I never would have thought that gas would actually be over 5 fucking dollars a gallon here!

[Calavera]

LOL this bump. I said a year and a half ago that I’m getting a new vehicle. I still have not gotten a new vehicle.

I am seriously considering taking out a very large loan to get a Chevy Bolt. I travel to Tennessee 4-6 times a year. It normally take about $100 for the trip. But also along the route are free chargers. Meaning that as long as I’m willing to wait an hour for a charge, I can travel there for free.

Here is the way I look at it and I know most people don't agree with it. I'm not sure how much a Bolt costs, I assume you're talking about a brand new one so from a quick google search I'm gonna guess $25,000. If your current car is still running good I'd say keep it for awhile longer. If it currently cost $100 in fuel to go to Tennessee and back and you'd have to go 250 times to break even on the 25K or 5 times a year for 50 years! Of course you'd be driving it other places too. I don't know where all you drive to but it looks likes pretty much all the chargers in your area are around Indianapolis with the closest one being 40 miles away.

I just always try to think of the cheaper way. Like I'd rather buy a used car for $5000 that gets 25mpg than a $25K electric car. At $4 per gallon it would take 5,000 gallons before I'd spend $20k on fuel. At 25mpg that is 125,000 miles! If you drive 15,000 miles per year that is 600 gallons at 25mpg and $2,400 at $4 per gallon. So it would take about 8.5 years to spend $20k on gas at $4 per gallon.

But if you've got the money and want a new Bolt then go for it. I'm just giving my opinion which I realize most people won't agree with. I do think Ian will totally agree with me though.

[pixel]

My buddy is car shopping and the interest rates are tough compared to before COVID. Rates have doubled since he last looked at buying a car back in 2019.

[melancholy]

LOL this bump. I said a year and a half ago that I’m getting a new vehicle. I still have not gotten a new vehicle.

I am seriously considering taking out a very large loan to get a Chevy Bolt. I travel to Tennessee 4-6 times a year. It normally take about $100 for the trip. But also along the route are free chargers. Meaning that as long as I’m willing to wait an hour for a charge, I can travel there for free.

Here is the way I look at it and I know most people don't agree with it. I'm not sure how much a Bolt costs, I assume you're talking about a brand new one so from a quick google search I'm gonna guess $25,000. If your current car is still running good I'd say keep it for awhile longer. If it currently cost $100 in fuel to go to Tennessee and back and you'd have to go 250 times to break even on the 25K or 5 times a year for 50 years! Of course you'd be driving it other places too. I don't know where all you drive to but it looks likes pretty much all the chargers in your area are around Indianapolis with the closest one being 40 miles away.

I just always try to think of the cheaper way. Like I'd rather buy a used car for $5000 that gets 25mpg than a $25K electric car. At $4 per gallon it would take 5,000 gallons before I'd spend $20k on fuel. At 25mpg that is 125,000 miles! If you drive 15,000 miles per year that is 600 gallons at 25mpg and $2,400 at $4 per gallon. So it would take about 8.5 years to spend $20k on gas at $4 per gallon.

But if you've got the money and want a new Bolt then go for it. I'm just giving my opinion which I realize most people won't agree with. I do think Ian will totally agree with me though.

So I'm basically in the early research phase of this process, so I haven't decided on anything. But a lot of things are weighing on my decision to go all electric. First off, starting in January, the government is knocking off $7500 off the cost of an electric vehicle. So that $28000 for a brand new Bolt goes down to $20000. Of course, I also have to factor in taxes, plates, etc, but I also have to factor that I will need a charger installed. I think I can do it myself by adding a 220 plug in the garage, but it's still an expense.

My research has shown me there are a lot of benefits to an EV beyond just being good for the environment. Washington Post calculated that in Indiana, on average an electric car can save $29 a fill up compared to a regular vehicle. If I fill my car once a week, that's $120 a month in fuel savings, taking a nice chunk out of the extra $10000 I would be taking out in a car loan. Plus EV has no oil, no geared transmission, no belts...there are far less parts than a typical combustion engine and so much less to maintain. And even if something does break, I saw somewhere that on average, repairs on a EV cost 30% less because they are less complicated than regular vehicles.

Now, before I was looking at EVs, I was looking to spend ~$12000 on a van somewhere around 6-8 years old and ~100,000 miles on it. And I figure I'm going to probably put another 100,000 miles on it before retiring it. So if I'm driving my vehicle to 200,000 miles anand spend $12000 on it, why not spend $20000 on a vehicle with no miles that costs less to drive and maintain?

I dunno, just things to think about. I've never owned a vehicle with less than 100,000 in my life, and I've never bought from a dealership, so it would be extremely weird to be able to pick my color and options on a brand new vehicle that never has to visit a gas station.

[Calavera]

Now, before I was looking at EVs, I was looking to spend ~$12000 on a van somewhere around 6-8 years old and ~100,000 miles on it. And I figure I'm going to probably put another 100,000 miles on it before retiring it. So if I'm driving my vehicle to 200,000 miles anand spend $12000 on it, why not spend $20000 on a vehicle with no miles that costs less to drive and maintain?

In that case a 12k 6-8 year old van that will probably get fairly low fuel mileage depending on the model vs 20k for a brand new EV then I'd say yes the EV is the better option. I think you could find a decent van in the 5k range but maybe not nowadays. Last time I was looking at cars not only were the prices higher than I was expecting but the majority of them had 200K+! I don't mind spending a few 1,000 on an old car with 150,000 miles but once it gets to 200k unless it is a diesel or something I'm thinking of a price more in the 100s of dollar not thousands!

I've never owned a vehicle with less than 100,000 in my life, and I've never bought from a dealership, so it would be extremely weird to be able to pick my color and options on a brand new vehicle that never has to visit a gas station.

Same here except I have bought from used car dealerships. Well you know that isn't technically true. I once bought a 1986 Buick Lesabre that somehow only had around 92K on it. I don't see myself ever buying a new car, but if you're in a position where you can comfortably afford one that is great! Sadly picking the colors and options isn't as exciting as it used to be. You probably have a selection of maybe 4 colors and some basic options. Most likely you'll just pick one off the lot. I'm not sure if they still make new cars to order?

Gone are the days of cool options like a boatload of exterior interior color combos and fun stuff like the flower power package!




Ah those were the days.......or so I've heard

[ian]

I'd love an electric car, problem is they're all stupid SUV looking things and even the ones that are sedans still look like fugly tanks..

If someone could do something that looks like a Delorean with 1-2 seats and a motor more powerful than 7 suns, for less than $100,000 I'd be there.

electric motors are fast accelerating and full of torque, and all the potential is being wasted by every manufacturer either fitting decent ones to fucking tanks, or the cheapest and shittest ones to small cars that look like tanks.

But no one can drive in my country anyway, and speed limits are stupidly low. (There are people alive who can literally run faster than we're allowed to drive on roads near schools so having a good car is a waste of time anyway. And even if you have a good car, some FUCKHEAD will come along and steal it.

Electric cars could be great, but people don't want good cars. And by the time they get to a point where the price is worth it, it'll be too late in this country.

Petrol is cheap, and there's many many, MANY options for choice at pretty much every budget.

[melancholy]

In that case a 12k 6-8 year old van that will probably get fairly low fuel mileage depending on the model vs 20k for a brand new EV then I'd say yes the EV is the better option. I think you could find a decent van in the 5k range but maybe not nowadays. Last time I was looking at cars not only were the prices higher than I was expecting but the majority of them had 200K+! I don't mind spending a few 1,000 on an old car with 150,000 miles but once it gets to 200k unless it is a diesel or something I'm thinking of a price more in the 100s of dollar not thousands!

Best I found when looking last night was a 2015 Town and Country with 103,000 miles at $10,500. And I fully realize that a van can hold about 500% more people and crap than a cheap EV. I'll probably keep my 190,000 rust bucket van around just for hauling stuff if I do get an EV. I'll need 3 cars next year anyway when my son turns 15, but that only until my wife goes completely blind in the next couple years.

Sadly picking the colors and options isn't as exciting as it used to be. You probably have a selection of maybe 4 colors and some basic options. Most likely you'll just pick one off the lot. I'm not sure if they still make new cars to order?

Gone are the days of cool options like a boatload of exterior interior color combos and fun stuff like the flower power package!

Yes, you have to order an EV. They don't have them on the lots, or at least not near me. And to be fair, even if there was a flower option, it would probably add an extra $2000 to the cost and I wouldn't get it anyway.

[ian]

Back in the good OLD days, Volkswagen would give you a built in vase in the dash of your 1998 new beetle for free!