Need auto advice

[Jiro]

I am a full time college student working a minimum wage work study position. I basically just ride my motorcycle everywhere because its cheaper, but with the end of the riding season coming to an end soon enough, its back to the car for me soon. I have a minimum of 80 miles a day to commute and my current car, which I do regret buying back when I was in the military is too expensive to afford.

It costs most of what I make in a month just to buy a single tire and I buy the least expensive ones that I can. It takes 7 quarts of oil when I change the oil, costs about $40 to fill up, holds 16 gallons and I have been averaging 25 MPG out of a 4.6 litre V8.

My father is for some reason completely against the idea of trading in the car for something less expensive to operate and maintain, but his financial advice went out the window when he hit me up for $20 right after criticizing my idea to own something I can actually afford. I need to cut expenses and that car takes most of my money and I never even use it. I had to list my father as the primary driver just to afford the almost $80 per month insurance cost.

I don't know what to do or if I get a different car, what I should go with. I want an efficient vehicle, that I won't have to finance since my current car is worth a bit. I want something I find aesthetically appealing and is a bit unique at the same time. So far I have only managed to pick 3 cars, I would like advice and ideas of what to possibly go with.

1) older model mini in RHD
2) 99-00ish Honda Insight
3) VW Corrado

I'd go with Honda.

 

[Jiro]

Nope its not what insurance agent told me. He told me that record overall shows that Superduty had cause intensive damages to other vehicles, it applies to all of superduty not just me.

I have other vehicle, and they cost me less than half of my superduty, guess what? My other vehicle had total of 7 accidents and running strong! PLUS both have same coverage.

no...... I'm talking about your insurance rate going up AFTER you crashed.

but like I said previously.... cost of insurance coverage = location + age + type of vehicle + engine size + age of vehicle.

 

[diehardbiker]

Enjoy reading http://www.forbes.com/sites/jimgorzelany/2012/02/09/the-cheapest-cars-to-insure/

It even mentioned minivan as cheapest to insure.

 

[Jiro]

Enjoy reading The Cheapest Cars To Insure - Forbes

for proving me and johnnyghost right.

While auto insurance rates are largely based on a variety of personal factors, including a person’s age, gender, driving record and address, the particular make and model of vehicle you choose can significantly affect your rates. According to an extensive survey conducted for Insure.com, minivans, mid-priced crossover SUVs and pickup trucks are among the most-affordable vehicles to insure for 2012, with (no surprise here) premium sports coupes and luxury cars commanding the priciest premiums.

it's not the size of the car. it's the type of car that factors in the cost. everybody knows expensive/sport car costs more to insure. no brainer there....

 

[diehardbiker]

Wake up! It was not my fault, it was THEIR fault. Okay!

And ask you why my Jeep has lower insurance rate than my truck? Simple put, my agent told me too many Superduty (Not just me, but others) had caused intensive damages, not just me, but others. Don't forget, my truck comprehensive insurance coverage is (Cough cough), CHEAPER than my Cherokee where my Cherokee has 7 accident.

Plus my Superduty trim is top of line, so considered it luxury vehicle.

no...... I'm talking about your insurance rate going up AFTER you crashed.

but like I said previously.... cost of insurance coverage = location + age + type of vehicle + engine size + age of vehicle.

 

[diehardbiker]

Call State Farms agent and ask them if Superduty coverage is cheap. You will be surprised their answer.They ALREADY told me!

for proving me and johnnyghost right.



it's not the size of the car. it's the type of car that factors in the cost. everybody knows expensive/sport car costs more to insure. no brainer there....

 

[Jiro]

Wake up! It was not my fault, it was THEIR fault. Okay!

And ask you why my Jeep has lower insurance rate than my truck? Simple put, my agent told me too many Superduty (Not just me, but others) had caused intensive damages, not just me, but others. Don't forget, my truck comprehensive insurance coverage is (Cough cough), CHEAPER than my Cherokee where my Cherokee has 7 accident.

Plus my Superduty trim is top of line, so considered it luxury vehicle.

again................................... cost of insurance coverage = location + age + type of vehicle + engine size + age of vehicle.

and again....................... it's not the size of the car. it's the type of car that factors in the cost. everybody knows expensive/sport car costs more to insure. no brainer there....

 

[Jiro]

Call State Farms agent and ask them if Superduty coverage is cheap. You will be surprised their answer.They ALREADY told me!

um.... where EXACTLY did I say that? re-read my posts SLOWLY.... and CAREFULLY.....

a hint for you... notice the word "expensive"

 

[Saavik]

how much you looking to get on the mustang?

Hopefully $13k, key word is hopefully.

Three words: Heated Motorcycle Gear

Heated Motorcycle Clothing | Motorcycle Superstore

If it is not snowing, you're riding.

I'm scared of gravel spots on the road and since they either don't clear the road or just cover ice with lots of gravel that stays after the snow melts, I'm not riding on that. If my bike needs repair again (Which I fixed it myself, but it was off the road for 2 weeks.) I need a car to get me around and this mustang won't cut it.

I take it you are not in the USA if you want a right hand drive car? reliability should be concern #1 fuel economy #2 one major repair and you will loose everything you save and more in better gas mileage than what you have now.
so #2 is the only option. 25 years turning a wrench and I can tell you fixing either of the other 2 is gonna cost a lot. Less if you happen to live in the UK for #1 or Germany for #3

No, I'm in the US, I just miss right hand drive cars. I ride my motorcycle on the right side of the lane because I miss it that much, it's basically a personal preference.

experience doesn't count. location + age + type of vehicle + engine size + age of vehicle.

my motorcycle insurance in NJ costs me like $165 a year whereas.... it can go up to about $2,000 in NYC.

and my motorcycle insurance costs me $165 because it's 650cc and if I replace it with 1,000cc... it will go up more.

I'm riding around without motorcycle insurance right now. My old policy was $95 every 3 months, I used IP-relay before I went to class yesterday and directly through progressive, it's a whole year for $169 for full coverage. Mind you, I ride a Ninja EX500.. Not exactly a super sport..lol

 

[VacationGuy234]

I'm scared of gravel spots on the road and since they either don't clear the road or just cover ice with lots of gravel that stays after the snow melts, I'm not riding on that. If my bike needs repair again (Which I fixed it myself, but it was off the road for 2 weeks.) I need a car to get me around and this mustang won't cut it.

I understand. However, the more you can extend the season the less gas is going to cost per year. At some point, the mustang would be an affordable backup.

I worked with a guy that used to drive his bike as much as possible in the winter. He said the heated clothes worked well.

If I were to choose a car, I would get a Honda/Acura as they are very dependable.

 

[diehardbiker]

Also, another factor, whether vehicle is common in auto thieves, even if two different model year and one of them has higher incident of being stolen, and other get real low incident of being stolen, the one with higher incidents will see higher premium than the other one.

Who wants to steal minivans, or grandma's cars eh?

um.... where EXACTLY did I say that? re-read my posts SLOWLY.... and CAREFULLY.....

a hint for you... notice the word "expensive"

 

[Saavik]

I'm looking at some numbers and they don't add up well, so I feel like I'm making a hard, but necessary choice so I don't go broke as I have in the past. After taxes, I'm looking at bringing in somewhere between $150 and $250 a month, depending on whether or not I can find a way to squeeze in an extra 4 hours to my work study position, which is off campus and require about 25-30 miles of driving, then I have to drive back to campus for my next class. Looking at the low end with me making $150 a month, if I lose a tire on the mustang, I go instantly into debt as the mustang tires cost $150+tax per tire. Nobody plans for a blown tire, but it happens, no matter how much you check your pressure, that nail in the road or who knows what can cause it to blow.

The car has a 16 gallon tank, fuel is currently at $3.35 and literally rising each day. The best MPG the mustang has achieved was 25 MPG and averages about 23 or 24 according to fuelly.

The least expensive tires for a classic mini that I could find were $74, which is a savings of roughly $76 per tire. It takes 4.7 quarts, where the Mustang takes 7 quarts. I can get a 5 quart jug of full synthetic oil for about $30, where two smaller quart bottles are needed for the mustang, costing me $14 more. Not sure oil filter price difference right now. I can do some mechanical work as I do it on my motorcycle and have done minor things on the Mustang as the car never really needed anything, I just modded it a bit.

6.6 gallon tank on the Mini, 16 on the car. Fuel price is again at $3.35 and going up each day. The mustang gets 25 MPG, the Mini gets well over 40 MPG if I recall correctly. Insurance on the Mustang on my own is over $200 a month, but since I have my father listed as the primary driver, it's now around $80, which is roughly $960 a year. I'm not sure at this time what the insurance on the old mini is. I think I got all regular expenses, but I feel I might have forgot something.

I am looking at Honda Insights, but there were only two listed on autotrader in a 200 mile range from the house and they both were on the outer edge of that range. Both costing $6-7k.

<EDIT> Even with insurance, if I wreck the car, I have a $2k deductible, so I'm screwed anyway since I cannot possibly pay that.

 

[jonnyghost]

Also, another factor, whether vehicle is common in auto thieves, even if two different model year and one of them has higher incident of being stolen, and other get real low incident of being stolen, the one with higher incidents will see higher premium than the other one.

Who wants to steal minivans, or grandma's cars eh?

I was eating my lunch outside the store and this guy pulled up to the front of the store in his minivan and left it running while he ran in. This guy walks up from nowhere and gets into the minivan and starts to take off. About 200 feet down the road he realized there was an elderly woman in the van so he pulled over and got out. The other thing the theif didn't notice was the cop parked right beside me. i laughed about that for weeks.

 

[diehardbiker]

Tough call, buddy I don't have answer, you don't seem to have enough to cover much.

I'm looking at some numbers and they don't add up well, so I feel like I'm making a hard, but necessary choice so I don't go broke as I have in the past. After taxes, I'm looking at bringing in somewhere between $150 and $250 a month, depending on whether or not I can find a way to squeeze in an extra 4 hours to my work study position, which is off campus and require about 25-30 miles of driving, then I have to drive back to campus for my next class. Looking at the low end with me making $150 a month, if I lose a tire on the mustang, I go instantly into debt as the mustang tires cost $150+tax per tire. Nobody plans for a blown tire, but it happens, no matter how much you check your pressure, that nail in the road or who knows what can cause it to blow.

The car has a 16 gallon tank, fuel is currently at $3.35 and literally rising each day. The best MPG the mustang has achieved was 25 MPG and averages about 23 or 24 according to fuelly.

The least expensive tires for a classic mini that I could find were $74, which is a savings of roughly $76 per tire. It takes 4.7 quarts, where the Mustang takes 7 quarts. I can get a 5 quart jug of full synthetic oil for about $30, where two smaller quart bottles are needed for the mustang, costing me $14 more. Not sure oil filter price difference right now. I can do some mechanical work as I do it on my motorcycle and have done minor things on the Mustang as the car never really needed anything, I just modded it a bit.

6.6 gallon tank on the Mini, 16 on the car. Fuel price is again at $3.35 and going up each day. The mustang gets 25 MPG, the Mini gets well over 40 MPG if I recall correctly. Insurance on the Mustang on my own is over $200 a month, but since I have my father listed as the primary driver, it's now around $80, which is roughly $960 a year. I'm not sure at this time what the insurance on the old mini is. I think I got all regular expenses, but I feel I might have forgot something.

I am looking at Honda Insights, but there were only two listed on autotrader in a 200 mile range from the house and they both were on the outer edge of that range. Both costing $6-7k.

<EDIT> Even with insurance, if I wreck the car, I have a $2k deductible, so I'm screwed anyway since I cannot possibly pay that.

 

[Saavik]

Tough call, buddy I don't have answer, you don't seem to have enough to cover much.

If only I were more unscrupulous, I'd do what my aunt said she did to get rid of her motorcycle that wouldn't sell, she took it out to Oakland or that general area and left the keys in it, sure enough it was stolen and never recovered. Would be a nice easy solution, but it's still wrong.

I just need to find a way to get away from this car and get myself into something I like and something that is cheap and efficient. Every time I drive the car, every little insignificant vibration makes me think the tire is going to blow.. Yeah, a touch of paranoia against an inanimate object.

 

[A Nihilist]

Yes tough call, I hate to say it but I think you're asking too much for an affordable car that's also stylish and also fun. See if you'd be willing to settle for a cheaper car that doesn't have perfect bodywork as long as it's mechanically sound. Maybe there's some car on craigslist that doesn't have a perfect paint job but everything else runs great.

 

[diehardbiker]

To be honest, public transportation seems to be only viable option. Don't forget, its only temporary. If you don't have one nearby, then your screwed.

 

[Saavik]

Yes tough call, I hate to say it but I think you're asking too much for an affordable car that's also stylish and also fun. See if you'd be willing to settle for a cheaper car that doesn't have perfect bodywork as long as it's mechanically sound. Maybe there's some car on craigslist that doesn't have a perfect paint job but everything else runs great.

I'd love a VW Vanagon Westfalia or a Dodge Xplorer, but those are awful on fuel, but would give me a place of my own..lol I'll check craigslist out again for various cars, but the hard thing is selling my current car. I've been at it since June. People want cash for the cars I'm looking at and they have no wish to trade, which is why I have been considering a stealership trade in. The thing is, I'm not afraid to just walk out on a bad deal.

This is one beautiful ride..

http://www.minimania.com/cars4sale/11332/1983_Austin_1000_Sedan

 

[dereksbicycles]

I'd love a VW Vanagon Westfalia or a Dodge Xplorer, but those are awful on fuel, but would give me a place of my own..lol I'll check craigslist out again for various cars, but the hard thing is selling my current car. I've been at it since June. People want cash for the cars I'm looking at and they have no wish to trade, which is why I have been considering a stealership trade in. The thing is, I'm not afraid to just walk out on a bad deal.

This is one beautiful ride..

Mini Cooper Parts and Mini Cooper Acessories - Mini Mania

Don't listen to what anyone say about finances. Just get that red Mini in picture and then add turbo to it.

 

[Saavik]

Don't listen to what anyone say about finances. Just get that red Mini in picture and then add turbo to it.

I wouldn't add a turbo to it, it would be unnecessary. I'm just saying, that mini is a nice looking ride that's all. I'll go by some used car lots soon and I'm still trying to figure out what car I want to look for on craigslist, I'm just a bit nit picky over how the car looks to some degree. I actually did like how the Camry and Corolla looked in the late 80's or early 90's, other than that I think they look bad.

I think the Toyota Celica was an alright looking car as was the MR2, but those most likely are far from what I'm looking for.