Ontopic Transportation costs

[dbzeag]

So I was just crunching the numbers and for the average car average insurance and average mileage and average fuel consumption, it costs about $8000 a year for the average life of the car. And that doesn't include maintenance. And I think (this part is just speculation) that a vast majority of the time, the purpose of the car is to go from point A to point B when you choose to go. Not on a bus or train schedule and not where they stop and start, but where you want to go and when you want to go. And a majority of the time it is solo, assuming the majority of the time is because of commuting to and from work.

Would you rather spend $8000 a year on a service that would take you to wherever you wanted to go that would normally would in a car whenever you wanted to go at any minute of the day? More like a bubble of space that shuttles you to wherever you need to go? At car speeds? I think something like this would make congestion and accidents significantly less, pollution and gas consumption less, and your time more productive as you can be doing something else while you get shuttled around.

If I was guaranteed 12K miles a year of travel with the same freedoms and abilities (speed of travel) I have with a car now but I don't have to pay any other fees, just the $8000 a year, I would do it.

What do you guys think?

 

[Sarcasmo]

So basically $8k a year to rent something instead of $8k a year to own something.

 

[b_sinning]

My work pays me mileage so by using a motorcycle for work and padding my numbers a little they end up covering all my fuel and insurance costs every month.

 

[JAXvillain]

that's how much I paid for my car. I got a sick deal though.

 

[b_sinning]

I was in traffic earlier and kept wondering where the fried chicken and fries smell was coming from and noticed that the turbo diesel Mercedes in front of me actually said bioturbo diesel on the back of it. I could just imagine the kids chasing it through the ghetto like it was the ice cream truck.

 

[dbzeag]

So basically $8k a year to rent something instead of $8k a year to own something.

Yes, but my calculations work for the whole life of the car you would normally buy. 9.2 years of ownership for a $27K car (the US averages).

 

[dbzeag]

My work pays me mileage so by using a motorcycle for work and padding my numbers a little they end up covering all my fuel and insurance costs every month.

But what if you didn't have to pay or maintain a bike. Didn't have to worry it won't start. Didn't have to worry about weather. Didn't have to worry about safety issues?

I am sure your company would pay that $8000 fee yearly for you or at least part of it.

 

[b_sinning]

What do you consider the average life of a car to be?

 

[JAXvillain]

9.2 years? wtf keeps a car that long that's not a retiree?

 

[dbzeag]

that's how much I paid for my car. I got a sick deal though.

Yes but you still have to pay for insurance (and more so than say driving a Toyota). Pay for fuel (more so than say any other CAR on the market), and maintenance.

 

[Kill Me Plz]

I was in traffic earlier and kept wondering where the fried chicken and fries smell was coming from and noticed that the turbo diesel Mercedes in front of me actually said bioturbo diesel on the back of it. I could just imagine the kids chasing it through the ghetto like it was the ice cream truck.

 

[b_sinning]

But what if you didn't have to pay or maintain a bike. Didn't have to worry it won't start. Didn't have to worry about weather. Didn't have to worry about safety issues?

I am sure your company would pay that $8000 fee yearly for you or at least part of it.

They are pretty set against providing work vehicles for people in my department. A rental car would cost more per year than I'd earn off of mileage.

 

[dbzeag]

9.2 years? wtf keeps a car that long that's not a retiree?

The used car market keeps the cars longer than you yourself own them for, on average. On average, a car bought today lasts 9.2 years before it gets junked.

 

[dbzeag]

They are pretty set against providing work vehicles for people in my department. A rental car would cost more per year than I'd earn off of mileage.

True, but instead of the weekly billing of fuel and the like, it would be a lot easier and probably cheaper if your company paid $3000 a year for your $8000 fee for your "endless car".

 

[b_sinning]

Gas isn't getting any cheaper so expect car cost per year to keep climbing. Eventually a lot of states are going to start raising tag fees etc to encourage more car pooling and mass transportation usage.

 

[JAXvillain]

Yes but you still have to pay for insurance (and more so than say driving a Toyota). Pay for fuel (more so than say any other CAR on the market), and maintenance.

my insurance was $400 for 6 months because I don't drive to work and also have home owners with them. I rarely drive so I'm only buying a couple tanks a month if that. it has a brand new engine and clutch. there's no maintenance to do.

 

[b_sinning]

True, but instead of the weekly billing of fuel and the like, it would be a lot easier and probably cheaper if your company paid $3000 a year for your $8000 fee for your "endless car".

Not a lot of companies pay a flat car usage fee or provide work vehicles like they use to do. A lot have gotten rid of covering your moving cost because of the state of the job market working in their favor.

 

[APRIL]

$8,000?! Holy crap. I spend roughly $2,400 not including maintenance.

 

[OzSTEEZ]

I have a V8 SUV an it costs me around $5,000/year.

 

[dbzeag]

my insurance was $400 for 6 months because I don't drive to work and also have home owners with them. I rarely drive so I'm only buying a couple tanks a month if that. it has a brand new engine and clutch. there's no maintenance to do.

But you are hardly an average US driver, you must admit. And you got the car you did for almost completely style reasons. If not you would have gotten an gently used Smart car.