per year over the life of the vehicle. Fleet managers and accountants are familiar with the calculations on economic life. The other half of the decision making process is prioritizing value management or quality requirements. Ask what it is that makes operating a vehicle useful enough to spent money.

[freebeard]

I had just read the headline, and I thought it was an electric; but it's the bug that Xist described:

jalopnik.com:Smart Car Explodes When Driver Fills Wrong Hole With Gas But I Blame Bad Design

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by freebeard

jalopnik.com:Smart Car Explodes When Driver Fills Wrong Hole With Gas But I Blame Bad Design

I find irony in the name of the car company, especially in light of that story.

I've been very sleepy and briefly opened the wrong "filling" cover on my Prius plug in after pulling up on the wrong side of a pump island. Hard to imagine ignoring all the clues that you're doing it wrong.

I wonder how much fuel she pumped into the intake before the nozzle clicked off? I'm surprised it didn't hydrolock the pistons and prevent it from turning over in the first place.

[Daox]

You can easily be ahead getting a used car. The LGT is worth $5-7k around these parts via a quick look on craigslist.

I purchased my 2014 Mirage with 77k miles on it for $3500. I'm not sure she'd be comfortable with that small of a car, or with that massive of a horsepower drop lol, but there is one option. Most in the area go for about $6500 - $8000.

Personally, I'd look at used Prii though, 2nd gen, 2007 - 2009 model years. My in laws got a really nice one about a year got for $6k. Looking again on the local craigslist, these go for about $5-7k. You could do an even trade and start saving immediately. She won't even have to try to get 45+ mpg I bet, and they're rock solid reliable.

[Xist]

What is an air intake port and what Apple Genius decided to make one look like a fuel door?