comfortable hwy cruiser/ fuel miser needed

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Lima, Ohio, USA
my brother moved back home from TX 14ish months ago, to be nearer to family etc.
there haven't been many job openings in his chosen narrow field(IT, he was level 3 desktop support/ Citrix guy for the university hospital he worked for in TX)

something promising opens up at a relatively close manufacturing plant, applies, during first interview he finds out, he'd be the only IT guy supporting both this plant, and one 70-ish mi away in Indiana. he's since had 2 more interviews, including a tour of both plants. they haven't come back with an offer yet,but of course, he's running the numbers on the at least twice weekly trips to the Indiana plant, and has decided he needs a car with better Mileage/and will handle the snow, should we get an actual winter again..

He Currently owns 3 VERY low Mileage vehicles. All RWD/4x4 V8's.
1)1998 Ford Mustang GT 14,500 mi spent last 18years garaged waiting for him to decide to start to build it up
2)2007 Dodge Dakota 4.7HO ~45k mi. pretty much been his DD since moving up here,before that it sat 6 mos or more at a time. aroung 15mpg hwy
3) 2015 Dodge Challenger R/T. 5.7 Hemi, 8 spd auto. bought a couple months before the move, was hid DD then, up here, it largely sits, was put in storage over winter.

here's the Fueleconomy.gov comparison of what he has:
https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbs&id=35362&id=23673&id=14087
when he went for the interview/tour of the indiana facility, he drove the Dak, it cost him $30 in gas round trip.(it's the High Output Engine, takes Premium)

he's currently thinking about this Volt, at our local Dodge Dealer. (2014, 27k mi, $13,886, "free Limited lifetime powertrain warranty")
http://www.tomahl.com/used/Chevrolet/2014-Chevrolet-Volt-Lima-3db486500a0e0a1777641ac09375d0cb.htm

he's back and forth on trading the Chally in, as he very likely won't find another one similarly equipped...
if not, he'd pay cash for the Volt, (as he's done for the last 5 or 6 cars, and 2 properties he's owned.)

any volt opinions/ red flags/etc?
is there a better riding commuter with similar fuel econ/ at a similar price point?
 
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Honestly, if it were me, I'd sell all three vehicles, use the money to buy a low mileage/new camry or accord and call it a day. Fuel + repair costs + insurance on 3 cars must be pricey. He might as well get a reliable sedan and focus on his new job.
 
I really like my prius and any of the other 5 hybrid vehicles ive owned in the past. Keep in mind with the Volt, after it uses its range the mpg are not all that great (compared to prius anyway...)
 
Originally Posted By: FirstNissan
Honestly, if it were me, I'd sell all three vehicles, use the money to buy a low mileage/new camry or accord and call it a day. Fuel + repair costs + insurance on 3 cars must be pricey. He might as well get a reliable sedan and focus on his new job.

no insurance on the mustang, it doesn't leave the garage (been trying to get him to sell it for oh,15+yrs...)

and so far the Chally's had ZERO repair costs, still on the factory oil/Filter(
and since the move, he's not had to do anything to the Dak...YET...
 
Originally Posted By: TheKracken
I really like my prius and any of the other 5 hybrid vehicles ive owned in the past. Keep in mind with the Volt, after it uses its range the mpg are not all that great (compared to prius anyway...)

everyone he's talked to who owns prii, have mentioned the road noise(perhaps over stated) which at this point in his life appears to be unacceptable....

he wants what he wants...

and as for volt mileage on gas, he drives like a little old lady anyway, and the EPA mileage for the volt shows 37mpg combined while on gas.
that is basically double either the Chally, or Dak.
 
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Road noise is a thing yes, but hardly anything above a standard econobox. If the place he is going to work will have a charging station then the volt will probably work very well for him.
 
The 1998 could be insured cheaply on collector car insurance. Probably the same for the 2015 Challenger too...with 3K/yr mileage limitation. The Ohio winters will be tough on any of them. Could still keep 1 of those muscle cars and keep it on much cheaper collector insurance. The 2007 Dakota could remain the DD.
 
I think the volt is a great vehicle for his DD. And I would sell the other 3 vehicles and perhaps buy a used truck, because everyone needs a truck
 
He should be able to expense the mileage to the other plant and that would cover the poor fuel economy of the Dakota. The cheapest car is the one you already own...

I hear people love Volts. Road noise in a car will almost always be more than in an SUV or truck.
 
Originally Posted By: barkingspider
I think the volt is a great vehicle for his DD. And I would sell the other 3 vehicles and perhaps buy a used truck, because everyone needs a truck

ummm...one of those 3 IS a truck... a truck he really loves as well...
 
This is a great scenario and question. Typical responses get all sorts of misinformation, spreading mis-truths.

1) you are in Ohio. You will get snow, the vehicle to be driven needs to be capable of handling a heavy commute, 4-5 months of the year

2) he has three cars. The Mustang is fully depreciated, no point driving this. The Dakota is mostly depreciated, despite the low miles. Probably worth keeping it to use during the 2-3 months worst of winter, if he wants to still have a work truck around in the fleet.

3) The Challenger with the 8-speed auto, will get decent highway economy if driven up to 70mph, and be relatively capable year-round if driven with winter tires in the snow. It does have traction-control, and stability-control. real-world highway economy in the Chally is probably close to 25-27mpg, which isn't bad.

4) The Chally R/T is nothing special. of the three cars he owns, it probably gets the best fuel economy, but has the furthest to fall from a depreciation perspective. Over the next three years, its value will likely drop another $10-15K. It makes no sense to park this car 11 months of the year, then to buy another car just to save on gas, when the chally is depreciating $10-12 per DAY.

5) so, option #1. Use the challenger, sorry this isn't a future collectible, they are dime a dozen. the MPG is the best of the three cars he has. Use it year-round, put winter tires on it. He liked the car, and bought it, so enjoy it, Use regular gas (unless you're going to the track or revving much past 5000-6500rpm, it makes no difference), and don't worry about the gas.

6) option #2. Save money by trading in the challenger while it's under warranty, and while the mileage is low. If he isn't going to use this year-round as the DD, then trade it in and save $10-15K over the next three years in lost depreciation. Buy a cheap commuter with a timing chain. Toyota Matrix, Vibe (which you have), Acura RSX, Miata (?), almost any vehicle with a four-cylinder will get 32+MPG and save money. Further, it can be bought cheaply enough that there it is already at the bottom of the depreciation curve. These cars save some fuel, but are still "fun to drive" as he seems to be the enthusiast sort who won't be caught dead in a camry or Prius. He likes the cars I like, ie, ones with some performance cred. 03-06 Corolla or Matrix XRS? (which I own). Try 8500rpm redline and 2ZZ motor, same as in the Lotus Elise, and still gets 32-34mpg. If he needs an automatic, then maybe a RSX with automatic, which will get 33-35mpg real-world mpg.



7) option #3. sell/trade the challenger, and buy a serious miser-mobile, or hybrid: ie, Toyota Prius, or some sort of Yaris or Honda Fit with a 1.5L engine or smaller. The Fit is probably the only one he won't be angry at, as it handles well and doesn't feel like an econobox.

8) option #4. get a used Nissan Leaf for peanuts, and use this as one of two cars.
ie, he would have to have at least one of the Dakota or Chally insured, and use the Leaf to drive at least half of the time, as long as there is a charging facility at one or both of his workplaces. Note the Leaf has only a 130mile range, but they are available dirt-cheap, and his fuel cost would be essentially zero with work-place charging.

9) other tips, use oversized tires on any/all of the cars. using taller tires will increase the rolling diameter of the tire/wheel package, thus increasing the distance travelled with every engine RPM. You can run 5-10% taller on the aspect ratio, and usually 10mm wider without problems, 20mm is usually OK. For example, my 2003 Matrix XRS factory size is 215/50R17. I've run 215/55R17, and 225/50R17, which is a bit tighter up front. Wider tires increase frontal area, which increase drag. Taller tires don't increase drag appreciably.

10) Unless you track your car, or run extended periods above 4500-5000rpm, buying premium gas, even if it "says so on the label" is generally a waste of money. Many of my cars are "premium recommended", but in general I run regular year-round unless I take one of my cars to the track for a track-day. Various BMWs including 2000 Z3M, 99 Miata, 2003 RSX-TypeS, 2003 Matrix XRS, all with sky-high redlines that I use even with Regular gas.

Car&Driver did a test, 12-13 years ago, and found that peak power (at elevated RPM near the power-peak) dropped 3-5% for most cars if regular was used in a "Premium needed" motor, with the largest power-drop being 10% for highly tuned and turbo motors such as the 2002-2005 BMW M3 (8000rpm redline) and early 2000s Saab 9-3 Turbo. The Ford 2.3L ecoboost four has been shown to drop 10-12% of peak power when run on regular gas. Note, that is 5500-7000rpm, so not sure how many people run their cars that high.....but it's very few, and for most people, for fractions of a second. When I take my XRS up there (every other day or so), i' know instead of making 180hp, my motor is only making perhaps 165hp for that split second, but the rest of the time, i'm saving money on the fuel.



11) your brother needs to decide if he really wants to keep the challenger. It seems stupid (sorry) that he thinks it will be some sort of "future collector car" and that he isn't driving it, and instead of using the modern Challenger that gets 25-28mpg using a modern 8-speed auto, is instead using the Dakota that gets 15mpg. I mean, doing so is dumber than mud.

Better to trade in the Challenger now, buy a cheap commuter. Then in a few years, if he still likes the Challenger, find a low-mileage rust-free 2018-2020 one from AZ or CA and buy it then, after it's depreciated down to $10K. Parking a 2015 R/T (which again, is nothing special) and letting it sit and rot, while letting it depreciate down to zero, seems to be the epitome of silliness to me.

It's only marginally better than watching people dump $20K into a $5K car because they think it's "something special".
Wait, that sounds a lot like having a 98 Mustang GT, parking it when it's only two years old with 14,500miles, then garaging it for 18 years (for what!?!?!?!?) and now as you say, "waiting for him to decide to start to build it up".


12) The mustang is nothing special, unless there is some sentimental value attached to it. Get it roadworthy, put winter-tires on it, and run it year-round. Use it. or else park it for another 10-15 years but leave it stock/OEM for collector purposes. the 4.6L motor was nothing special, it's not an SVT or Cobra model. Sorry, this car is nothing special except being low miles.

13) driving the Challenger instead of the Dakota on a daily basis will save him about 45% of his gas bill, instantly.
until he makes a decision, ditch the Dakota, run the Challenger.

14) make a decision which car to keep, which to sell.

15) his best mileage car is the Challenger. It seems pretty silly to be DD-ing the Dakota 4x4 getting 15mpg, when he is parking the Challenger, which is way -nicer and more modern vehicle.


16) other comments to buy a Volt, I would disagree with. It doesn't save you enough fuel, and it's too new that it will still depreciate also. Either buy cheap with zero depreciation left to go, or buy something newer (fit or Prius) that will save you massive fuel by getting 40+MPG. The ultimate car for fuel-savings is a used Nissan Leaf if charging at both factories is available. High-current charging is best, but even regular 120V AC will allow him to essentially commute between both work-sites without being stranded for power as long as he drives with the speed-limit in mind.



Tell him to make up his mind!!!!
 
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The 98 Mustang will be tough to manage in the snow, even with winter tires.

The 2015 Challenger, with modern traction/stability controls, will handle winter with reasonable ability, when fitted with good winter tires.

The Mustang has fully depreciated.
The 2015 Challenger is still depreciating, probably about $10 per day. He'll lose $10-12K on the Challenger over the next three years, even if it's parked. The Challenger gets the best MPG of the three by far, as it is the most modern and has an 8 speed auto.
 
Come on now people! Do I have to be the one to say it??

CROWN VIC......close thread
laugh.gif
 
I just think everyone should remember that this is grown man and a well-compensated computer specialist who is considering paying cash for a fourth car, so recommendations to sell everything and buy an econobox are not helpful.
 
as you stated, a grown man with 3 cars.

so it seems to me a grown man can figure out what he wants. if he wants the volt then he should just go buy the volt. i dont think anyone specifically said no i had a volt its a lemon or whatever.

test deive first. if it seems the criteria is highly on mpg and comfort, bit not a prius, i will throw out there perhaps another toyota hybrid. e.g. camry hybrid or a lexus hybrid if he wants more luzury ans comfort.
 
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My 1996 Mustang 4.6 5-speed with 2.73 gears got consistent 24-25 mpg on the highway.
When I put in 3.73's, it dropped to 21-22 mpg.

It does JUST FINE in snow, thank you very much.
 
I thought about getting a Volt earlier this year, but couldn't justify the potential cost for a future battery and not being able to really work on a lot of things if something goes wrong. Is he only interested in domestics?

I bought my Sonata for $10k in February, very roomy and a great highway cruiser. 37 mpg highway as well.
 
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