The New Fleet

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Originally Posted By: The Critic
Originally Posted By: Nick R
The whole reason for trading the Mustang/Jeep/Expedition is to get new, PRACTICAL cars, that get good gas mileage, and can be driven year round, and be reliable. Hence my mom's equinox, and my dad's Cruze.
People drive Mustangs all year. Just get some snow tires. Fixing all of the issues with your old cars would have made them reliable, you just chose not to.
Originally Posted By: Nick R
The expedition needed new tires and a whole host of other stuff, and the Jeep too. It made sense this way.
New tires and fixing the issues wouldn't have cost you more than a few grand. The cost of those new cars was certainly more than that. And fuel? Fuel is cheap...and you'll realize that once you had done those calculations. Sorry, not to be a jerk, but the arguments you are making to justify the purchases are silly. There's nothing wrong with buying new cars, but don't use bogus reasons to defend your decision-- just be honest and state that you wanted new cars. blush
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: Nick R
The payment is the same as my Focus, or close to it.
And is it the same NUMBER of payments remaining?
+1 sick
Let me put it this way, my mom refused to drive it in winter. She wanted something a bit safer in the winter. So it's reasonable to ask my dad to spend $100 on gas every 3 days which is basically what he would have been doing if he'd be commuting to/from Maine/NY frequently? Okay. Yes, they wanted new cars, that was certainly part of it, but there were also practical reasons behind it as well. We just didn't NEED a 3 row SUV anymore. So, get the equinox. Smaller, better mileage, but still big enough to move all of us when needed.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: Nick R
The payment is the same as my Focus, or close to it.
And is it the same NUMBER of payments remaining?
Can't and wont' argue that point.
 
Originally Posted By: Nick R
Let me put it this way, my mom refused to drive it in winter. She wanted something a bit safer in the winter. So it's reasonable to ask my dad to spend $100 on gas every 3 days which is basically what he would have been doing if he'd be commuting to/from Maine/NY frequently? Okay. Yes, they wanted new cars, that was certainly part of it, but there were also practical reasons behind it as well. We just didn't NEED a 3 row SUV anymore. So, get the equinox. Smaller, better mileage, but still big enough to move all of us when needed.
That's different. It doesn't mean it can't be, it's just that you chose not to. $100 isn't much money. How much did it cost your dad to upgrade from the Expedition to the Cruze after accounting for the trade-in cost? $10k? $10k for instance, buys a lot of gas. Therefore, there was absolutely nothing practical about the decision--you guys just wanted new cars, there is nothing wrong with that, but don't say it was a "practical" reason because it wasn't. Also, I have a feeling that the AWD Equinox won't average much better than the Expedition. Maybe 2-3 mpg more I bet, tops.
 
Originally Posted By: The Critic
Originally Posted By: Nick R
Let me put it this way, my mom refused to drive it in winter. She wanted something a bit safer in the winter. So it's reasonable to ask my dad to spend $100 on gas every 3 days which is basically what he would have been doing if he'd be commuting to/from Maine/NY frequently? Okay. Yes, they wanted new cars, that was certainly part of it, but there were also practical reasons behind it as well. We just didn't NEED a 3 row SUV anymore. So, get the equinox. Smaller, better mileage, but still big enough to move all of us when needed.
That's different. It doesn't mean it can't be, it's just that you chose not to. $100 isn't much money. How much did it cost your dad to upgrade from the Expedition to the Cruze after accounting for the trade-in cost? $10k? $10k for instance, buys a lot of gas. Therefore, there was absolutely nothing practical about the decision--you guys just wanted new cars, there is nothing wrong with that, but don't say it was a "practical" reason because it wasn't. Also, I have a feeling that the AWD Equinox won't average much better than the Expedition. Maybe 2-3 mpg more I bet, tops.
Well, consdiering the 10MPG we've been averaging with the expedition over the past few months..... So my dad would be spending about $600 a month on gas... For about 18 months, depending on how much he's in port. That is... Strangely enough, $10k.
 
Don't get caught up arguing the financial aspects of this, you can't win. But there is value in that you are all happier in your current rides (apparently) and that can't be factored in by someone besides yourself. Would I want to drive a Mustang in winter, or drive a 10mpg Expedition around? Nope. Congrats on the new rides, the Cruze seems like the real deal.
 
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And now for the million dollar question ... what oil will be going into these cars after the factory fill? A synthetic I'm sure! Still though, I think a 2011 Toyota Corolla S would have been the PERFECT car for you Nick; course, I guess I'm a little partial to Corollas. Good luck with the new fleet.
 
Don't even bother worrying about maintenance on these like you did the Cavalier and Focus, because at this rate when stuff starts going bad you can just trade it in 2-3 years. Didn't you just get tires for the Focus?
 
Originally Posted By: synthetic_crazy
And now for the million dollar question ... what oil will be going into these cars after the factory fill? A synthetic I'm sure! Still though, I think a 2011 Toyota Corolla S would have been the PERFECT car for you Nick; course, I guess I'm a little partial to Corollas. Good luck with the new fleet.
It will likely be going to the dealer for maintenance, so I get those free tires when these ones are worn out. Otherwise, I'd be using a Dexos approved oil, synthetic of some kind.
Originally Posted By: silverrat
Don't even bother worrying about maintenance on these like you did the Cavalier and Focus, because at this rate when stuff starts going bad you can just trade it in 2-3 years. Didn't you just get tires for the Focus?
Yes, but the trade in they gave me on my focus made up for it. (They gave me about 500 over what it would be to break even.)
 
I can't believe your family even considered buying vehicles without The Critic stepping in as a Shatner-esque "New Car Negotiator" LOL Congrats on the new cars. A new car is purchased because a new car is wanted. It may not always be the best financial decision but there's nothing wrong with the "new car factor" as part of the decision. Car payments are tough on an E-1 through E-3 salary. I hope you're a little more financially prudent than I was at those pay grades.
 
Originally Posted By: silverrat
Don't even bother worrying about maintenance on these like you did the Cavalier and Focus, because at this rate when stuff starts going bad you can just trade it in 2-3 years. Didn't you just get tires for the Focus?
+1
 
If you're spending $600 a month on gas alone on a truck that needs a few grand in other work, it's absolutely time to move on. Granted, maybe a used car was in order. Overall, the new car should save money compared to a 10 mpg Expedition. Your dad will likely average about 35 mpg. Running the math from Albany, NY to Bangor, ME in the Expedition on GasBuddy, a round trip would be $195. The Cruze would be $87 for the same trip. Assuming 4 trips a month, it's about $780 in gas a month with the Expy compared to $348 in gas a month with the Cruze. For that $780 a month, he's getting a new car (assumed $300/month payment), gas to run it for a month, and $100 on the side.
 
After reading all of the criticism, all I can say is that... someone has to buy all of these new cars. If it is Nick and his family, so be it. Someone has to do it.
 
Sounds nice. You got an excellent trade on your Focus. I only got $11.5K on mine ('10 SES), but the MKZ was discounted $13K (I didn't expect much). The Cruze is a nice car.
 
I don't think your dealer will suffer too much on the Focus he "took the hit" on. Gas paranoia has set in (this thread is a perfect example) and someone will buy that Focus and make the stealership a little money. The Expedition is a lost cause right now.
 
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