okay...I got very very bored.

 

Tylus, good analysis. When you do the math, might as well ride it out with the old F150.

 

give me a sec and I'll throw that up again with the Beater car getting 20 city and 25 highway.

and here we go.



the ends just don't really justify buying a beater to save gas. To keep your truck low miles...yes. But to save $1k to 1.5K a year and have to ride in what is usually a ratty little deathtrap with high mileage and a coffee can for a muffler...no

 

It's posts like this that make me so glad that I only live 6 miles from work. My truck has 3400 miles on it right now. At the rate I am going, I should have about 30,000 miles on the truck when the 5 year warranty expires.

 

Exactly. The wear and tear on the truck, which costs even more to maintain is drastically dropped. Also, it's keeping the mileage down. So if/when gas goes back down, the truck's value will then go up in my opinion. So if gas goes down in a year is a truck with 75,000 miles on it worth more than a truck with $90,000 miles? I would say yes, considerably. Will a truck with 15,000 miles less most likely look better? I would also say yes. And during that year, if I have the beater, I won't have to buy new tires, get five or six $60 oil changes and tire rotations... I have gotten tired of buring up money in my gas tank and having nothing to show for it. Basically you could say I have pre-paid for gas, but at the end will have something to show for it. There's really no downside to this unless I wreck the beater, by my fault, because I only have minimum insurance on it.

 

I drive 2.8 miles to the office and I expense my gas to the company.

 

Tylus,

I think you were also very generous with the F-150 mileage. No way, I ever get 18mpg on that thing. For argument sake, just take the revised EPA combined mpgs for each: F-150 = 15mpg (Though, I'd knock it down to 14 or 13, possibly 12 taking into account the larger tires.); Neon = 24mpg. Roughly I'll be doubling my mpgs. So if I have been paying $80/week to fill up the truck, I'd be paying $40/week to fill up the car. That $40 savings x 52 weeks/year = $2,080.

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/mpg/MPG.do?action=browseList

 

I don't think I was being generous for the highway mileage at all. My 5.4 4x4 Screw with 3.73 gears does that easily. For me, 20 mpg is acheiveable...and I've done it often enough that it isn't a fluke

If my truck which is the biggest/heaviest/largest motor combo that Ford offers currently can get those #'s, then I don't see any reason why any other version of the 04-08 F-150 can't either (Reg Cab or Scab).

I put 18 mpg as an average since there are 3 motors. We all know the 4.6 does better on highway, and the 4.2 is essentially identical mpg wise. The 5.4 is usually a thirsty bugger and lowers the average

also, I take those EPA MPG's worth a grain of salt. their MPG's are wildly different from real life. I guess lately they've gotten more realistic, but still they are useless IMO. They're E-85 mileage is spot on. That crap sucks



just went to Fuel Economy.Gov and put both of my vehicles in there.




The real life #'s are what I get roughly. The EPA's Official #'s are what I get if I drive with my foot buried and act mentally like I'm only 16 yrs old.

 

yep I hear you there

I drive 5miles each way to work and dont' really need to go anywhere beyond that...

I bought my truck new 20 months ago and I just turned 11k on it.

however the gas prices do suck because I think twice and even choose not to do stuff I would hvae done that involves me driving distances.

 

I have a SCrew and a 5.4...

 

I bought a small car two years ago and kept my truck.

Figuring all costs associated I end up about $400 in the hole each year.

Depreciation $2400
Insurance company $500
Taxes $300
Maintenance $200

But you what...
Oil Companies lost revenue = $2600

I'll take that, gladly.

 

What's that $300 Taxes thing? Taxes for what?

 

But you didn't factor in the non-depreciaticon of your truck...The truck is worth more with less miles.

 

Virginia has Personal Property taxes (vehicles)
The car is about $120 per year plus I count tags which are $30.
Gas prices have made all truck values go down the tank including mine. .

 

Not that it helps a whole lot, but you can also add in the fact that the insurance on your truck decreases a little because it is no longer your primary vehicle.

If it comes down to it, Ill just buy one of these. I can offset the cost ALOT quicker. And I will definitely laugh every time I get on it.