What Do You Drive?

[jzmtl]

I'd love to have a miata, it was one of my options when I was looking for a vehicle. But I'm a bit tall to fit in one comfortably, and they don't do too hot in foot deep snow.

I'm impressed at how many people own more than one or two vehicles.
Around here, with taxes and insurance, owning more than, say, a car and a bike becomes quite prohibitely expensive for anyone who isn't normally defined "considerably well off". The concept of having a car for winter and one for summer is almost unheard of for us mortals.

In the states it's relatively easy, any middle class people can manage since the cost of insurance and registration are low compare to rest of places.

 

[CodeOfLight]

If I'm using my Nike Sasquach SUMO^2 - about 250 yards.

 

[daveman]

I'm impressed at how many people own more than one or two vehicles.
Around here, with taxes and insurance, owning more than, say, a car and a bike becomes quite prohibitely expensive for anyone who isn't normally defined "considerably well off". The concept of having a car for winter and one for summer is almost unheard of for us mortals.

In the states it's relatively easy; we borrow against our souls, future, and our children's souls and future.

The wonder of debt.

 

[BVH]

I drive the front half of this.

I had a 1988 Honda CRX HF that regularly got between 53 and 55 strictly freeway, open traffic. Don't see much getting that 20 years later??

 

[NeonLights]

The Miata is a bit of a snug fit, but not uncomfortable at all, I'm 6'1" and 230 lbs, and I fit just fine. I would have sold it long ago otherwise. Definitely not good in snow, I leave mine parked in the cold and slippery stuff and drive the Subaru.

Not much of a hardship around here to own multiple vehicles, especially if you buy used. Taxes here are only paid once on the car (at time of purchase) and insurance isn't bad either, we pay around $130/month for all of our cars. Three of our four cars are paid for, and the Subaru should be paid off by the end of the year.

 

[Fallingwater]

$130/month for four cars makes me want to cry. If you've had an accident or two (even light stuff) and especially if you're young you can pay that much for ONE car here, and a small one at that.

Man, you USAnians have it easy for some things.

 

[BVH]

A lot depends on the limits. I'm just in the process of renewing for one 2005 Hyundai Sonata. My limits are $500,000 each person, $1,000,000 each accident, same for uninsured bodily injury. Cost is $94.00 a month. For more common limits, I could pay around $60 a month.

 

[CM]

For fun when I'm not hauling kids:

Otherwise, it's the grocery wagon (SUV)

 

[Trashman]

I'm still driving the same hand-me-down that I was driving in the last "what are you driving" thread from a couple of years ago, a 2000 Acura TL.

I'm using it in my daily work as a messenger, here in Los Angeles. I'll probably switch to my wife's '97 4-cyl Accord, though, cause this one is killing me on gas. I wish, I had a Prius! Someday....

 

[Mandril]

CPF has truly great taste for rides as well as for flashlights

 

[mossyoak]

In the states it's relatively easy; we borrow against our souls, future, and our children's souls and future.

The wonder of debt.

or we plan ahead and pay off early, my dad owns three cars, all are paid for, so is my jeep.

 

[Probedude]

or we plan ahead and pay off early, my dad owns three cars, all are paid for, so is my jeep.

And if you don't care what they look like, you can get cars pretty darn cheap. 2 of mine were 'given' to me by my dad or sister (I work on all the cars in our family so I get first dibs when one is getting retired).

When cycling occasionally to and from work, I have 'spare' vehicles at both work and home as 'backups'.

 

[jzmtl]

$130/month for four cars makes me want to cry. If you've had an accident or two (even light stuff) and especially if you're young you can pay that much for ONE car here, and a small one at that.

Man, you USAnians have it easy for some things.

And if you have no-fault insurance like I have here, your premium goes up even if the other guy is 100% at fault.

 

[Monocrom]

And if you have no-fault insurance like I have here, your premium goes up even if the other guy is 100% at fault.

That's why insurance companies love no-fault insurance.... They get to jack up both of the drivers' rates. (Even if one actually wasn't at fault).

 

[iced_theater]

iced_theater, nice Buick. A-body's are my soft spot...309 in her?

350 Buick motor, 2 barrel carb and single exhaust. Would really open her up if I put on a 4 barrel carb, dual exhaust and a 4 or 5 speed manual with 4.11 rear end in place of the 2 speed automatic and 2.50 rear.

 

[NeonLights]

$130/month for four cars makes me want to cry. If you've had an accident or two (even light stuff) and especially if you're young you can pay that much for ONE car here, and a small one at that.

Man, you USAnians have it easy for some things.

Been there, done that. When I was 19 or 20 I had two cars, a V8 Mustang (paid for) and a Suzuki Samurai (making payments). IIRC my car payments were $220/month and my auto insurance payments were $250/month. Now that I'm much older and married and my last ticket was 7.5 years ago (tickets drop off after 3 years here) and have no accidents on my record, the rates have dropped significantly.

The $130/month we're paying includes full coverage on the Subaru, Mustang, and Mini, but not comp and collision on the Miata since it is only worth about $4000. I always drop comp and collision once my older cars drop below $5k in value or so. We also have high limits on our deductibles ($500 or $1000 in most cases), and if something happens requiring a comp or collision claim, we usually pay out of pocket unless it is well over $1000, the fewer claims you make, the lower your rates in most cases. Thank goodness we haven't had any incidents like that in quite a few years.

My recommendation for anyone under 21 years old in the US, especially men, is to buy an older cheap used car you can pay cash for, and don't carry comp or collision coverage on it. Car payments and high insurance payments can really sap a big percentage of a young person's income when they are just starting out on their own.

 

[Brock]

I have a 2003 VW Jetta wagon TDI (diesel) recently turned 73,000 miles with a life time of 55.53 mpg. Sometimes I drive for mileage and get in the mid 60's or drive "normal" and get mid 50's or pull a 2 ton trailer and get mid 40's. Usually I drive normal.

I recently bought an electric moped, technically a motorcycle since it can go about 40 mph max, I am working on that. I plan to charge it via solar and use it to go to and from work once we move closer to work.

 

[schiesz]

Very nice one there! I keep looking but not too easy to find something in that nice of condition. What year is it?

This during the summer:

 

[ViReN]

I'm highly doubtful of that figure. Did you calculate it yourself or are you quoting the official marketing blurb?
Modern fuel-injected four stroke 50cc scooters might get to 50, maybe even 60 km/l if you're gentle on the throttle, so it seems highly unlikely that a carburated 180cc could do better.

I did calculate it myself ... over period of 2 years... the bike has single piston (and cylinder) 4 stroke engine. That figure of 60 km/Lit is one of the best on highway... under normal city driving conditions I usually get 55 - 58 km/lit

In India, it's not uncommon to have 85 - 90 km/Litre (around 200+ mpg) under city (traffic) on a 4 stroke 100 CC bikes.... power of these bikes is relatively very low around 7 - 10 HP (max speed is also proportional... about 80 - 90 km/h at max) .... there are bikes (most of the 100 cc) that easily reach 120 Km/Litre (282.2575 miles per gallon) on highway (if driven at relatively stable speed of around 55 - 60 kmph i.e. about 37 mph) Cost of Gas there is about 6 US$ / Gallon

 

[stitch_paradox]

XRUNNER

sweet taco there man