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55 comments on Variable vs. Fixed Costs of Driving

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Twilight on May 2, 2006 - 11:35pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
100,000k is just getting broken in!  

I really don't get your link between depreciation and repairs - are you saying I'll be forced to sell it after 100,000k, and so the depreciation will matter then?  In my case, it won't, because I'll keep it and fix it myself, but of course not everyone will be willing to do that.

One thing to keep in mind is that if you buy a simpler, less expensive vehicle, you have less of an investment to depriciate, and less stuff to go wrong.  

There is value, and then there is value.  My car is far more valuable than the book says it is.  You just can't play the game their way and expect to win - it's rigged in the house's favor.    

OTOH, if you own a gas pig, I'd dump it now, even if you get beat up a bit.  Can you imagine what the depreciation rate is going to be if gas hit $4?  Even if you don't have the cash to pay it off, trade it in on something inexpensive that gets good mileage.  That way you won't be stuck with a car that is worthless AND too expensive to drive.  

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bottomfisherman on May 2, 2006 - 11:47pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
I drive a big 1985 300SD Turbo Diesel, 30+MPG, 210K miles on the orginal engine/trans.  My mechanic says these will go for 400K miles easily.
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AlanfromBigEasy on May 3, 2006 - 7:19am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Mine is also a "W123" model Mercedes; a 1982 240D.  My mechanic says 400,000 to 500,000 with "average" maintenance for the engine, longer for body (sans salt) and transmission.  With my maintenance (synthetic fluids), a potential million miles !

Mine is 4 cyclinder without a turbocharger, that adds a bit to longevity.

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Mad Maxout on May 3, 2006 - 7:08pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
200,000 miles, 400,000 to go sounds great. That's equivalent to a round trip from Earth to the moon and back, plus gratuitous orbits! Just to put it into perspective. That's a lot of driving. If the drivetrain has another 400,000 miles left, it might actually last until the oil is gone. Just make sure your heat shield tiles are glued on good!

My Kia Rio has 50,000 miles on it and has a 10 year/100K warranty on the drivetrain. It's a Year 2001 model I bought at the 50,000 mile mark/5 year mark. 2 orbits, 2 to go for the warranty. Unfortunately, becuse Kia only recently emerged, nobody knows the long term reliability of Kias. New, they cost about $10,000 and mine was $5,000. With most of the depreciation out of the way it won't be long until I'm flying right-side-up financially. As gas prices go up, it might actually appreciate in value after a while - unlike SUVs. Meanwhile, SUV values will crash n' burn.

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AlanfromBigEasy on May 3, 2006 - 9:34pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Mercedes W123s are considered to be the best of all automobiles for conversion to biodiesel (SOLID Bosch mechanical fuel injection "can push bananas", not lubricated by fuel as many others are).

I will never see high mileage (31 mpg x 75 gallons/year x 30 years = 70,000 miles more) but I like solid cars :-)

And the energy to build it lies 24 years in the past.  I will let the future owner wear it out with biodiesel.

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stiffpicken on May 6, 2006 - 11:32am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
i've been checking local classifieds for quite a while looking for circa 1980 mercedes diesels with approx 150,000 miles on them. they are few and far between - as one would expect. they are also pretty expensive. unfortunately, too many people already know the value in these automobiles. but maybe i'll get lucky one of these days
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Richard on May 5, 2006 - 6:41am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
For most cars the actual milage doesn't matter. Most cars drive to the junkyard. The car breaks down on the breaks, or the fuel pump, or the transmission or the doors fall off. Or somebody steals your radio and smashes the windows/dashboard etc.

The average diesel can do more than 300 k miles over its lifetime, without any trouble. If you treat a diesel nice, 600 k miles is very well possible without much hassle, the brand doesn't really matter that much. But if you drive only 15 k miles per year, that will take you 20-40 years to do. Which is a bit much.

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