Evil thoughts of change

[WormGod]

Maybe you all can help me out here.... I am getting tired of the VX. All the little things have slowly come full circle and added up to finally, trully annoy me about her. The subtle noises, mileage, minor defects, etc. I have made the mistake of even test driving some other cars just to really test myself. Luckily, most of the new cars I test drove were blah. The ones I don't necessarily care for, somehow, I liked.

Here is the siuation though.... I am about to be confronted with a boost in funds. I am in a position where I can get a second car, but that car would be my commuter, preferably something that is ONLY good on gas. I have seen squat out there that looks good and gets that good mileage. The only cars I see that I like are guzzlers, heh. I need one though, and if I do it this way, the VX stays in the garage and becomes "Daddy's Little Weekend Girl".

Just an idea of what I have been plundering around about....

Drove a used '98 Dodge Viper.... simply awesome, but cant have 2 weekend cars, and VX is NOT cutting it as a daily commuter.

Tried the H3.... amazing how much it felt like the VX. I generally am NOT a fan of the H2, but somehow, this was more like driving a Cherokee Sport. VX in garage, H3 sucks on gas, a no go.

Toyota Prius.... perfect, but damn is it fugly. Not as cheap as most people think either.

Honda Element.... not bad, but wow, if I wanted to drive a shoe box, I would just buy some new shoes.

Mini Cooper.... really slick, and as small as it is, I could save money on a casket if I were ever in an accident in it. Just bury me in the wreckage.

Corvette.... don't ask.... you already know the answer.

Toyota Rav4.... REALLY impressed me. Nice ride, decent gas.... definate contender. I did not expect this to surprise me.

If you all could fire me some more ideas, perhaps rides you have tried out, I would appreciate it. I am always trying to find the time to go test drive some more cars for a decent commuter. Something pretty good on gas, looks decent, and drives decent. I really would like to keep the VX as well, but we shall see what the final verdict is. *sigh*

Blue collar, trying to have the best of both worlds.

[bumblebee]

I bought a 2005 Jeep Wrangler last June and love it as a commuter vehicle. VX stays in garage. I am definitely going to check out the 2007 Wrangler with the V6. It's also wider and longer than the current Wrangler.

Keep the VX.

[Lori]

I had to deal with feelings of guilt for having fairly-strong sentiments that I was tired of the vehicle and ready for a new one. But then I remembered a card someone gave me:

Q: What do neruotics eat for lunch?
A: Guilt cheese sandwiches.

So I struggled with my decision to get rid of my VX and replace it with a zippy little sedan, but I didn't beat myself up about it. I love cars so much that I think I will always be getting new (well, used) ones every three or four years. (I wish I could be like Jay Leno and have a warehouse full of really-cool cars. Right now I have three in my garage.)

I wanted to go "luxurious," with butt warmers and other amenities. In the past month, I have test drove Mercedes C-class, Volvo S60, Audi A4 and BMW 3-series. It was a no-brainer to me -- the BMW as it felt so different and so much more fun than the others.

So I bought a used BMW 325:
http://www.stat.missouri.edu/~thombsl/PICS/bimmer1.jpg

I was kinda sneaky with finding a buyer for my red VX -- perused the past few auctions of VX on ebay and noticed a recurring name who would go up to certain price and then stop. I emailed him and now he is buying my VX. It's being shipped to Oregon (from St. Louis) in a few days. I gave him a good deal but I still got more than the low trade-in values I was getting from the dealers. (All 4 were almost exactly the same ~ $10.5K)

Of course I will still visit this site and check on the last VX chit-chat. I actually feel like I know you guys are friends, even though we've never met.

Well that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Lori

[AREA 51]

Yeah, how 'bout that new rav4? 268 horsepower and 4wd. I think it even has a new chassis. It's evolving.

[Navigator]

Yep it's time man, go ahead swap the VX for something new. It's just a vehicle not a religion or something for crying out loud, LOL. They'll be other affordable HALO vehicles someday, I hope. That new RAV4 may not turn heads, but it's got horses out the wazzoo, so go for it or whatever you decide to buy.

You'll still see me with my VX FOREVER, but then you know I ain't exactly rational

[carlymac]

Or you could have your head examined....lol.

[JAFO]

Changing vehicles to get better gas mileage may not be as cost effective as one might think. It may take years before breaking even on the change. Calculate how much more MPG that you will have to get to over come the cost in a timely manor.

For example lets take the average driver, who carves up 12,000 miles of pavement a year at 18 MPG (what my VX gets). At this rate of consumption you would burn up 666 (I didn't plan on this) gallons of gas. And lets say the average price of gas is $2.00 per gallon, giving us a total of $1,332.

Now lets say we upgrade to the Honda Insight, which gets 56 MPG, about the best you can get of any vehicle. So 12,000 miles / 56 MPG = 214 gallons of gas at $2.00 = $418.

So you save (1332 - 418) $918 per year. However, you must take into consideration the cost of abtaining the more fuel effecent vehicle. Lets say you trade in the VX and you get your loan pay off of $15000. Nothing lost nothing gained. The Insight is $22,000 (plus tax,title,etc). So you have the difference of $7000 which will take you 7 1/2 years to break even, before you start saving any money.

Yes, I did not account for the vehicle being new vs used but you also need to consider that in a couple of years the VX will be paid off and you will have approx $300 a month in your pocket instead of another car payment.


Second case, hybrid vs standard model.

Lets say we where going to by a new 2006 Ford Escape and we are trying deside if we should get the standard edition or the Hybrid.

Standard 2.3L 4 cyl gets 22 MPG city.
12,000 Miles at 22 MPG = 545 Gallons @ $2.00/gallon = $1090

Hybrid 2.3L 4 cyl gets 36 MPG city.
12,000 Miles at 36 MPG = 333 Gallons @ $2.00/gallon = $666

So with the Hybrid you will save $424 per year but on average the Hybrid will cost you $2,500 more. Taking nearly six years to break even before you begin to save any money. Not to mention that the Hybrid has additional parts that need maintenance, repair, and possibly having there own environmental disposal concerns.


Changing vehicle just to save on gas is not cost effective. Consider how many years you keep a vehicle on average; is it five years or less? You may never even make it to see a savings.

That is unless you happen to own an EV1, but wait a minute GM scrapped them all. Thanks, GM!

[Jolly Roger VX'er]

That's a toughie. In the end, only you can really answer your question after some reflecting and soul-searching.

In the past, I've never held onto any vehicle longer than 3-4 years before getting either thoroughly bored of it or tired of it letting me down (breakdowns or nickel-diming me to death). I'll be finally paying mine off this summer (big party everyone!!!) which will bring me up to 5.5 yrs of ownership when that day occurs. I have a daily driver to take life's beating (1995 "torch red" Chevrolet Monte Carlo Z-34) to get me to and fro to work and it gets about 22/23 miles per gallon regularly.

Personally, the region I live in tends to dismiss imports in general; and I really haven't had the positive remarks and bouts of head-turning like many others on this board experience. Sometimes when I hear people at work or in public get excited about Dodges (Rams, Chargers, SRT8 vehicles etc..) Fords(Mustangs, Lightenings, etc....) GM's (SSR's, Vettes, GTO's, etc...), I get a little envious. If I lived somewhere else where people got as excited about my VX as I do I'd be hard-pressed to let her go!!!!!

Basically I feel I'd get screwed royally if I ever traded her in since I bought her new when they were priced at $32k. My personal game-plan is to keep her and wait to see if that new Dodge Challenger with the 6.1 Hemi V8 gets the ok for production. Then, I'll most likely make my VX a daily driver (unless the resale value goes up dramatically!) and buy the Challenger for my pleasure vehicle!

The only other vehicle I've been slightly tempted by is that Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8....but, I've refrained from test-driving one and I like the looks of my VX alot more.

My advice to you....is to install that blower and then make your decision afterwards! It just might change your mind Plus, your mileage might go up over-all as mine has!

[james1_10018]

I had the same feeling and couldnt sell the vx so I traded my range rover and guess what I got ...a 2006 bmw 650 convertible ...sweet ride

[transio]

Damn, Gary,

I was gonna offer you a straight-up trade for my Elise, but I'm afraid the noises and defects would just annoy you about her!

Pullin your leg, of course.

I know what you're saying... I'm getting to that point with the VX, too. Often times, I want to just take care of all the major stuff and unload it and spend the money on hair plugs or something.

[Robdrawz]

Hey Gary,
Here is some ideas that will still turn a few heads:
www.go-t-rex.com
or
www.grinnallcars.com
check the Scorpion III
or build one -
www.factoryfive.com
or
www.smart.com
I met a guy who brought a Smart Roadster up from Mexico - he gets
73 miles per gallon.

Robdrawz

[transio]

By the way, the Mini Cooper S is a badass handling car. You may also want to consider:

• Lotus Elise (35 mpg highway - starting at around $33k used)
• Saturn Sky or Pontiac Solstice
• Honda S2000 (decent mpg)
• Evo or STi

[JAFO]

Ok, there is a vehicle that I would trade the VX for.

The Ariel Atom. For those that have seen the Top Gear episode you know why. Those that haven't watch this.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...3&q=ariel+atom

http://www.arielatom.com

[Bulldoggie]

[QUOTE=JAFO]Ok, there is a vehicle that I would trade the VX for.

The Ariel Atom.

AWSOME! You've got to love that "Rocket sled" face.
It's power to weight RATIO's that rule!
I'd lose my Driver's License for life, in less than a week.
I bet it gets great mpg though.

[JAFO]

AWSOME! You've got to love that "Rocket sled" face.
It's power to weight RATIO's that rule!
I'd lose my Driver's License for life, in less than a week.
I bet it gets great mpg though.

Starting at $35,000. They have a place in Ashland, Oregon. I should go check out the demo. According to their FAQ, some have already been licensed in the U.S.