It's ... A New Car!

[crimsonking1337]

So I've decided to start shopping for a new car. Golden Boy is still running reasonably well, despite a minor oil leak, but I think the time is drawing near for us to part ways. It's kinda like a relationship in which you still like the person, but you realize that there's really no future there. Based on a moderate level of intarweb research and

Comments

[tenner]

VW Bug TDI (diesel).

45 mpg, eventual ability to convert to straight vegetable oil (so your fuel costs will be $0), and you can run on biodiesel in the interim if you so choose.

Additionally, diesel engines last a hell of a lot longer than gasoline engines, so these cars have really high resale value. Or, if you love it, you can keep it for about 400,000 miles.

Down sides: they can be hard to find, but since you're looking on your own schedule you can do it. Also, they don't sell the diesel in the convertible.

Good luck!

[crimsonking1337]

Meh. There just aren't enough diesel-selling stations around. Either that, or I don't know where they are. Or both.

[pianorayk]

I'll admit that I'm biased, since I've been a loyal Toyota owner for years. Reliability is a huge deal for me; I'd rather not know my mechanic on a first-name basis*. Between the Toyota and the Hondas, you can't go wrong.

(*Ironically, I do know my mechanic on a first-name basis; he used to be liannegizer's parents' neighbor!)

I don't know enough about the VW to say anything, though I agree that they do look cool. My only thing about tenner's comment (not to say I disagree): keep in mind that regular diesel is over $4 right now.

tenner: what is the cost of biodiesel these days?

[crimsonking1337]

Yeah, reliability's a big deal for me, too, for the same reasons as gas mileage and price. Unlike most Americans, I understand that (excepting collector's items) cars are a liability, not an investment, so I aim to spend as little money as possible on them.

[psychowoof]

Yes, but regular gas is creeping that direction, too.

If one could assume equal gas cost between Diesel and Gas, the increased mileage per gallon of a diesel engine would probably save you around $.05 a mile. Given my driving habits, that would equal a savings of about $17 a week.

[mongolbbq]

I've got most of those cars on my list too :) Just switch out the Bug for a Jetta. Have you considered the Prius? I think they're cheaper than the Civic Hybrid now.

[crimsonking1337]

I've heard that recent model years of the Jetta have had reliability issues, hence I'm avoiding it.

The Prius is cheaper than the Civic Hybrid, but, having been in a Prius, I can tell you that its rear visibility is abysmal. I hate relying on mirrors, and I can't see how anyone could possibly parallel park the damn thing. (Something that I need to do almost daily.) So it's a "no" to the Prius.

[psychowoof]

The new (post 2005 1/2) Jettas are not "small" cars. I have an '06 and it has a larger footprint and vehicle weight than my husband's Subaru Forester! Because of those factors, it tends to have lower gas mileage than the others on your list.

For that reason, if I get a new car in the next months (my lease ends in 8 months), I've replaced Jetta with Rabbit on my list. If MA gets it's butt in gear about allowing new Diesels to be sold, I'm strongly leaning that way.

[mongolbbq]

Maybe I was thinking of the Rabbit, I don't know. My list changes daily :)

Go Honda

[kingramsay]

I love my '07 Honda Civic. They redesigned the Civic for the '06 model, and I like the fact that it's not a rolling box anymore. The two tiered dash makes you feel like you're looking at a HUD for the speedometer and major gauges (fuel and temp). I also get around 37 mpg mixed driving in the summer time, 40-42 straight highway, and 32-34 stop-and-go type driving. In the winter, it goes down, but I was still around 30-32 for mixed driving.

I thought about a hybrid, but battery disposal issues (they don't necessarily know what they're going to do with them) kind of dissuaded me.