Commuting

[aczlan]

It’s all about personal preference and individual situations. Nothing fits everyone’s situation the same.
[Snip]
I feel blessed that I have choices and options. I also feel blessed that I have a need for choices and options.

This.
We are blessed to have a Yukon XL (wife's vehicle), a Taurus X (my vehicle) and my inlaws farm truck (1997 Dodge 1500). All have over 150k miles, but are in good mechanical condition
Which one we drive depends on what we need to do that day.

Aaron Z

 

[Tractorable]

Moving to the country is expensive. When we first moved out to the country from the city we had two compact cars, a Honda Civic and a Nissan Versa. They save on gas but they suck everywhere else. It seems like I'm always having to move, tow, carry, put dogs in, and in the winter need 4wd. Then to maintain the property we needed tractor, mower, and about a hundred other power tools.

We got our first "half-truck" Honda Ridgeline for $3000 with a family discount. Even tho its kinda dorky it's way more practical for day to day use.

I bought a 2016 Toyota Avalon because I drive 100 miles a day and wanted to be comfortable. Nice car but I'm more comfortable in my beater Ridgeline since I'm 6ft tall and lanky, the upright seating is a lot more comfortable for me.

Gonna sell the Avalon cause I need a new tractor. Eventually moving towards all truck-like vehicles as money allows. Gas mileage is a small factor these days.

 

[CincyFlyer]

There's used vehicles for a lot less than 35 grand.

Yeah, when I had 140 miles [RT] a day to commute, I bought a cheap, high-mileage Civic (manual transmission) and went from 18 mpg (all highway mileage) to 44, and the car payment was peanuts. I put 55K miles on the first year. The savings made the payment and paid for insurance and left a couple hundred bucks in my pocket as well.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Ive done well with 3 accords, 1civic, now i drive a pilot to work (110 mi rt). I noticed my mpg has dropped to 17, used to get 24mpg. Course it has almost 350k miles.

 

[NoTrespassing]

Ive done well with 3 accords, 1civic, now i drive a pilot to work (110 mi rt). I noticed my mpg has dropped to 17, used to get 24mpg. Course it has almost 350k miles.

My mileage drops every fall like clockwork. I assume its a combination of winter blend gasoline and dense air making ecu feed more fuel. According to Bell Performance, summer gasoline blend contains 2% more energy by volume.

Kevin

 

[Deere Dude]

We retired and eventually moved to a place about 4 miles from town and no commute except to Walmart or Tractor Supply or restaurants. I make the trip about once a day. I generally take my D-max dually instead of an Impala. It is probably not the best taking diesels on short trips all the time but it is more comfortable to drive.

I am about 6'3" 260# and getting into a 4 door is a pain and then I have the door post right in the way to see. Going to a big town 35 miles away just for groceries or visiting somebody I generally take the car mostly for the fuel expense, but I don't like it.

 

[RickB]

Adding in maintaining on a second vehicle isn't exactly fair. Maintenance is mostly dependent on mileage and you'd spend less on your other vehicle. I've made several pro second vehicle post. With that said I drive a truck.

How many vehicles have you owned that didn稚 have maintenance costs?

 

[4570Man]

How many vehicles have you owned that didn稚 have maintenance costs?

None, but you half the mileage the vehicle is driven the maintenance cost will close to half.

 

[RickB]

None, but you half the mileage the vehicle is driven the maintenance cost will close to half.

Mine need insurance and tags even when parked. That’s a substantial fraction of my total annual costs. I have a pickup and small car.

 

[Old Red]

I've been wrestling around with all this here lately. I have a very nice 10 year old chevy duramax 2500 with 147,000 miles. I bought it 8 years ago to the day it had 33,000.....My commute is only 2 miles to work but I have 5 clinics in a 3 county areas and drive to Lexington (3 hrs away) about once a month......I have been wrestling with a decision. Do I drive this thing until the wheels fall off of it, then purchase another very expensive diesel pickup that cost a lot to own and drive (I have to have a truck). Or do I stop now, purchase a more reasonable vehicle....small mid size SUV like a honda CRV or a Honda Accord Sedan and make that my daily driver and keep my truck to use it for its intended purpose, towing heavy equipment occasionally and hauling stuff in the bed. This scenario would likely make my truck last me another 20 years and would allow me to not have to replace it with another expensive truck.... Like the OP says.....for me at least....it just doesn't seem reasonable for me to wear this expensive truck out and buy another one.....I only need a truck on occasion...and only the towing and power of a diesel even more infrequently.

And on the other hand.....as you can tell 110,000 miles in 8 years I don't drive a lot period. So my current truck is still probably going to last me another 8 years.

What is the most miles you all have ever put on a vehicle?

 

[vvanders]

My mileage drops every fall like clockwork. I assume its a combination of winter blend gasoline and dense air making ecu feed more fuel. According to Bell Performance, summer gasoline blend contains 2% more energy by volume.

Kevin

Depending on how flat your car/truck is you'll see at least 10% increase in fuel usage going from 60F->35F at 70MPH. Air resistance is v^2 so the denser air really takes a hit(as does a good headwind).

 

[NoTrespassing]

In our case we're pretty stuck having multiple vehicles. We have to keep a truck, I refuse to be without one. During the winter AWD is a must to get in and out of the property. My wife has to drop our son off at private school every morning and pick him up every afternoon. We have an old 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe AWD and we just bought a 2014 Honda Crosstour AWD. Both vehicles are able to get in and out in the snow. I drive the Accent to work almost every day. The 2wd F150 sits most of the time and is driven on weekends just to keep exercised. Insurance on all 4 vehicles is up to $1500 per year now and $400 in tags. I'll drop the Honda to liability next year and that will save several hundred. This is my wife's first real winter driving experience. I think I'll take a video of our drive in and out of the property and post it after Christmas.

I seriously considered selling the 2wd F150 and buying a 4x4 truck before we bought the Crosstour but that Honda was so nice and such a good deal I couldn't pass it up.

Kevin

 

[Oaktree]

None, but you half the mileage the vehicle is driven the maintenance cost will close to half.

Not necessarily. Not good for a vehicle to sit...brake calipers seize up from lack of use, rust issues from trapped moisture, etc.

 

[4570Man]

Not necessarily. Not good for a vehicle to sit...brake calipers seize up from lack of use, rust issues from trapped moisture, etc.

I assumed the secondary vehicle in discussion would still be driven every other week or so.

 

[2ndhalf]

I commute an hour one way and have for 22 years.. I started out driving little 4 banger cars, generally used and not very comfortable but good on gas. As I got older I decided I'm in this thing for 2 hours a day so I'm buying something a little more comfortable and I sure don't regret that.

It isn't a truck but it is a mid sized SUV which gets about 25mpg avg. I can live with that and I come home less fatigued from driving a compact car. I talked a buddy of mine into doing the same thing.. he is glad he did also.

 

[juiced10]

The safety argument is not a good one. If that’s the case I am now commuting with a fully loaded dump truck. I will run over all those soccer Mom F250’s

 

[4570Man]

The safety argument is not a good one. If that’s the case I am now commuting with a fully loaded dump truck. I will run over all those soccer Mom F250’s

A full site pickup isn't safer than a compact car? Ok, you keep telling yourself that.

 

[Garandman]

From what I can see, most people drive pickups to transport air back and forth from work. :laughing: We have a 4x8 utility trailer that does most of what they do with them.

How much is the lives of your family worth?
My Suburban will drive right OVER your little Accent and never know it was there.
MY family is SAFER.

Except if it rolls over, which accounts for 35% of traffic fatalities..And just hope you don’t meet the dump truck driver who feels the same way you do.

And when it comes to active safety - the ability to avoid an accident by turning and or braking - his smaller and much more agile car will avoid the accident altogether, rather than plowing into it like most trucks and their drivers will do.

We have a 2016 Tahoe and I do not understand why anyone drives these things unless they have to tow something heavy. Our Honda Odyssey minivan is much easier to get in and out of, has much more room, is faster, rides better, handles better, is faster, and gets 50% better mpg. But my wife wanted a sailboat that weighs 6,000 lbs on the trailer so she gets to drive the penalty box. SUV’s prove Americans have no driving skill.

 

[s219]

Pickup trucks have gotten a lot better, and I am pretty happy with my 2014 GMC (and the 22-23mpg I get on the highway with V8/Crew/4x4). I am sure the size/mass makes it more survivable in some accident situations, but overall I agree with Garandman. I drive a smaller BMW for commuting whenever I can (38mpg) and we have a Honda Pilot SUV as a family vehicle. Both are far easier and nimbler to drive, with much much better braking and stability, and if we were in an accident avoidance situation I'd rather be in those than the GMC. Those smaller vehicles also have quite a few active safety features that have yet to make it into trucks, and in fact may not even be feasible in a truck.

In situations where you plan to crash into another vehicle, the bigger/heavier one will probably come out better, assuming the safety/crash performance is the same. In cases where you plan to crash into a concrete bridge abutment, the lighter vehicle will be better, all else equal. In cases where you hope to avoid the crash, the smaller/lighter vehicle will surely be better. Take your pick to manage the risks, but no vehicle is going to be universally safer.

 

[Tractorable]

From what I can see, most people drive pickups to transport air back and forth from work. :laughing: We have a 4x8 utility trailer that does most of what they do with them.

Except if it rolls over, which accounts for 35% of traffic fatalities..And just hope you don’t meet the dump truck driver who feels the same way you do.

And when it comes to active safety - the ability to avoid an accident by turning and or braking - his smaller and much more agile car will avoid the accident altogether, rather than plowing into it like most trucks and their drivers will do.

We have a 2016 Tahoe and I do not understand why anyone drives these things unless they have to tow something heavy. Our Honda Odyssey minivan is much easier to get in and out of, has much more room, is faster, rides better, handles better, is faster, and gets 50% better mpg. But my wife wanted a sailboat that weighs 6,000 lbs on the trailer so she gets to drive the penalty box. SUV’s prove Americans have no driving skill.

It's irrational to believe that people make rational decisions. Most people make decisions based on emotion, and most people I know wouldn't be caught dead in a mini-van because of their image.

Driving a mini van says "look at me, I'm a doting parent with three kids and a box of poopy diapers in the back." Mini vans are practical family hauling vehicles and that's the image they convey.

Driving a Prius has a different image, one with virtuosity wafting off it as it drives down the road, it's only purpose to save gas and make their drivers feel good about themselves.

Aside from using more fuel, trucks and SUV's can do pretty much everything. They're big and comfortable, powerful, durable, can drive through anything, tow heavy trailers, carry all kinds of stuff for rural living, and let's face it...they're cool.