Anyone rethinking auto decisions?

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So, pre-pandemic I was driving around 32k/year, sometimes more. 22k was commuting into the office, as I live 54 miles from work. In the last 11 months I've been in about 6 times. I built a home office and the more I work from home, the more I think I could live with this--maybe go in once a month, otherwise keep working from home. [Goes without saying that if my employer thinks otherwise, I wouldn't have a choice.] Since there's no place to go, I've driven about 5k, and most of that was at the start of the pandemic, where it took time to adapt to the new "normal".

At the moment my car is stuck in the garage; the nicer truck sits in front of the garage, as it won't fit inside. I can't park it elsewhere as rodents are attacking it with a vengeance. And of course, I've got no place to go over the next what, 8 months? so I'm left wondering: why do I have two vehicles anymore? I bought the truck with hopes of a travel trailer someday, but now I don't think I want one (not after seeing how many vermin live around me at this new home); and the car was bought as a cheap commuter to put miles onto. Now it's like... why not just have one nice car that can live in the nice garage?

Nothing lasts forever, including the current times, but winter blues has me bored, apparently.

[And no, unfortunately I can't put in another garage, at least not cheaply.]

*sigh* Pretty early in the week to be this distracted!
 
Sure. I’m similarly low mileage. I don’t happen to have an extra car lying around so that’s good.

At the moment I could get along with any old jalopy. My assumption is that that will change. But it looks like some of us will have an ability to escape substantial car expenses in the future.
 
My thought is it will be awhile before used vehicle prices go back down to normal levels. Sell it now if you really would rather have the money, but if you will need it soon in the future it might be hard to find the same thing for a good price.
 
Since trucks are selling for crazy money right now, I'd sell it rather than let it sit out in the elements unused.
Probably a wise decision. I think these jokers are going to drive up the price of fuel intentionally so selling now makes sense.
I'm going to wait to buy a truck for the same reason, as I think truck prices/demand will drop with a fuel price rise.
 
Since trucks are selling for crazy money right now, I'd sell it rather than let it sit out in the elements unused.
It's been tempting. I don't want to give up my Camry, it's been a great car, and would make a great backup. But if I keeping on having low yearly miles--or even just "normal"--would I rather just eat the cost, buy something new, and have the best years of its life--without "needing" a backup for anything? Bit tempting, even if not the wisest financial decision.

Money isn't a real consideration here, would rather not take on a loan, but it would not be a hardship to do, and this year it would not impact stuff like retirement savings either. More of... time to reconfigure?

Why would you rethink your auto decision?
This idea sounds as bad as that dude who purchased a car out of spite!
:sneaky:
Because the selection criteria has gone out the window?

Not sure what incident you are referencing, sorry.
 
In the meantime, I highly recommend you go get some rodent repellent and place it around the engine compartment. Zip-tie the bags (they smell strongly of mint) to the suspension components if you have to. No since letting the rats have it just because you're not driving it at the moment.
 
Whatever you decide, please think it through. We got a 2018 Lexus RX450h 3 years ago, nicely equipped. Not cheap...
At the time, the Lexus forums advised against the F Sport option as it rode too stiff due to tighter suspension.
Also the seats are more bolstered; kinda performance minded. People called them too small.
Well, after owning it and then driving an F Sport as a loaner, Sue prefers the driving qualities of the F Sport.
So we have one on order.... Sheesh!
Measure twice cut once!

Good luck with whatever you decide.
 
In the meantime, I highly recommend you go get some rodent repellent and place it around the engine compartment. Zip-tie the bags (they smell strongly of mint) to the suspension components if you have to. No since letting the rats have it just because you're not driving it at the moment.
Truck gets driven once a week, but that wasn't enough. I need to find the ingress areas for the cabin filter and engine air filter, and put a screen over them, I've lost a set of both this fall. Being good and cold now, it seems parking on the other side of the driveway (in front of my garage door no less!) "fixes" the problem.
 
Whatever you decide, please think it through.
That's why I post on here, it's my way of soliciting advice from others. Most of my coworkers and friends, they fall into the 5 and done category. Some do drive to the 10 year mark. But few of them could be counted on to argue why I should keep on owning old cars.
 
Ya. I've been thinking about selling the Bimmer. NE1 want a (2014 build date) 2015 435i with less than 60k miles on the odometer? Naw..never mind..Not selling to you misers. ;)
 
Why not just have one nice car that can live in the nice garage?
That describes my SRT. The problem is all it does is sit in the garage. In 3 years I racked up a total of 4K miles on it. It doesn't come out at all from November to April as I don't have winter wheels for it. It's cheaper (and less painful) to just drive a winter beater instead.

I shouldn't have bought it.
 
That describes my SRT. The problem is all it does is sit in the garage. In 3 years I racked up a total of 4K miles on it. It doesn't come out at all from November to April as I don't have winter wheels for it. It's cheaper (and less painful) to just drive a winter beater instead.

I shouldn't have bought it.
But I bet you have enjoyed it when it rolls out. :cool:

Sometimes you just have to scratch that itch...
 
For a lot of the same reasons, I just waved goodbye to my trusty Crown Victoria yesterday. I bought it about two years ago to soak up the commuting kilometres (about 180km round trip). Two months later, I ended up being assigned a work vehicle. We then had three personal vehicles and a work vehicle in a two driver household. I kept thinking it would be a nice backup, or one day I would need to drive it to work again. I finally accepted that it was totally unnecessary and a waste of money, and listed it a couple weeks ago. A buyer contacted me last weekend and took it for the (reasonable) asking price. The cash in my hand feels better than the security of having spare vehicles lying around, and it doesn't rust.
 
You don't go to the grocery store, pharmacy, restaurants, shopping malls, doctor, dentist, park, mountains, beach, county pool, tennis court, etc.?
Not really. I live in a somewhat rural area so I can do some hiking, plenty of biking, without driving (or driving far), but all the tourist areas require reservations.

I go to the transfer station once a week (6 miles round trip?) and Home Depot every couple (40 roundtrip) and try not to go out otherwise. I'll make the random trip to the grocery store (wife goes twice a week), and if I'm really feeling a need to go out, maybe a local fleamarket.

Obviously I get out sometimes, the "no place to go" is a bit of an exaggeration. But I am trying not to go out unless if there is an actual need. "I feel like going out" isn't a need, sure feels like one sometimes, but more than ever I need to buckle down and stay away from everyone.
 
I wouldn't make any changes until you have a better picture of your employer's long-term plan. There are a lot of signs indicating that folks will be returning to the office by Q3 so you may very well be back to your old habits. My industry has already begun to show signs of returning to the office and I expect many others to follow suit shortly.
 
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