A thread at the XMG forum relates to what cars you have owned. I listed mine and thought it should be stored here for posterity.
76 Chevy Nova, 86 Dodge Colt Turbo(yes turbo), 89 Chevy Cavalier, 91 Jeep Wrangler, 95 Jeep Wrangler, 03 Jeep Wrangler.
That lead into another issue. My current drive from home to work is 42 miles. Doing the math that means I drive 1680 miles per month for work. That equates to 120 gallons of gas at an average of $2 per gallon totaling $240 in gas a month or $2880 a year. I don't take the wear an tear on my jeep into the equation.
I had been interested in getting a more fuel effiecient car for the drive. I was looking at small pickup trucks, dependable cars and hybrids and found a Honda Accord (non hybrid) for $20k but could get a used one cheaper that got around 35mpg (the hybrid get's around 45). Plugging 35 mpg into the equation looks like this. The car would use ~ 48 gallons/month = $96/month = $1152 per year. A savings of $1782 per year.
In 5 years I would save $8910.
There are four factors that keep this from happening.
- I don't want to get rid of my jeep
- Car insurance premiums in the state of NJ are considered rackateering in some states.
- Space in the garage vs driveway is at a premium.
- Cost of a new or used car.
I had thought about trading my jeep in for a new Accord and buy an older less expensive jeep that I can play around w/. Although that doesn't solve 2 & 3. Getting a basic policy would help my #2 but nothing short of moving will fix #3.
