[V8] Gas hog V8s

[dsaad@icehouse.net]

You forgot insurance - the V8 seems to be pretty expensive to insure so that may
move your break even point a little, but overall I think like you do. My fuel
cost is on the high side, but overall I pay far less for transportation than
most people I know simply because I don't have a car payment. As long as I enjoy
the car, I plan to hang on to it.
My big dilemma is weather or not to do a valve job. My car runs pretty good, but
it sucks oil like we could just blow it out of the ground in Iraq and have it
land in out tanks. (really about 700mi/qt) The payback for a $3000 (guessing)
valve job is about 840K miles (with oil at $2.50/qt). I am pretty sure I will
move on by then :-)

Dave


Quoting Mike Arman <armanmik at earthlink.net>:

>
>
> With fuel approaching $3.00 per gallon, just out of curiosity, I ran
> some interesting numbers.
>
> Starting premises -
>
> 1)V8Q gets about 16mpg.
>
> 2) CNN/Money had a list of cars you can buy with payments of under
> $200/mo (sometimes just under), real exciting stuff like Cavalier,
> Neon, Aveo, etc, mostly stripped, and you couldn't get A/C in one of
> them if you wanted to stay under $200/mo, and I'm guessing the fuel
> economy of these cars is going to be 35 mpg? Which may be generous . . .
>
> Anyway -
>
> Fuel costs for V8Q - 16 mpg with $3.00 gas is a bit under 20 cents a
> mile, fuel costs for 35 mpg is abut 8.5 cents a mile.
>
> V8Q, 1,000 miles, $200 in fuel, 2,000 miles, $400 in fuel, 3,000
> miles, $600 in fuel, 4,000 miles, $800 in fuel.
> Aveo (etc.),  1,000 miles, $85 in fuel, 2,000 miles, $170 in fuel,
> 3,000 miles, $255 in fuel, 4,000 miles, $340 in fuel.
>
> Now we add the payment of $200 a month vs the Audi, which is free and clear.
>
> Audi cost - 1,000 miles = $200, 2,000 miles = $400, 3,000 miles =
> $600, 4,000 miles = $800.
> Aveo cost - 1,000 miles = $285, 2,000 miles = $370, 3,000 miles =
> $455, 4,000 miles = $540.
>
> The break-even point in mileage is therefore about 1,800 miles a
> month, which is about 21,600 miles a year, at which point the
> strictly fuel plus payment costs are about even.
>
> But there is *much* more than that - there is capital cost and
> opportunity cost on the Aveo, there is depreciation (which Audi
> owners are VERY familiar with - but OUR cars are already just about
> fully depreciated), and then there are the intangibles - safety,
> ride, performance, comfort, support from THIS group, and so forth.
>
> Basically, I'll want to see a lot more than numbers like the above
> before I get rid of my V8Q. Personally, I drive about 1,000 miles a
> month, so why the heck should I pay more money to drive a
> significantly lesser car? Besides, I HATE car payments, and I don't
> ever want to have one again, as long as I live. That alone is worth
> something, and if part of the price of that is crawling under the car
> and getting dirty, hot and sweaty once in a while, well, I can take a
> shower for a lot less than $200.
>
> Now, if we want to buy a NICE car, I've seen leases offered on entry
> level WMBs (ugh) for $400 a month (after cap cost fees, tag, tax,
> title, blah, blah blah) and after 36 months you have to give it back
> - this is essentially just a long-term rental, and you still have to
> buy fuel. No thanks, I'm keeping my V8.
>
> Best Regards,
>
> Mike Arman
> 90 V8, not just a car, an ADVENTURE!
>
>
>
>
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