How many of you keep a "backup vehicle"?

[crashz]

My wife and I have 3 cars in the driveway (I have the 1 ton in my fathers garage, unregistered so it doesn't count). She drives a 2013 VW Tiguan, I have my 2012 Silverado, and I've been driving a beater car for my daily driver use. Currently the daily driver is a 2003 Malibu (surprisingly fun to drive) as the previous Saturn died.

I drive 40K miles per year and having that third car has been great. Plus getting 30 mpg vs 12 mpg when traveling is a big benefit. I'll always have a spare from now on.

 

[bigtiller]

It started when I was 17 with a '63 Ford Falcon and '66 mustang.

The gator is the back-up now.

 

[MitchellB]

I have always tried to keep a spare vehicle. I have never been able to afford (or willing to go in debt for) a new vehicle, so having a backup ride was always important to me. I like to keep something heavy with a V8 to tow or haul crap when needed like my old Suburban I have now, but a gas saver for getting back and forth from work was important too. Sometimes that was a motorcycle or beater car. However since I have retired, I have no real need for a back up sled. My wife's van has been her only ride, but that recently has been in the shop for transmission problems and that brought home the need for another third set of wheels to me. She does not like driving my old gas guzzling truck and borrowed her daughter's spare car while her van's transmission was worked on. Just today I had my Chevy in for it's yearly required state inspection and found some paperwork that needed to be thrown away that showed to my amazement that in 2014 I only put 1015 miles on my truck and in 2013 685 miles. I used to easily put over 10k a year on it when I was working. However when my wife and I would go somewhere together, we always took her van as it is much nicer than my old truck and gets better MPG. So the old truck just sits a lot now. At this rate, the old truck will outlive me and my retirement. I still want to find us a third vehicle though.

 

[thirdroc17]

I have one, the better half has one. They back each other up. Can't afford the insurance to keep a third. In Michigan, where I am, state mandated fees tagged onto vehicle insurance will almost double a PLPD policy's cost.

 

[grsthegreat]

Ive always had a backup rig ... Long as i remember. The current one is my 2004 F350 diesel. Doesnt get much use.....mostly to tow horse trailer and occasionally the flatbed. But comes in handy when msin rigs are out of commission.

 

[zzvyb6]

My daily driver is an 06 Vibe with 140k miles on it. I put a trailer hitch on it to go garage and estate saling with, using a snowmobile trailer. I also have an 07 4WD Tahoe as a backup in the garage with 30k miles on it (which I used today because I left an interior light on in the Vibe). We also have an 08 CTS which is HER CAR ONLY. The Tahoe is my boat and hay delivery trailer puller. If we get more than a foot of snow, it gets some road time, too.

Because I like the Vibe so much, I recently picked up another one, a '10 with 30kmiles on it. When it was traded in at a dealership, the ODO was set to KM so it had 50 klicks showing and that was how it was priced. Oops. It's stashed in the barn until the 06 Vibe motor lays down.

BTW: I put Bridgestone Blizzak snow tires on spare wheels for the CTS and Vibe for winter ops. They are full time on the Tahoe. Excellent mud, water, ice and snow traction on all the vehicles. Very nice and smooth ride, too. Just be mindful of the idiot behind you in slippery weather. They can't stop as well, especially on a cell phone.

 

[JDgreen227]

My daily driver is an 06 Vibe with 140k miles on it. I put a trailer hitch on it to go garage and estate saling with, using a snowmobile trailer. I also have an 07 4WD Tahoe as a backup in the garage with 30k miles on it (which I used today because I left an interior light on in the Vibe). We also have an 08 CTS which is HER CAR ONLY. The Tahoe is my boat and hay delivery trailer puller. If we get more than a foot of snow, it gets some road time, too.

Because I like the Vibe so much, I recently picked up another one, a '10 with 30kmiles on it. When it was traded in at a dealership, the ODO was set to KM so it had 50 klicks showing and that was how it was priced. Oops. It's stashed in the barn until the 06 Vibe motor lays down.

BTW: I put Bridgestone Blizzak snow tires on spare wheels for the CTS and Vibe for winter ops. They are full time on the Tahoe. Excellent mud, water, ice and snow traction on all the vehicles. Very nice and smooth ride, too. Just be mindful of the idiot behind you in slippery weather. They can't stop as well, especially on a cell phone.

I have three friends with those Vibes....they all love them because they are dead reliable. One of GM's better ideas....

 

[groundcover]

Way too many but I can cut back anytime I want !:laughing:
Got a 2014 F350 last December, that left my '94 F350 7.3 IDI that I bought new that is up to a whopping 95,000 miles.
Also left my Ram 2500 Cummins with 140,000 miles all three with Fisher plows , 9 1/2' stainless V on the '14
Looks like my son will be taking the Dodge, he needs it more than I do !
Girlfriend got a '14 Jeep Wrangler this summer( she wanted to go topless and I talked her out of an Audi TT !) I end up using it as a daily driver,fun little piece with good mileage,at least in my world !
That left her '03 Volvo XC70 with 220,000 and her son's '03 Honda CRV with 140,000 that we ended up with.

Night before last she called me on her way home and said it sounded like she had a flat tire. Nothing showing so I called the dealer and headed that way yesterday. Made it half way there when the rear tire tried to fall off . Had one lug nut left on the left rear tire. Volvo dealer had put new snow tires on it a month ago ! Dealer was pretty good about trading the Honda and Volvo on a '15 XC60 ? Made a pretty big splash when I showed up at her work with it sitting out front with the big red bow on it ! Done with her Christmas present !
Guess baby should go too, way too much iron to take care of so if you know anyone that needs a '94 F350 SRW
With the Zombi proof turbo diesel let me know ! Be a sad day to see her go but as the country song says' sell your truck while it's running '!

 

[Diamondpilot]

I have three friends with those Vibes....they all love them because they are dead reliable. One of GM's better ideas....

Built by Toyota I believe.

Chris

 

[kevinwak]

Built by Toyota I believe. Chris

We had an 05 Toyota Matrix, which is the same car as the vibe. Happily traded it in when we were buying the '12 sienna van. Now the sienna has 100,000 km on it in under three years. I really wish we had kept the matrix as it only had 160,000km (100,000 miles) and one third of the miles on the van is with only the wife driving, going to the gym, choir, church etc. I drive an 07 F150. In the summer all my non trailer truck miles are with my brothers '92 F150 302 2wd. In two years I hope to buy a one ton diesel crew four wheel drive haven't decided on brand or srw/drw yet. If my parents are still in need of a truck then the 07 might go to them, if not then I am not sure if I will keep it or sell it.

Oh and I have an '07 Honda 919. Really fun to ride, but it just doesn't fit my lifestyle and the climate. Had it since new and it has just over 6000 km on it. I spend most of our summer driving going to our boat at the marina 30 miles away, and there isn't room for the boys on a bike.