[V8] Gas hog V8s

[DieMarthaDie@aol.com]

you left off a couple of things Mike:
 
Insurance on the V8 may be higher than some cars (but with airbags and  ABS 
you get a discount) but I bet insurance (full coverage required with a car  
loan) on an Aveo is a lot higher!  I wonder how an Aveo fares in real  snow, or 
rain, or... an accident.
 
oh, and even if the payments, insurance and other actuarial tables went in  
it's favor... at the end of the day you'd be driving an Aveo.
 
John
 
PS - My adventure is in the driveway with a seized caliper and I'd still  
take it over an Aveo.
 
______________________________________________________
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!