New Car Search.....Economical?

[Caplax40]

Originally Posted by scoobysteve

....Also, I reread the original post and got to to thinking. Almost 9/10 times, the most economical car is the one you own rather than buying something new.......

Absolutely. In my case I am looking at replacing my car and one of the factors is gas mileage. Currently I get about 18-20mpg. I am looking at cars in the high 20s to low 30s mpg ratings. Somehow in my mind I have justified that spending $10-20k to achieve this justifies the purchase. Does it make financial sense? No. But I think it's one of those twisted logic things that us car people rationalize.

[texasmr2]

Originally Posted by Caplax40

Absolutely. In my case I am looking at replacing my car and one of the factors is gas mileage. Currently I get about 18-20mpg. I am looking at cars in the high 20s to low 30s mpg ratings. Somehow in my mind I have justified that spending $10-20k to achieve this justifies the purchase. Does it make financial sense? No. But I think it's one of those twisted logic things that us car people rationalize.

Well I tried but basic logic seem's to have been lost.

[scoobysteve]

Originally Posted by Caplax40

Absolutely. In my case I am looking at replacing my car and one of the factors is gas mileage. Currently I get about 18-20mpg. I am looking at cars in the high 20s to low 30s mpg ratings. Somehow in my mind I have justified that spending $10-20k to achieve this justifies the purchase. Does it make financial sense? No. But I think it's one of those twisted logic things that us car people rationalize.

I find that gas mileage and gas prices are something we are very sensitive to, psychologically. I own a real estate company and, subsequently, drive a fair amount. Right now I spend about $250/mo on gas. If gas prices jump $1 to about $5/gallon, it would cost me about $63 a month more. $5 gas represents a "the sky is falling!" number to most people, but the reality is it would mean 2-3 fewer trips for sushi this month or 3 fewer bottles of beer from The Bruery. I'd cope...and I think most people would, too. The average cable bill around my parts is over $100/mo and most people eat out multiple times per week. I think we just hate the notion of a price increase on something whose consumption we have little control over. Buying a new efficient car is about the only way we can exert control over fuel costs and that's why people do it...the sense of control. The financial argument is pretty weak unless you drive 25,000 miles a year in a Dodge Ram SRT10 at 14MPG.

[4re Nut]

Originally Posted by Caplax40

Absolutely. In my case I am looking at replacing my car and one of the factors is gas mileage. Currently I get about 18-20mpg. I am looking at cars in the high 20s to low 30s mpg ratings. Somehow in my mind I have justified that spending $10-20k to achieve this justifies the purchase. Does it make financial sense? No. But I think it's one of those twisted logic things that us car people rationalize.

I'm in the same boat.

Parts of the equation for me are expected maintenance costs and the risk of unexpected repair costs. A brand new car should have far less short-term maintenance needs (tires, brakes, timing belt (), etc). The risk of a repair is far less too and if happens it should be covered by warranty. Thus you save yourself "worry" over possible time & cash consuming repairs.

In essence, since many of us live some variation of the paycheck-to-paycheck lifestyle (no matter the size of the check) we attempt to turn car ownership from a variable expense to a fixed one; this is one reason leasing is popular.

Does it make sense to own/lease a new car at say $300/month for 2 years when you could keep your current car running for say half that (on average) but with certainly a lumpy cash flow and some time requirements (i.e. dealing with repairs/break downs)? The answer is it depends...on ones ability to manage their cash and their tolerance for risk...it is just like any other investment.

Another part of the equation for me is safety features, which is another play on "risk". I was in a nasty accident a few years ago and saw first-hand the benefit of side airbags, which my current DD lacks and I'd like in my next one but I hope I never use!

While the TT I recently looked at hit the right emotional buttons and would save $ on gas, these positives were far offset by the "risks"; thus, I passed on it.

P.S.

As mentioned in my TT thread, I live in the state with the highest insurance rates so this is "part of the equation" too.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jimgorze...surance-rates/

...
The 10 states the study determined as having the highest annual auto insurance rates are:

Louisiana: $2,536
Oklahoma: $2,047
Michigan: $2,013
West Virginia: $2,002
Washington, D.C.: $1,866
Montana: $1,856
Rhode Island: $1,830
Wyoming: $1,732
California: $1,709
Georgia: $1,694

...

Here’s the 10 states in which residents tend to pay the lowest rates for car insurance:

Maine: $889
Iowa: $985
Wisconsin: $987
Idaho: $1,011
North Carolina: $1,022
Vermont: $1,063
Ohio: $1,099
South Carolina: $1,108
New Hampshire: $1,133
Arizona: $1,176
...

[TexasF355F1]

Originally Posted by LightGuy

A new player from Subaru;

http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews..._xv_crosstrek/

I think that's pretty damn cool.

Unfortunately, I'm not feeling SUV's (mini or otherwise). Every time I drive one...drove my parents Hyundai Santa Fe for a few days and didn't like that feel. The first few times I had driven it for a series of days I liked it. But I'm more of a car person now.

Funny, considering I came from a Silverado.

Originally Posted by scoobysteve

Looks like VW will be bringing the Mark VII Golf over in "GTD" trim next year:

http://blog.caranddriver.com/vw-conf...+and+Driver%29

Also, I reread the original post and got to to thinking. Almost 9/10 times, the most economical car is the one you own rather than buying something new. The OP mentioned replacing the run-flat tires (RFTs) as an issue. I own a 335i as well (they're expensive!) but my car is under warranty so I feel compelled to follow the maintenance instructions exactly. If you go on e90Post.com you'll find all kinds of people ditching the RFTs. Not only will you end up with tires that cost half as much, they'll probably last twice as long. The $500-$600/mo you'll be spending on a new car goes a long way to make up the fuel efficiency difference and maintenance.

Totally agree with everything mentioned Steve.

When it comes down to it, the biggest reason for the concern is my car getting up in mileage and age. I'm also kind of ready for something new, and I think I mentioned the desire for a little more carrying capacity. Not really people, but things.

And I never thought I'd really put too much into gas mileage until I had a long commute. Now it's become very important to me. As well as potential longevity of a diesel engine. I plan on making the A3 last until the wheels fall off. It suits me well and if along the way I do get married and have a family, I'll have some room for that.

I appreciate all the input and dialogue everyone has thrown out. I'm going to take a closer look at the A3 tomorrow and it looks like I'll be able to re-fi my house in a couple of weeks. So I could potentially have a new car in a month. We'll see though. I'm in new car fever now!

[bounty]

Originally Posted by TexasF355F1

I think that's pretty damn cool.

Unfortunately, I'm not feeling SUV's (mini or otherwise). Every time I drive one...drove my parents Hyundai Santa Fe for a few days and didn't like that feel. The first few times I had driven it for a series of days I liked it. But I'm more of a car person now.

Funny, considering I came from a Silverado.


Totally agree with everything mentioned Steve.

When it comes down to it, the biggest reason for the concern is my car getting up in mileage and age. I'm also kind of ready for something new, and I think I mentioned the desire for a little more carrying capacity. Not really people, but things.

And I never thought I'd really put too much into gas mileage until I had a long commute. Now it's become very important to me. As well as potential longevity of a diesel engine. I plan on making the A3 last until the wheels fall off. It suits me well and if along the way I do get married and have a family, I'll have some room for that.

I appreciate all the input and dialogue everyone has thrown out. I'm going to take a closer look at the A3 tomorrow and it looks like I'll be able to re-fi my house in a couple of weeks. So I could potentially have a new car in a month. We'll see though. I'm in new car fever now!

Do yourself a favor - don't sit in an FSR or BRZ because then you'll want to test drive one then you'll be hooked and want to buy one! Don't be like me!

Good gas mileage though :-)

[wingfeather]

Has Audi improved their quality & resolved the engine sludge issues?

[TexasF355F1]

Originally Posted by bounty

Do yourself a favor - don't sit in an FSR or BRZ because then you'll want to test drive one then you'll be hooked and want to buy one! Don't be like me!

Good gas mileage though :-)

Truth!

I really like them, but they also aren't as practical as I'm looking for either. So I'm safe.

Originally Posted by wingfeather

Has Audi improved their quality & resolved the engine sludge issues?

The quality seemed on par to all other audis. The steering wheel feel was great. Aside from the obvious, I felt like I was sitting in an A4. Actually the interior is way better than my 335. Which, only using a swiffer to clean, is peeling like crazy along the door handle.

Not sure about the engine, but I haven't been able to find a ton of issues. Honestly, I don't look too much into internet reviews because they can make any very very minor issue look like a massive one. Even then, you can have a flawless reputation, but there's going to be issues along the way.

I believe I mentioned that my cousin has a jetta tdi and they're basically one in the same. He love his.

[mondog1]

Check out this TDI. It's a few years older than you might want but it's motor is finally broken in.
http://www.haboydvw.com/VehicleDetai...-PA/1709310633

[4re Nut]

Originally Posted by mondog1

Check out this TDI. It's a few years older than you might want but it's motor is finally broken in.
http://www.haboydvw.com/VehicleDetai...-PA/1709310633

Not even half way to a major yet.

[TexasF355F1]

Originally Posted by mondog1

Check out this TDI. It's a few years older than you might want but it's motor is finally broken in.
http://www.haboydvw.com/VehicleDetai...-PA/1709310633

HA!!!!

That's incredible.