I have a new Monday through Friday commute starting which is 140 miles round trip. I just picked up a 2004 Lesabre with 38k for $3k which is a great commuter in my mind however I would hate to put so many miles on this great find so quickly. I'm thinking of picking up a compact beater civic, focus, ranger, swift, etc for $2k or less to drive back and forth. Handling any repairs myself will not be an issue. So what does everyone think should I drive the Buick into the ground or pick up a beater?
Opinions needed beater commuter car
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I would lose my mind if I had to drive a car like that, that far.
Why not get something awesome on gas?
I say get a Civic and commute with that. That's what I did.
For 3 grand? I'd drive that Buick to 300,000 miles! That will make for a great rolling couch commuter car! It should get 30 mpg on the highway.
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Civic or Corolla
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I would say just drive the buick, but if you are looking at getting a beater a cheap manual civic is your best bet.
Are they freeway miles? if they are I can't say I would DD my civic 140 miles on freeway a day, it is not quiet at all at 75mph, but at 60mph it is quiet.
Originally Posted By: Brenden
I would say just drive the buick, but if you are looking at getting a beater a cheap manual civic is your best bet.
Are they freeway miles? if they are I can't say I would DD my civic 140 miles on freeway a day, it is not quiet at all at 75mph, but at 60mph it is quiet.
i would drive the buick. what would u be saving the buick for? the buick is not rare or in any danger of becoming collectible!
I'd use the Buick. You don't really do a car any favours not driving it much, using a car keeps it running well.
Strictly highway, that car will pull close to 30mpg. That $2k you are going to spend on another car will buy lots of gas for the Buick.
Stick with the buick. Highway miles is easy. Swift, ranger or civic would be absolutely intolerable. Really.
I'd try the Buick for a while to see how good the mileage is. If its sub 30mpg then I'd start thinking about a different car. If the mileage is OK then enjoy the ride in the Buick, long distance floating is what its made for.
If I had to drive 70 miles each way to work every day that Buick is EXACTLY what I'd be looking for! If that's the 3800 motor, it'll outlast the body if properly maintained (my mother-in-law has a '90 LeSabre that REFUSES to die)!
Thanks guys I knew the Buick was the right answer but I think I was looking for an excuse to buy another car haha. I'll stick with the Buick
The Buick should serve you well,great cars,ride very nice.
The Buick is rated 18 city and 27 highway. Depending on your driving conditions (speed, traffic, stop and go, percent on highway vs. surface roads), you may get lower than 27 or a little higher.
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbs&id=19827
But, that's not horrible. You'll likely spend more buying another beater than you'd save on gas.
I wouldn't worry too much about the miles.
140 * 5 days = 700 miles/week or 2800 miles/month. That's just over 33K miles per year. This car should get you to around 130K miles without too much trouble, I would guess. At your current rate, that would take you three years.
Drive the car and enjoy it, since you got such a good deal on it.
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Our commute is very similar to yours. You should pamper yourself somewhat considering the butt-time you're facing and the Buick should fit that bill rather nicely.
I tried the Cavalier, Escort, Neon, Corolla, etc, etc rides but it's just not worth getting beat up over. My commuter for the last two years is a '99 528i....26 MPG and a great ride.
I would imagine the Buick is as good or better than the bimmer.
Originally Posted By: stephen9666
But, that's not horrible. You'll likely spend more buying another beater than you'd save on gas.
Also you found an excellent price on a very nice car, if you happened to look at the 1500-3000 price range on CL you tend to get someone else's junk.
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