How much gas can you buy with the money you are going to spend on getting an economical car? Plus the maintenance and insurance......and mods.

Add all that up, and see how much gas you could buy.

Keep in mind the best you can do is maybe double the mileage you are getting now, but probably less.

It may take you several years before you break even.

 

Figure out the economics before doing anything. How much would you get for your truck? How much would you pay for its replacement? How long will the other vehicle last vs. your truck? Do you use your truck to make money (your job) or save money by DIY projects? Does $100/mo actualy break your budget? Can you cut anything else like iTunes downloads or cable TV/internet? Do you smoke?

 

Wanna trade? Our house has a 97 F250, 2001 Expy and a 2004 F250SD. Average total miles drive per week between them = 1000 miles.

 

All the fuel milage in the world won't matter if your squished in an accident. I have the white 88 bronc here at school with the AOD in city traffic and I get about 8mpg. With the driving I have to do between St. Joes and Widener I drop 75bucks per week. With the 92 bronc's M5OD I could do better milage wise but I don't want that one getting scratched. I split the driving to St. Joes with my ROTC partner in crime here at Widener and when he drives his Skylark it takes us 15 minutes longer as people just stay in front or cut us off. With that big nasty lookin bronc city cars move out of the way!

Adrianspeeder

 

As those small wheels turn
Fifty miles to the gallon and their knees on their chests
They’re gonna save a lot of gas for all the rest
In a Yugo
Then one day on the interstate
They suddenly lose control
They swerve to miss a baby duck
And are squashed beneath a produce truck
But they drove with pride

And as the crowds drive past the little flat car
You know they saved a lot of gas but they didn’t get far
In a Yugo


From Paul Shanklin's "In a Yugo"

 

haha, one of my favorites

 

I thought about 10 seconds on getting a beater to commute in. The economics are just not there, plus, I am in the vehicle 40 minutes each way, and anything efficient would kill me both physically and mentally. Also, as has been mentioned, I have observed many pileups on the commute and the damage those little things suffer is not pretty, the truck is just safer. Now that I think about it, there seldom seems to be a pickup involved in these altercations. I think there is something to say for breing bigger and higer up with better visability. My commute is kind of like war, a lot on the Interstate or freeway and people are driving bumper to bumper at 70 to 80MPH. I will keep my truck and pay the extra for gas.

 

I've been having the same feelings about my truck but when I do the comparison between the Ranger (4.0L V6) and the 04 F150 I bought in January (4.6L XCab).

I've been thinking that I could sell or trade my F150 and not get beat on it because I got it for about 4,000 under KBB value and go back to a Ranger.

BUT...

for what? a lousy 4-5mpg?

I also considered a Honda or even a Focus or a Fusion but Im going to stay with my F150 in the end, it would be more money and more hassle to go smaller. And who wants to go smaller anyway? Too many repairs and the extra insurance cost would offset the gas cost in my opinion, even if it is 2830mpg.

I decided Im willing to pay the extra money at the pump.

The only thing that is not prevalent in my situation is a long commute. I only drive 15 minutes to work every day.

I am making a long trip to WV in May, will be killer in gas, but it will be fun...

Unless your commute is an hour or something each way, I would say... keep the truck!

 

Lots of good posts in this one. I too was feeling the pain driving my truck everyday. I have a 30 mile one way commute each day. Its on a four lane highway across San Antionio and like bluejay says...its an 80 mph draft fest! Looks like the last five laps at Talledega. Putting 2k plus miles a month on my baby was getting old also. Since I work at a dealership I can get a demo so I went the Focus route. It costs me a hunskie a month but I'm saving $250 a month in gas so I come out ahead. The best part is my red baby now sits all week and I only use it on weekends for fun so the high wear and tear stopped. I am nervous as hell in traffic in the little car but I try to stay out front of the pack in clean air so its usually cool.

 

My Math.

$3000 for Beater (Will either use it for a long time; or sell it for probably not a lot less) I consider this a wash

Gas in Truck = $175
Gas in Car = $50

Savings = $125

Liability Insurance $50 a month

Savings $75 per month. Not a lot; but it's enough to feed the dog.

As gas goes higher; so does my savings.

 

I have never had that much luck with $3000 cars. i would depreciate it at least $50 per month and that leaves only $25 per month for other maintenance. Tires, tags, inspection, wipers, repairs. That could easily be another $100 per month. At least that is my experience.

 

Fair Enough.

 

Dang, are you ok? Hope you are not ill.

 

Yeah -- I only like driving a beater if it's a beater I made.

At this stage of my life I purchase all of my cars new, but drive them into the ground, so the economics really work out for me. The last two beaters I have had (a '97 Pontiac Sunfire and my current '97 Ranger) I have been in charge of maintenance from day one. Since I tend to take exceptional care of my vehicles, I end up with a "beater" that's really just a very clean and reliable used car.

Since I've been in charge of maintenance from the get-go, I can usually avoid the unseen major repairs, and more importantly, know when to stop throwing money into the vehicle. If you have to go out on the open market and purchase a beater, it's really kind of a crap shoot as to what you'll get....

 

Not sure I would classify yours as beaters. Maybe just alternative trasportation. If I try to buy a beater, I end up with the crap from the crap shoot. I have had more luck buying one and completey rebuilding it. Such as a Mustang or an old 65 Galaxy I redid for my daughter's high school car. I later bought her a Nissan and that thing really worked me over. Only small car, foreign car, I have ever owned. She is lucky to be alive after that thing.