Putting my money where my mouth is - literally
from 
JoeUser Forums
JoeUser Forums
Recently I somewhat scolded another JU member (one that is known to rant on and on endlessly about the evils that are being perpetuated by our current President....) for having the audacity to bash the current Pres. for proposals to increase CAFE type standards that are imposed upon automotive manufacturers in the U.S.A. while that same JU member was likely riding around in a gas guzzler...
At the time I wrote my response, I too would have been riding around in something that would be considered a gas guzzler - a 2000 Ford Explorer that I got used a little more than a year ago. I liked my Explorer as it was a comfortable and quiet vehicle to drive. It had a lot of room for myself and my passengers to sit comfortably, and had plenty of room for hauling around equipment as necessary for work, or for my personal needs. Unfortunately though, my Explorer, like all but the newest ones, was not a gas sipping vehicle. It would get (on a good day) about 18 mpg. On most days, with normal driving, it would see about 16 mpg.
While my driving habits were pretty much to and from work and I had reduced unnecessary trips to a minimum, I still didn't like paying to fill the tank on my Explorer, and because of that I went out searching for a replacement this last weekend.
What I settled on is imaged below.
(Pontiac Vibe 2005 model year - Image linked from Edmunds.com site)
I looked long and hard for what to replace the Explorer with. I considered many different vehicles and looked at a few different dealers. Eventually, as luck would have it, I settled at a neighborhood dealer looking at the new Dodge Calibres. Unfortunately they are too new, in short supply, and what was available at the time didn't really fit my wants (at very basic model with no power locks/windows, etc.).
Keeping with my desires to minimize the damage that I'd be doing to my wallet by trading away a vehicle I still owed more money on than I'd get in trade, I looked for other alternatives, including used vehicles at the dealer. It was there that I found my match in the form of the Pontiac Vibe (sample image shown above).
I'm hoping that I haven't made a huge mistake, trading away low payments and high fuel costs for higher payments and lower fuel costs, but I think things will work out well for me.
The Vibe is rated at between 29 and 36 mpg (for details on fuel economy ratings for just about any vehicle, see this link: FuelEconomy.gov site), and realistic estimates are at the 32 mpg mark. That's a very reasonable number for me, since it effectively doubles my previous mileage, halving my fuel costs. (Which unfortunately slipped right into my monthly payment).
I do benefit by having a much newer vehicle, with lower existing miles on it (20k versus the 109k on the truck). I gain approximately 1 year or 13000 (give or take) miles worth of warranty on the new vehicle, and the world will hopefully benefit from the lower emissions (already Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle ready) that will be produced by my new ride. (For more details on the Vibe, see this link: Edmunds.com or this one: automotive.com review) I also gain the use of a vehicle that is a sister vehicle to the Toyota Matrix and is made for Pontiac by Toyota -- something that I'm told means I'll have a very reliable vehicle.
I sincerely wish I could have made the jump to an even more fuel efficient vehicle -- as an example the Honda Civic hybrid, or perhaps the Toyota Prius (or as some friends call it - the "pious") -- but the costs for those are just too great to bear at this point, at least with an existing debt on my older vehicle.
For the next few years (actually for as long as I'm making payments) I'll be sticking with the Vibe. It seems like it'll be great for my to and from work drive, and the increased fuel efficiency (compared to the old ride) will definitely help save money in the long run. At least people won't be able to say I didn't put my own money where my mouth was during that time.
At the time I wrote my response, I too would have been riding around in something that would be considered a gas guzzler - a 2000 Ford Explorer that I got used a little more than a year ago. I liked my Explorer as it was a comfortable and quiet vehicle to drive. It had a lot of room for myself and my passengers to sit comfortably, and had plenty of room for hauling around equipment as necessary for work, or for my personal needs. Unfortunately though, my Explorer, like all but the newest ones, was not a gas sipping vehicle. It would get (on a good day) about 18 mpg. On most days, with normal driving, it would see about 16 mpg.
While my driving habits were pretty much to and from work and I had reduced unnecessary trips to a minimum, I still didn't like paying to fill the tank on my Explorer, and because of that I went out searching for a replacement this last weekend.
What I settled on is imaged below.
(Pontiac Vibe 2005 model year - Image linked from Edmunds.com site)
I looked long and hard for what to replace the Explorer with. I considered many different vehicles and looked at a few different dealers. Eventually, as luck would have it, I settled at a neighborhood dealer looking at the new Dodge Calibres. Unfortunately they are too new, in short supply, and what was available at the time didn't really fit my wants (at very basic model with no power locks/windows, etc.).
Keeping with my desires to minimize the damage that I'd be doing to my wallet by trading away a vehicle I still owed more money on than I'd get in trade, I looked for other alternatives, including used vehicles at the dealer. It was there that I found my match in the form of the Pontiac Vibe (sample image shown above).
I'm hoping that I haven't made a huge mistake, trading away low payments and high fuel costs for higher payments and lower fuel costs, but I think things will work out well for me.
The Vibe is rated at between 29 and 36 mpg (for details on fuel economy ratings for just about any vehicle, see this link: FuelEconomy.gov site), and realistic estimates are at the 32 mpg mark. That's a very reasonable number for me, since it effectively doubles my previous mileage, halving my fuel costs. (Which unfortunately slipped right into my monthly payment).
I do benefit by having a much newer vehicle, with lower existing miles on it (20k versus the 109k on the truck). I gain approximately 1 year or 13000 (give or take) miles worth of warranty on the new vehicle, and the world will hopefully benefit from the lower emissions (already Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle ready) that will be produced by my new ride. (For more details on the Vibe, see this link: Edmunds.com or this one: automotive.com review) I also gain the use of a vehicle that is a sister vehicle to the Toyota Matrix and is made for Pontiac by Toyota -- something that I'm told means I'll have a very reliable vehicle.
I sincerely wish I could have made the jump to an even more fuel efficient vehicle -- as an example the Honda Civic hybrid, or perhaps the Toyota Prius (or as some friends call it - the "pious") -- but the costs for those are just too great to bear at this point, at least with an existing debt on my older vehicle.
For the next few years (actually for as long as I'm making payments) I'll be sticking with the Vibe. It seems like it'll be great for my to and from work drive, and the increased fuel efficiency (compared to the old ride) will definitely help save money in the long run. At least people won't be able to say I didn't put my own money where my mouth was during that time.
Not something I like doing, but my recent fill-ups at the pump were literally kickin' my butt. Again, I've probably traded off the cost at the pump to my bank, but I'll go with it for now.