[BOGDOG]

Elio

I would buy one too, if they ever actually start building them. Been through a few design changes since that pic.

They brought a prototype to our office a few years ago to show it off because we were supposed to do some work for the assembly plant. The Job 3 still appears on our books but I don't think we have done any work on the project. I was surprised to see a 3 cyl GEO Metro engine under the hood. At 6'5" 265Lbs I fit in it but I don't think I would feel safe in it during my commute.

 

[scottie]

They brought a prototype to our office a few years ago to show it off because we were supposed to do some work for the assembly plant. The Job 3 still appears on our books but I don't think we have done any work on the project. I was surprised to see a 3 cyl GEO Metro engine under the hood. At 6'5" 265Lbs I fit in it but I don't think I would feel safe in it during my commute.

i want mine to hurry up and get here

 

[wrath]

Cobalts/G5 are damn near free at this point.

4 cylinder epsilon (Malibu or G6 or Aura) aren't far behind.

4 cylinder Fusion, if it still has a transmission in it.

Then you have the normal shitboxes that nobody cares about.

Older Fucus, they're pretty easy to work on. Most of them are getting crispy now. New ones are too much Mazda.

The only thing on your list you might be happy with is a 2.5RS Lezbaru. Easy to work on, fairly reliable, fairly cheap to fix.

If I had to drive a shitty commuter car because it was too expensive to drive something nice I'd probably either find a different job that is closer to home, move, or ask for a raise and buy something that doesn't suck to drive.

Ah the usual passive-aggressive, quasi insulting Wrath "advice". Some things never change.

I probably put more thought into it than you did.

Some people live where they want and work where they have to. I don't want to live where the good engineering jobs are cuz that's where everybody else lives. I'll gladly drive a bit to do so. I could afford to drive a nice truck daily just fine, but why pay more to drive an expensive purpose-built vehicle into the ground when I don't have to? I'd rather keep my nice truck nice and save money driving a decent car that I don't mind racking up miles on. Parking is easier, every day it's putting $20 in my pocket, and the little 5 speed "Lezbaru" is fun in all weather. I daily drove a truck long enough, whether I can afford it or not it's still no fun spending a small mortgage payment to drive around in a 3/4 ton truck with an empty bed and no trailer. There are better things to do with the money for most of us.

Do you drive a Subaru or something? I wasn't paying attention. I thought you had something else.

And I wouldn't compare driving a lifted diesel truck on a long commute. That's just crazy talk.

Anyway...
Let's say you have a car that costs $120 to plate. $100/month to insure. You're at $1300 a year to have it sit in the driveway. That's $1300 that can go into the fuel tank of your non-commuter vehicle. That's a lot of fuel. At today's prices, that's about 600 gallons. If you have a vehicle that only gets 15mpg then that is 9,000 miles. I drive about 20k a year.

With the exception of wear on tires of a truck or high-performance car (think BMW 7 series) vs a shitbox, pretty much everything else costs the same to maintain on a vehicle. Maybe if you drive a diesel truck that takes 3 gallons of oil and a fuel filter every oil change that isn't the case. But let's say you're comparing a mediocre BMW 3-series vs a strip model Chrysler 200. Same cost to maintain.

The depreciation on a BMW 3-series is about the same as a Chrysler 200 when comparing mileage per dollar. It's just that the 3-series goes from $35k to $25k and the Chrysler 200 goes from $20k to $10k.

Now let's go back to the more important part... where you live in relation to your work. Every minute you're driving on your own time is on your own dime. That means you're paying to go to work in both vehicle maintenance/consumables and fixed dollars... plus lost time at home. So if there is no compelling reason to live far from work then why do it? Let's say you live an hour from work and you work 5 days on premises. That means you work "for free" for 250 hours per year versus someone that commutes half an hour.

What I'm getting at is why would you want to spend two hours per day in a shitbox if it doesn't cost much more to have something quiet and enjoyable like a used CTS or MKX or BMW 5-series if it costs about the same per mile? Further, why not consider moving closer to work or bringing work closer to home?

Lastly, consider asking to work from home.

 

[Alex456123]

Is it @Alex456123 Size compatible?

Yes.

 

[bbaXJ]

I probably put more thought into it than you did.

No, as usual you put thought into only your own situation and failed to grasp that everyone else's situation, and that they themselves(thankfully), are different from you and doing things for a different reason. I'm still waiting for you to figure out that other do things differently from you and that maybe, just MAYBE, you're not the smartest person in the room. No luck so far.

Do you drive a Subaru or something? I wasn't paying attention. I thought you had something else.

And I wouldn't compare driving a lifted diesel truck on a long commute. That's just crazy talk.

Anyway...
Let's say you have a car that costs $120 to plate. $100/month to insure. You're at $1300 a year to have it sit in the driveway. That's $1300 that can go into the fuel tank of your non-commuter vehicle. That's a lot of fuel. At today's prices, that's about 600 gallons. If you have a vehicle that only gets 15mpg then that is 9,000 miles. I drive about 20k a year.

With the exception of wear on tires of a truck or high-performance car (think BMW 7 series) vs a shitbox, pretty much everything else costs the same to maintain on a vehicle. Maybe if you drive a diesel truck that takes 3 gallons of oil and a fuel filter every oil change that isn't the case. But let's say you're comparing a mediocre BMW 3-series vs a strip model Chrysler 200. Same cost to maintain.

The depreciation on a BMW 3-series is about the same as a Chrysler 200 when comparing mileage per dollar. It's just that the 3-series goes from $35k to $25k and the Chrysler 200 goes from $20k to $10k.

Now let's go back to the more important part... where you live in relation to your work. Every minute you're driving on your own time is on your own dime. That means you're paying to go to work in both vehicle maintenance/consumables and fixed dollars... plus lost time at home. So if there is no compelling reason to live far from work then why do it? Let's say you live an hour from work and you work 5 days on premises. That means you work "for free" for 250 hours per year versus someone that commutes half an hour.

What I'm getting at is why would you want to spend two hours per day in a shitbox if it doesn't cost much more to have something quiet and enjoyable like a used CTS or MKX or BMW 5-series if it costs about the same per mile? Further, why not consider moving closer to work or bringing work closer to home?

Lastly, consider asking to work from home.

Yep, I drive a Subaru. They have a well earned reputations for being lesbian cars. I'm okay with that, I'll muff dive with the best of them. Mine's not a forest green wagon so that helps out my street cred at least a little bit. It's the sportiest non-turbo sedan they offer and it's about as fun as an econobox can get IMO.

Want some math? Fine. $120 to plate isn't far off. I think it's a little less but close enough. About $70/month insurance, so about $960 a year to own.

I drive about 25k miles a year. At 27mpg on the low end, that's 925 gallons, or $1850 in fuel at $2/gal, which I think we can all agree is below the average over the past 3+ years.

If I were driving my truck at 13.5mpg average, which is both the correct number and makes the math really easy since it's 1/2 the mpg of the Lezbaru, that's 1850 gallons or $3700.

So on the low end, driving the car saves me $1850 in fuel. Owning the car costs $960 so that means just the basics save me $890 a year. Then there's the fact that maintenance IS a lot cheaper than the truck. Parts are half the size and not far from half the price. Tires last almost twice as long. Oil capacity is almost half as much.

Then there's the fact that I've got about $4k into the car. I got it with 76k miles on it, have put that many on it again and I could turn around and sell it for damn near the same price again. (Buying a $20-30k car like you're talking about for an econobox is just stupid. That's not economical at all and isn't what this thread was even based on, so I won't even get into that. And yes, I'd rather drive my car than a CTS or 5 series. It gets better mileage, more fun factor, doesn't burn 2 quarts of oil between changes, and my turn signals work in traffic.)
If I had put that many miles on my truck, besides the extra maintenance costs I would have had to pay, its value would have dropped by at least $3k, or even more if it were a nicer truck like that fancy new stuff you buy. Don't even get me started on the depreciation you're putting on that truck. That alone could pay for every vehicle in my driveway.

I live less than 35 miles from work and typically spend 35 minutes in the car each way. That's not bad. I love my house, love where I live, and have zero complaints about that situation. My previous job was 40 miles and about 55 minutes each way. It was a bit much but still 100% worthwhile. Want some numbers to throw at it? Fine. Living 10 miles from work would cost conservatively $75k more for the same house on the same property in a nearby location, and probably another $1k a year in property taxes. I'm not even gonna do the math on the payback of that because I know it's not there for me. And I'd still be living somewhere I don't want to live. That's not about money, that's about happiness.

You starting to get it yet? I only did this because I don't feel like going to bed yet and it was easy math. It's all a moot point because this entire thing comes down to personal preference. People can and will do whatever the fuck they want. It doesn't make them wrong. But despite doing what I wanted to do, the math still works out greatly in my favor.

Enjoy driving your $45k truck(assuming you got a helluva deal on it) for 5 years and selling it for $20k at best. I'll enjoy driving my $4k car(really, I do enjoy it) for 5 years and selling it for $3k. Look at that, I just paid for my Jeep habit by not wasting money.

#dropsmic

 

[CSFJ]

:sonicjay:

 

[OnlyInMyXJ22]

I love my manual TDI Golf. I can fit all kinds of crap in it for how small it is. I have been toying with the idea of selling it. :naughty:

 

[alexdummy]

I like my $350 pos. It gets me from point A to point B. Thats all a commuter car really needs to do.

 

[wrath]

No, as usual you put thought into only your own situation and failed to grasp that everyone else's situation, and that they themselves(thankfully), are different from you and doing things for a different reason. I'm still waiting for you to figure out that other do things differently from you and that maybe, just MAYBE, you're not the smartest person in the room. No luck so far.

No, I thought about it a lot, especially when I was choosing where to live and work. I see a lot of people that go through the same thought process and pick different things. I prefer not to be the smartest person in the room because then I have a chance at learning something.

Yep, I drive a Subaru. They have a well earned reputations for being lesbian cars. I'm okay with that, I'll muff dive with the best of them. Mine's not a forest green wagon so that helps out my street cred at least a little bit. It's the sportiest non-turbo sedan they offer and it's about as fun as an econobox can get IMO.

Probably, I'd think about a Subaru for a shitbox also.

I had a Pontiac G6 that I bought new. Once we were done with it I kept it around an entire year and drove it less than 1500 miles. It just wasn't worth driving 3 vehicles around for maintenance reasons and the fuel difference even when it was $4/gallon worked out to 2 gallons per day for the G6 and 3 gallons per day for my truck. I get cheap insurance (MEEMIC) so I was ahead of the game. I bought the car for $22k and sold it 6.5 years later for $7k with 80k on the clock. Tires, brakes, shocks, struts one time. Even if I drove the car exclusively it wouldn't cover the cost of plates and insurance.

I bought my last truck for $29k out the door and sold it for $17k 6 years later with 113k on the clock. Tires and brakes one time. So, $12k in depreciation in 6 years or $166/month. G6... $184/month. Let's say I bought a used $15k Taurus SHO and sold it 5 years later for $6k or $150/month. How many trips to the lumber yard is that $16/month worth? Are plates and insurance free? Or is that "luxury of a third car" a tax of convenience when you don't want to change the oil on one and will "get to it on the weekend"?

Want some math? Fine. $120 to plate isn't far off. I think it's a little less but close enough. About $70/month insurance, so about $960 a year to own.

I drive about 25k miles a year. At 27mpg on the low end, that's 925 gallons, or $1850 in fuel at $2/gal, which I think we can all agree is below the average over the past 3+ years.

My new truck averages 18-20mpg. If I'd keep it below 80 or not use the remote start excessively it'd do better. My wife's AWD 4 banger Equinox only gets 21-24mpg. The G6 got 24-30 depending on remote start abuse.

If I were driving my truck at 13.5mpg average, which is both the correct number and makes the math really easy since it's 1/2 the mpg of the Lezbaru, that's 1850 gallons or $3700.

My 1984 K10 got better mileage than that. So, I wouldn't drive a 13.5mpg truck either as a commuter. I also wouldn't drive a Yaris. Picking some bad gas mileage 3/4 ton truck or some crew cab long box dually V10 Ford 4x4 as a baseline isn't a fair comparison.

So on the low end, driving the car saves me $1850 in fuel. Owning the car costs $960 so that means just the basics save me $890 a year. Then there's the fact that maintenance IS a lot cheaper than the truck. Parts are half the size and not far from half the price. Tires last almost twice as long. Oil capacity is almost half as much.

Would it save you $1850 in fuel if you factored all the times you couldn't stop somewhere and pick something up because you didn't have a truck? I stop at the home improvement stores all the time on the way home from work (it's on the way) so I don't have to go to town as much. And I'm a lot closer to town than you are.

The last 6 vehicles I have owned (a couple Equinox, a couple trucks, the G5 we only had for 6600 miles, and the G6) have had zero maintenance other than oil changes, air filter once, wiper blades, brakes, and tires with the exception of the G6 I did replace the shocks and struts trying to quiet down the interior. Not even a headlight bulb replacement. The last two Equinoxes and this current truck I don't even have to do the first 4 oil changes. But yes, 8 quarts into my new truck is a bit pricey.

Then there's the fact that I've got about $4k into the car. I got it with 76k miles on it, have put that many on it again and I could turn around and sell it for damn near the same price again. (Buying a $20-30k car like you're talking about for an econobox is just stupid. That's not economical at all and isn't what this thread was even based on, so I won't even get into that. And yes, I'd rather drive my car than a CTS or 5 series. It gets better mileage, more fun factor, doesn't burn 2 quarts of oil between changes, and my turn signals work in traffic.)

You got a deal on the car.

If you look at the used prices on a CTS they're pretty cheap.

If I had put that many miles on my truck, besides the extra maintenance costs I would have had to pay, its value would have dropped by at least $3k, or even more if it were a nicer truck like that fancy new stuff you buy. Don't even get me started on the depreciation you're putting on that truck. That alone could pay for every vehicle in my driveway.

I buy the "fancy stuff" because the math isn't that bad and I get a deal on insurance. It's nice to get into a vehicle that is fairly new. I never thought I'd like heated steering wheels... makes me think I should start wearing tapered leg jeans with the cuffs rolled up and a hemp necklace.

The depreciation on the new truck is probably going to hurt... if the last ten years is an indicator of the future I'll probably sell it for $17k less than I paid for it in 6 years. Might seem like a lot but if the past is any indicator that's pretty much all I'll "lose". I can't drive a shitbox to work every day because I do have to have people in my vehicle with me a couple times per week. So, I've got perception to deal with also. Ever noticed the people that get paid a lot and get the best raises have the nicest vehicles and whatnot? It's silly but my boss drives a 15 year old Toyota Camry and I make more money than him. I'm sure I'll get a better raise than him also this year but I digress... I also never did figure out how to stuff 8' lumber in the G6.

I'm willing to pay the extra "tax" of driving something nice. It's never depressing to get into a 6.2L truck. There is a reason when you're commuting into work you see all those people driving nice cars on their long commutes. It's not always to keep up with the Smiths.

I live less than 35 miles from work and typically spend 35 minutes in the car each way. That's not bad. I love my house, love where I live, and have zero complaints about that situation. My previous job was 40 miles and about 55 minutes each way. It was a bit much but still 100% worthwhile. Want some numbers to throw at it? Fine. Living 10 miles from work would cost conservatively $75k more for the same house on the same property in a nearby location, and probably another $1k a year in property taxes. I'm not even gonna do the math on the payback of that because I know it's not there for me. And I'd still be living somewhere I don't want to live. That's not about money, that's about happiness.

I live 24 miles from work and 18 of it is the expressway and it takes me 25 minutes (assuming I've left by 6am). So, I don't know how you're averaging a mile per minute where you live. But anyway, it's only when it's approaching an hour you should probably look at it. Half an hour is reasonable.

I don't blame you for wanting to live where you do. It's a nice area. I prefer to live in an area where I'm the hilljack country bumpkin instead of living in an area full of hilljack country bumpkins.

You never did factor in time, or what your own time is worth. Your made-up house is about a $600/month payment. Assuming you make $60/hr and pay 25% in taxes then that's 13 hours per month you'd be paying for civilization being nearby. What are you going to do when the kidlet wants to go to soccer practice, play hockey, etc? Then you're driving for how long into town all the time? How long does it take you to go to the movies or a real grocery store? It's the same reason why I ended up buying the house I did.

You starting to get it yet? I only did this because I don't feel like going to bed yet and it was easy math. It's all a moot point because this entire thing comes down to personal preference. People can and will do whatever the fuck they want. It doesn't make them wrong. But despite doing what I wanted to do, the math still works out greatly in my favor.

I don't think you did all the math and I don't think you factored in your own time. But that is up to you. I'd rather work on my mud truck than a 10 year old Subaru that gets me back and forth to work. And I like my heated steering wheel, my power folding camper mirrors, and the fact I never have to work on it.

I also don't think you factored in depreciation on two vehicles. A truck like my old one was for sale for $3k more with only 40k on the clock... and it was a LTZ with a 6.2L. So depreciation of something around 100k or less seems to be based on age more than miles.

Enjoy driving your $45k truck(assuming you got a helluva deal on it) for 5 years and selling it for $20k at best. I'll enjoy driving my $4k car(really, I do enjoy it) for 5 years and selling it for $3k. Look at that, I just paid for my Jeep habit by not wasting money.

I actually did get it for $44k and change... I think it went a little over because I rolled plates into the sale price. I never thought I'd pay more in sales tax than I did for the entire purchase cost of most of my previous cars. And yes, I felt stupid for it, but I got out Excel and it didn't seem unreasonable.

I don't think you're only spending $1k to drive it for 5 years but that is OK. And do I think driving my truck is 10x better than your car? Or on the perceived depreciation, 17x better? Probably not, but I suspect your car would get sold if you looked at the costs. But I wouldn't enjoy driving a fat, slow, 3/4 ton truck that rode terribly every day either so maybe I'd keep the car.

#dropsmic

OctothorpeWhiskeyTangoFoxtrotAreWeInHighSchoolAgain?

Should I say "stat" or something to sound cool? I don't know how this works.

 

[BlooMule]

Doesn't really matter what Skoot gets, it'll be disassembled in two weeks anyway.

 

[Bones]

No, as usual you put thought into only your own situation and failed to grasp that everyone else's situation, and that they themselves(thankfully), are different from you and doing things for a different reason. I'm still waiting for you to figure out that other do things differently from you and that maybe, just MAYBE, you're not the smartest person in the room. No luck so far.



Yep, I drive a Subaru. They have a well earned reputations for being lesbian cars. I'm okay with that, I'll muff dive with the best of them. Mine's not a forest green wagon so that helps out my street cred at least a little bit. It's the sportiest non-turbo sedan they offer and it's about as fun as an econobox can get IMO.

Want some math? Fine. $120 to plate isn't far off. I think it's a little less but close enough. About $70/month insurance, so about $960 a year to own.

I drive about 25k miles a year. At 27mpg on the low end, that's 925 gallons, or $1850 in fuel at $2/gal, which I think we can all agree is below the average over the past 3+ years.

If I were driving my truck at 13.5mpg average, which is both the correct number and makes the math really easy since it's 1/2 the mpg of the Lezbaru, that's 1850 gallons or $3700.

So on the low end, driving the car saves me $1850 in fuel. Owning the car costs $960 so that means just the basics save me $890 a year. Then there's the fact that maintenance IS a lot cheaper than the truck. Parts are half the size and not far from half the price. Tires last almost twice as long. Oil capacity is almost half as much.

Then there's the fact that I've got about $4k into the car. I got it with 76k miles on it, have put that many on it again and I could turn around and sell it for damn near the same price again. (Buying a $20-30k car like you're talking about for an econobox is just stupid. That's not economical at all and isn't what this thread was even based on, so I won't even get into that. And yes, I'd rather drive my car than a CTS or 5 series. It gets better mileage, more fun factor, doesn't burn 2 quarts of oil between changes, and my turn signals work in traffic.)
If I had put that many miles on my truck, besides the extra maintenance costs I would have had to pay, its value would have dropped by at least $3k, or even more if it were a nicer truck like that fancy new stuff you buy. Don't even get me started on the depreciation you're putting on that truck. That alone could pay for every vehicle in my driveway.

I live less than 35 miles from work and typically spend 35 minutes in the car each way. That's not bad. I love my house, love where I live, and have zero complaints about that situation. My previous job was 40 miles and about 55 minutes each way. It was a bit much but still 100% worthwhile. Want some numbers to throw at it? Fine. Living 10 miles from work would cost conservatively $75k more for the same house on the same property in a nearby location, and probably another $1k a year in property taxes. I'm not even gonna do the math on the payback of that because I know it's not there for me. And I'd still be living somewhere I don't want to live. That's not about money, that's about happiness.

You starting to get it yet? I only did this because I don't feel like going to bed yet and it was easy math. It's all a moot point because this entire thing comes down to personal preference. People can and will do whatever the fuck they want. It doesn't make them wrong. But despite doing what I wanted to do, the math still works out greatly in my favor.

Enjoy driving your $45k truck(assuming you got a helluva deal on it) for 5 years and selling it for $20k at best. I'll enjoy driving my $4k car(really, I do enjoy it) for 5 years and selling it for $3k. Look at that, I just paid for my Jeep habit by not wasting money.

#dropsmic

You are missing the point that we all don't drive a 45K truck. I drive a $3000 truck. That means a $3000 daily driver doesn't make sense.

 

[BlooMule]

You are missing the point that we all don't drive a 45K truck. I drive a $3000 truck. That means a $3000 daily driver doesn't make sense.

This is tru. I would never own a $45k truck. I buy trucks to haul stuff around, so I prefer them to be the beater. Of course, I wouldn't own a $45k car either.

Different strokes for different folks.

 

[kickstand]

You are missing the point that we all don't drive a 45K truck. I drive a $3000 truck. That means a $3000 daily driver doesn't make sense.

daily driving a $3k truck 25k a year doesn't often make a lot of sense either, unless you want to spend all of your free time wrenching on said truck.

It's different for someone like you that lives 4 miles from work.

When I commuted, I was driving 120 miles a day, add in a few trips to the grocery store or to home depot and it was out of control.

Skoots owns a diesel truck, just the tires and oil changes are a consideration.

Having a dedicated commuter beater isn't for everyone. But if I ever go back to commuting I won't think twice. I already drive 20k a year for personal use.

 

[bbaXJ]

You are missing the point that we all don't drive a 45K truck. I drive a $3000 truck. That means a $3000 daily driver doesn't make sense.

No, I'm not missing the point. That response was to Wrath's claim that driving a shitbox doesn't make sense because it isn't what he wants. Your situation, and everybody else's on here is different. I've said half a dozen times that it comes down to personal preference. You prefer to drive a beater truck. This thread is about someone who wants to drive a beater car. Is either one wrong? No, because it's what they want to do with their money. Based on the math for many of us, the financial gain of a beater car lines up well with our desire to do so. It doesn't for you and that's perfectly fine. Even if it doesn't help financially it's still fine, cuz it's your money and your desire.


Wrath, I'm not doing another long ass response to your last post. The math is there, it saves me money, it fits damn well for my situation, and more importantly, it's what I want to do. I come out ahead, period. Justify your situation to yourself all you want, it doesn't mean it's right for anyone else but you. That doesn't make you wrong. What makes you wrong is suggesting that everybody who doesn't follow your model for your situation must then be wrong.

 

[mikesova]

I'm fairly happy with my 5 speed 08 Caliber SE. 67k for $5k. I've only owned it for a few months though.

 

[mschaffer66]

IMHO in today's world picking your house based on your job location is ridiculous. It doesn't seem like people stay at jobs long enough to make that commitment. Maybe it make sense if you are a UAW guy that's going to be a lifer at one plant, but most professional people I know bounce around from time to time. So the what was a half hour drive to work when you bought your house might end up being an hour drive for the next job.

How did housing proximity to work even become a talking point? Isn't Skoots looking for a cheap DD, not a new house or a new job?

 

[bbaXJ]

How did housing proximity to work even become a talking point? Isn't Skoots looking for a cheap DD, not a new house or a new job?

Because that's how Wrath logic works.

 

[bgh1441]

I've had 2 different Subaru's, both 2.5RS Impreza's. Don't buy a WRX for an econobox. They're fun and powerful, but lifespan is shortened with the turbo, you'll have to run premium fuel, and you'll get worse mileage doing it. Better for a fun car, worse for a DD meant to save you money. A WRX will cost significantly more in maintenance, fuel, and insurance from day 1..

The only correct thing about this statement would be premium fuel and higher insurance. The turbo does not effect longevity of a wrx. Plenty of have proven their worth with well over 200,000 to 250,000 miles all original. I had a 2004 wrx with only a cobb tuner I was getting 28 mpg consistently and I didn't drive it gingerly either. Maintenance is almost no difference you run synthetic oil and change every 3750 miles. But Insurance for myself was about $770 every 6 months with a clean record. So that sucked a little bit.

 

[kickstand]

The only correct thing about this statement would be premium fuel and higher insurance. The turbo does not effect longevity of a wrx. Plenty of have proven their worth with well over 200,000 to 250,000 miles all original. I had a 2004 wrx with only a cobb tuner I was getting 28 mpg consistently and I didn't drive it gingerly either. Maintenance is almost no difference you run synthetic oil and change every 3750 miles. But Insurance for myself was about $770 every 6 months with a clean record. So that sucked a little bit.

he's also correct about the mileage. Our 2015 Impreza is rated to get 38 highway. A friend has a 2012 WRX and gets 22-24 mixed driving. We're seeing 30 mixed driving. Regardless of it we run the shit out of it, or pussy foot it, we've yet to drop below 27. My 99 RS 2.5 coupe was getting 27mpg with me beating the piss out of it. Your claimed mileage is higher than anyone I have personally spoke to about mileage, you also had a tuner which may or may not have helped contribute to your better economy.

I'm told once we hit around 5-6k our mileage should improve. We'll see, with gas at $2 right now we don't really care.

 

[bbaXJ]

The only correct thing about this statement would be premium fuel and higher insurance. The turbo does not effect longevity of a wrx. Plenty of have proven their worth with well over 200,000 to 250,000 miles all original. I had a 2004 wrx with only a cobb tuner I was getting 28 mpg consistently and I didn't drive it gingerly either. Maintenance is almost no difference you run synthetic oil and change every 3750 miles. But Insurance for myself was about $770 every 6 months with a clean record. So that sucked a little bit.

My dad owned a WRX, as have numerous friends, and I understand how internal combustion engines work, so I can confidently say that you're wrong. I'm not saying WRXs are bad cars by any means, I love those things. They're just not as good of choices for econoboxes. If you use the turbo they'll use more fuel, period. If you use the turbo it'll put more wear and tear on everything, period. It's got more moving parts and is putting in more pressurized air, putting more stress on everything and requiring more fuel. That's just how it works.

The fact that the more powerful wrx doesn't have to work as hard to do the same job, and a more efficient tune will both help mpg. I'll give you that. But they're not going to defy physics. If you drive a WRX like you drive a 2.5RS the WRX will get worse mileage.

Add in the the likelihood of a performance car like a wrx having been abused more by a previous owner and the likelihood of damage or premature wear increases. So potential maintenance costs go up even more. Again, potential.