Stupid Hypotheticals - How Much Money Do You Care About MPG's?

"Lets Just Drive" (lets-just-drive)
12/31/2013 at 15:39 • Filed to: None

When you're buying or running a car, how much money does MPG affect what you buy/use/do? Let me explain; say you're spending $35K on a new, warrantied, off-the-lot vehicle - how much of a factor do MPG's make to you and what you buy? What if it's not new, or maybe could be either. And so on.

DISCUSSION (18)

Iheartmy365kHonda - Car enthusiasts do like FWD > Lets Just Drive
12/31/2013 at 15:42

Bet that thing would sound awesome!

. . > Lets Just Drive
12/31/2013 at 15:43

Economy doesn't matter to me in the slightest unless it's in the extremes in either direction.

Textured Soy Protein > Lets Just Drive
12/31/2013 at 15:47

Throwing some numbers out there...

12,000 miles a year / 20 mpg * $3 gallon of gas = $1800 in yearly fuel cost. If that gallon of gas is more like $3.50 then $2100.

Going up to a car that averages 30 mpg, that's $1200-1400 per year.

So, if you drive 12k miles a year, getting 10 mpg better mileage will save you $600-700.

Good thing I have one car that averages 21 mpg and takes premium, and another car that averages 15 mpg and takes regular.

I'm dumb.

Manuél Ferrari > Lets Just Drive
12/31/2013 at 15:47

It all depends on 3 important variables:

1. How far do you live from work?

2. Do you routinely take long drives for personal reasons? E.g. dating someone who lives 50 miles away, being divorced with shared custody and your ex lives 30+ miles away.

3. Will this be your only car?

RacecaR > Lets Just Drive
12/31/2013 at 15:48

I really do not take EmPeeGee's into consideration at all.

And while we are talking bout Mpegs. Why doesn't the voice over say "miles per gallon" on car commercials? Are the sheeple that dumb to where they do not know what EmPuhGuhs actually are? If someone is discussing that acronym..."Hey, I bought the Econobox 5000 from Chrysolet and it gets 54 empuhgees!" Me:"Hey, that car gets really good miles per gallon, good for you!" Them: "What? What are miles per gallon, I was talking about empegs!"

Or better yet, if I say "good gas mileage" instead of "good miles per gallon", will they still be confused?!?!

Okay, sorry, just had to get that off my chest. It has been bothering me quite a bit for awhile.

Cajun Ginger > Lets Just Drive
12/31/2013 at 15:53

So. I was spending $80/week to feed my mountaineer gas before trading it in. My husband vetoed the magnum I liked because he figured it would cost at least that much. So instead we went with a Pacifica that seems to get about ten more mpg.

Lets Just Drive > . .
12/31/2013 at 15:53

This is where I land, too.

Decay buys too many beaters > Lets Just Drive
12/31/2013 at 15:55

I honestly do not care at all, my beater/daily driver only has to travel 3 miles each way to work, and my fun vehicles are for entertainment so I just consider gas consumption to be essentially cost of admission.

BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather > Lets Just Drive
12/31/2013 at 16:01

For me, it's never a stand alone factor. To me, it's a matter of trade-offs. Like the CR-Z for example. It's fairly cheap, handles really well, but is slow. However, I'd be willing to look at it since that slow-ness leads to a fairly well documented 35+ mpg in real world driving. The opposite can be true about some of the more powerful cars I would look at. A Charger RT or G8 GT is on my radar because they're fairly quick the the MPGs they return. That's why I don't think I'd ever want a GXP or SRT, too many MPGs lost for not enough return on power.

desertdog5051 > Lets Just Drive
12/31/2013 at 16:09

I drive a 4x4 pickup. In town it gets 10-11 mpg. I needed it when I traveled all over the state. Don't really need it much anymore. I want to buy a car for routine travels. MPG is definitely high on my list of priorities.

Joe_Limon > Lets Just Drive
12/31/2013 at 16:46

If and when fuel economy is an issue... my first step is to get out of the new car lot and start looking at used vehicles.
When shopping for a new car, I do not care, if it gets 10mpg if I can get extra utility/power out of the thing.

Singhjr96 > Lets Just Drive
12/31/2013 at 16:59

As long as it gets 19mpg, or more i'm fine. Beyond that, it just matters how the car looks, handles, power, color, etc. So mpg is pretty low on the list; but it's not dead last.

bhardoin > Lets Just Drive
12/31/2013 at 17:03

A lot. 20 mpg means I can afford to go on 60 mile canyon fun for about 8 bucks an hour. 10 mpg would make that 16 dollars an hour.

Not caring about fuel economy just means you don't care how much money you're spending. In total it comes down to balancing how much fun I can afford to have driving a car.

BJohnson11 > Lets Just Drive
12/31/2013 at 18:30

This much.

The difference between a vehicle that gets say 30 mpg vs one that gets 20 is pretty marginal. Especially when the likelihood that the price of the cars you're comparing isnt the same is pretty high, small changes in mpg shouldn't make for a huge price difference.

Nighthawkwill7, Hoon Depot Manager > Lets Just Drive
12/31/2013 at 18:34

I don't drive far to school and all my family lives nearby so it's not an issue for me.

I drive a '97 Malibu LS and a '95 Mercedes S420, neither of which are exactly the most fuel efficient but they could be worse.

Jayhawk Jake > Lets Just Drive
12/31/2013 at 19:54

I try to calculate monthly fuel costs to make sure the car fits my budget.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Lets Just Drive
12/31/2013 at 20:21

What really matters is how many miles you drive. If you drive 10k miles a year 4 mpg doesnt matter that much. but if you drive 30k a year it does.

911e46z06 > Lets Just Drive
01/02/2014 at 01:55

Not at all. I like having fun every time I'm behind the wheel, and you gots to pay to play.