Is it worth having a third car as a 'beater'?

[PandaBear]

Beater only make sense if you had it since a long time ago and retire it but not wanting to sell it, and it is unique because of sentimental value or if you need it as a special purpose vehicle (towing, hauling large item that won't fit, track car, moving trash and other smelly stuff around).

If you have 2 perfectly functional newish vehicles, buying a beater to save miles on the newer nicer cars rarely make senses.

 

[11crv]

Anyone here using a Prius as a beater? I maybe switching employers. My current position provides me with a company vehicle. If I take the new position I will have maybe a 3-4 miles of driving. Now I plan on biking weather permitting. The last couple days it has been below 0. I was entertaining the thought of a used Prius for the short winter commutes to keep the GX in the garage. We already short trip the accord. The wife is employed less than a mile. She usually walks when the weather is nice out. Having her drop me off early in the morning might work some days but on days that I get called in car pooling or riding a bike might not work. I think a Prius would be great. Thoughts?

 

[supton]

Anyone here using a Prius as a beater? I maybe switching employers. My current position provides me with a company vehicle. If I take the new position I will have maybe a 3-4 miles of driving. Now I plan on biking weather permitting. The last couple days it has been below 0. I was entertaining the thought of a used Prius for the short winter commutes to keep the GX in the garage. We already short trip the accord. The wife is employed less than a mile. She usually walks when the weather is nice out. Having her drop me off early in the morning might work some days but on days that I get called in car pooling or riding a bike might not work. I think a Prius would be great. Thoughts?

I don’t but I think this would work.

That said, anything would. It might get 8mpg, have holes in the floor, and be an eyesore—but at a handful of miles per time, who cares? Short trips? it’d take years before such took its toll.

My thinking? why spend much?

 

[Nick1994]

Anyone here using a Prius as a beater? I maybe switching employers. My current position provides me with a company vehicle. If I take the new position I will have maybe a 3-4 miles of driving. Now I plan on biking weather permitting. The last couple days it has been below 0. I was entertaining the thought of a used Prius for the short winter commutes to keep the GX in the garage. We already short trip the accord. The wife is employed less than a mile. She usually walks when the weather is nice out. Having her drop me off early in the morning might work some days but on days that I get called in car pooling or riding a bike might not work. I think a Prius would be great. Thoughts?

For 3-4 miles a Prius doesn't make much sense, might a well buy a big-block 70's Cadillac. Not going to go through all that much gas.

 

[AmBeRnEcTaR]

I think something like this is a perfect beater. Arguably the world's most reliable car built in the era when they were built to last. One lifetime owner, looks pretty much perfect especially for it's age. 128,000 miles ~$1800 USD asking price and could easily be had for $1500.

If you care little about image or impressing strangers and carry out regular maintenance this car would probably outlast the 2011 Camry the OP is attempting to preserve.

https://vancouver.craigslist.org/rch/cto/d/richmond-west-toyota-camry-1995-v6-le/7590616517.html

 

[supton]

I think something like this is a perfect beater. Arguably the world's most reliable car built in the era when they were built to last. One lifetime owner, looks pretty much perfect especially for it's age. 128,000 miles ~$1800 USD asking price and could easily be had for $1500.

If you care little about image or impressing strangers and carry out regular maintenance this car would probably outlast the 2011 Camry the OP is attempting to preserve.

https://vancouver.craigslist.org/rch/cto/d/richmond-west-toyota-camry-1995-v6-le/7590616517.html

posted 44 minutes ago, already gone?

Irony: I used to own an ‘11 Camry, unfortunately wrecked now. My 99 Camry, bought as a beater 6 years ago, is still going, 251k on the clock.

 

[AmBeRnEcTaR]

posted 44 minutes ago, already gone?

Irony: I used to own an ‘11 Camry, unfortunately wrecked now. My 99 Camry, bought as a beater 6 years ago, is still going, 251k on the clock.

Was originally posted 21hrs ago, then updated 17hrs ago, then SOLD.
Was pretty much mint IMO...

 

[Oillover]

Was originally posted 21hrs ago, then updated 17hrs ago, then SOLD.
Was pretty much mint IMO...

Cars like that come up quite often on CL.
Especially as the original owners age out and become unable to drive.

 

[THORROMIG]

Like mentioned previous, everybodys situation is different. I dropped the coverage on my truck because it just sits. Acura is my DD and probably going to sell the Baja here when new Rav4 Hybrid comes home. Going to need a new clutch and timing kit here real soon. Dont really want to put the dime into it any longer. The Taurus SW I gave to a good female friend who was down on her luck and I maintain it for her. That is why it is in my signature.

 

[DCDG]

Most couples have two vehicles and we have on several occasions had a third beater car.

But for us it was not sustainable. Insuring a third car that was rarely used can be expensive due to maintenance, registration, parking, and a host of other things that go along with it. At one time we had two nice cars and a 'beater' truck and I thought that would be perfect until it wasn't.

I'm interested in hearing how others have dealt with this.

Bringing an old thread back from the dead. I would like to have a 3rd vehicle for hauling and use as a work vehicle since I sling tools in and out of my vehicles.

 

[supton]

I always wanted to do N+1 and own beaters. Or have N beaters and 1 good/great, for N drivers. Then my wife could have a nice & reliable car, and the rest of us manage. One breaks, either I fix it when I can, or it can go to a shop for a week or whatever. But each vehicle has yearly registration, so it's insurance that still costs money. And musical cars in the driveway can be a pain (as is rodent damage in vehicles that don't move much).

I've not been consistent, going from N to N+1 to N-1 and back to N. Hard to justify the cost if all the vehicles are in good shape--just buy up front something that covers all needs. But it sure is tempting to have vehicles optimized for the need at hand (commute or working).

 

[JunkdrawerDog]

My third car became a beater because I didn't have enough room in the driveway. Had to park it on the street where it was struck three times before I had had enough.

 

[GaryMX5]

My third car is a base 2000 Nissan Frontier king cab 2wd pickup with minimal creature features. Cost 6000.00 ten years ago and can probably sell it for the same today. Very handy to have around for those rare oversize items, hauling landscape and construction materials, etc. I share it with my son. In fact, it lives in his garage (benefit of those older smaller trucks) as he only lives 1/2 mile away. He's responsible for keeping track of maintenance and we do it together every 6 months or so. The Nissan 2.4 L is more or less bullet proof. Ours has only 75K miles and is rust free. Gets terrible gas mileage (14-16 city and 20 HWY), is rough riding, and sloooow. Other than that it has been rock solid and requires minimal care. Insurance is surprisingly cheap!

 

[mcm0455]

Our third car was suppose to be for my autistic daughter but she is not going to drive for awhile. I drive a 23 GX and my wife has her 24 Acura RDX. Our "beater" is an 06 Lexus ES330 with 17,500 original miles in the highly sought after grandpa gold. I love driving the 20 year old car. None of the distractions of a modern car. 6 disc cd changer and a FM bluetooth adapter is all I need. And I can park it anywhere without worrying about door dings or parking lot mishaps.
I'll keep the old Lexus for as long as possible. It was my dad's car for the beach house. He gave it to me shortly prior to his passing. He was stoked that we were going to get some use out of it.

 

[SC Maintenance]

We had a +1 car that became the kids car who needed it on short notice for an internship. She wasn't supposed to need one at college. Major help / benefit having it around.

She drove it a long time after, then wrecked it - and needed it for part time job then. So we were -1 for a bit. After a lot of searching we found her one worth buying. Decided to fix the wrecked one so we would be back to +1 position. Its functional now - still have a couple small things to finish.

Don't ever want to be in the -1 position again. I am contemplating a +2 car now . The only thing holding me back is deciding what I want it to be.

 

[supton]

Decided to fix the wrecked one so we would be back to +1 position. Its functional now - still have a couple small things to finish.

Hindsight makes me wish I had kept our wrecks. Maybe not the one that landed on its roof, but might have been worth it on the other.

Don't ever want to be in the -1 position again. I am contemplating a +2 car now . The only thing holding me back is deciding what I want it to be.

It sucks! my daughter has borrowed my car too many times, and she's been home for a week. And yes indeed, too many options out there, with too many chances for potential headaches.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Hindsight makes me wish I had kept our wrecks. Maybe not the one that landed on its roof, but might have been worth it on the other.


It sucks! my daughter has borrowed my car too many times, and she's been home for a week. And yes indeed, too many options out there, with too many chances for potential headaches.

Mine was mostly take old parts off and bolt new parts on. I found the right color fenders and hood not too far away. The only thing I had to bend out were the inner fenders which were easy enough with a hydraulic ram or I would not have bothered.

Anything structural and it for sure would have been scrapped.

I wish I had kept some older ones I had around, but at the time it just didn't seem wise.