Oppo PSA: DRIVE YOUR DAMN CARS

"Jayhawk Jake" (jayhawkjake)
05/21/2014 at 20:56 • Filed to: None

I was just browsing C5 Corvettes for sale on corvetteforum.com, and seriously I think the average mileage was less than 20k.

WHAT THE HELL PEOPLE?! Why buy a performance car, never drive it, then brag about how it's never seen rain or snow or the damn sun in the 15 years you've owned it?!

Drive your cars people. That's what they're for

DISCUSSION (29)

Brian Silvestro > Jayhawk Jake
05/21/2014 at 20:57

I've already put 200 miles on mine, and I don't even have a job to go to!

YSI-what can brown do for you > Jayhawk Jake
05/21/2014 at 20:58

Snow, I can understand(salted roads and all), but rain? What is so scary about rain.

DancesWithRotors - Driving Insightfully > Jayhawk Jake
05/21/2014 at 20:59

I've put 33,600 miles on my Mazda3 since I bought it, at the end of August.
The Fiat has seen 3500 miles under its own power, plus 163 on the back of a tow truck, since January.

offroadkarter > Jayhawk Jake
05/21/2014 at 21:00

I bet all those low mile cars are automatics

midengineer > Jayhawk Jake
05/21/2014 at 21:02

Apparently the people who buy Corvettes are those 'little-old-ladies' who drive to the grocery store once a week. I guess the used car dealers aren't lying about the previous owners of cars after all.

Nick, Drives a Cobalt LT > Jayhawk Jake
05/21/2014 at 21:03

My cobalt SS has seen 36k miles since November 2012, quite a bit seeing as how most people with Cobalt SS's are too scared to drive their "precious" cars. Granted they made 1500 a year for my model (4500 total) its understandable, but cars are made to drive.

Jayhawk Jake > Brian Silvestro
05/21/2014 at 21:05

I did 3000 in the first month. I'm approaching 14,000 having bought it at the end of July.

Id expect at least 5000 a year on a car like a corvette, but these people are proud of never driving their cars.

Jayhawk Jake > offroadkarter
05/21/2014 at 21:07

Surprisingly no...

I just want like a 98 with a 6 speed and like 65000 miles on it. Is that so much to ask for?!

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Brian Silvestro
05/21/2014 at 21:08

3500 in two months. My mom said that was bad, and I was like "Summer Roadtrip"!

Brian Silvestro > Jayhawk Jake
05/21/2014 at 21:08

That's just disgraceful. I'd be ashamed if I had a car like that and never drove it. That's just embarrassing.

deekster_caddy > Jayhawk Jake
05/21/2014 at 21:10

Because Corvette!

Brian Silvestro > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
05/21/2014 at 21:11

I might be doing several of those!

Makoyouidiot > DancesWithRotors - Driving Insightfully
05/21/2014 at 21:12

I've gone 6k in my Fiat since I bought it...no problems yet! A new record, I think. Also, if our next car purchases match up like our current ones (Fiat + Mazda3) then I'm declaring you my long lost twin, fyi.

BadMotorScooter > deekster_caddy
05/21/2014 at 21:20

Because a Corvette is most often not an only car or daily driver. And since it is not very practical it ends up being used for pleasure drives on sunny days. Nothing at all wrong with that, but it leads to a lot of low mileage examples. This is not unique to Corvette - most any mid-priced or higher sports car applies, since they are not purchased as only cars. Cars like Miatas and FR-S are much more likely to be only cars or DD and rack up the miles.

Also, the is a big reason why I am in favor of leasing sports cars. Leasing a car eliminates any worry about mileage and depreciation, as you know and agree to what you have going in. Use all the miles on your lease.

JGrabowMSt > Jayhawk Jake
05/21/2014 at 21:34

yes, yes it is. I know a guy who had a corvette, and after nearly running off the road at way over the speed limit, he called it quits with corvettes (he had several). Now hes got a Sport Fury that has 740+ hp, detuned from 850 to be "more streetable."

most of the corvettes dont get driven because the owners cant control them, and therefore granny them around for show. The trashed ones are just driven by their children..

deekster_caddy > BadMotorScooter
05/21/2014 at 22:07

My '54 MG TF is this way. Not at all practical. I drive it as much as I can (within reason) but I'm lucky to put 1000 miles a year on it.

Tom McParland > Jayhawk Jake
05/21/2014 at 22:11

I see what you are saying but from a buyers perspective it is great. Think about it this way, regardless of how little the miles are you can really only charge so much for a low-mileage Vette. Which means the Vettes with reasonable miles for their age have to be price competitive with the low mile cars, which means the high mile cars need to be cheap or no one will buy them. And even high mile Vettes can still take a beating...bad for them good for us. :)

BadMotorScooter > Tom McParland
05/21/2014 at 22:24

This is true. And as a former owner of a late model high end Corvette I can say this was a factor in how I used it (or actually not used it). I did not want to risk the depreciation that comes along with 'normal' mileage usage since I knew I'd be selling against really low mileage examples. I think this is even more true with big buck exotics, where a 5000 mile Ferrari is considered really high mileage.

It is a bit of a self propagating problem. The more that follow it creates more low mileage examples, which creates more pressure (or cost) for those that do drive theirs. So you either have to have enough money to really not care, or plan to never sell the car.

It also applies to the used market. I bought a 5000 miles C5 Z06, and although far from a collectible, I did not want to 'use up' the car and ruin the low mileage characteristic. That is part of the reason I sold it. I'd rather have a clean 40k mile example (still low miles) that I'm not worried about putting another 40k miles on.

And all of this is why I like the idea of leasing new sports cars. Even a low mileage lease of 8k miles per year lets you get a lot of use out of the car without worry of resale competition from ultra low mileage cars.

DancesWithRotors - Driving Insightfully > Makoyouidiot
05/21/2014 at 23:51

I don't know... I'm planning on my little Skyactiv 3 to go another 450,000 or so. At least, it may be going OCONUS with me, if I land the position I'm waiting to hear back on.

jdrgoat - Ponticrack? > Nick, Drives a Cobalt LT
05/22/2014 at 02:21

What model would that be? My thinking leads me to 05-07? I had a Sunburst Orange Metallic 06 with G85, myself. That was a great little car, and I sold it with only 23k miles...

jdrgoat - Ponticrack? > Jayhawk Jake
05/22/2014 at 02:22

I was shopping for a C5 last year, myself. I almost bought a 69k mile 01, and would have driven it the same as I drive my GTO. I was actually looking forward to seeing peoples reactions to knowing that I drove it in the winter with the proper tires.

Nick, Drives a Cobalt LT > jdrgoat - Ponticrack?
05/22/2014 at 06:07

2005-2007 they never limited the production the way they did the 2008-2010

Mine is a 2008 LNF Turbo Cobalt with an LDK swap.

Makoyouidiot > DancesWithRotors - Driving Insightfully
05/22/2014 at 07:18

Hehe, mine will probably be gone by this time next year...I like it, but it was always intended as a stopgap till I can get my wife something better...I like my 500, but I want her to have something really nice and upscale.

Jayhawk Jake > jdrgoat - Ponticrack?
05/22/2014 at 08:29

Just curious, what was the asking price on the C5?

The GTO interests me too, but I'm leaning C5 'vette. It's all just dreaming right now anyways.

Jayhawk Jake > Tom McParland
05/22/2014 at 08:33

I suppose that's true. In some ways it's almost better for the high mile vettes: there are so many low mile ones out there that the high mile ones have to be really, really good value.

Here's hoping the same thing happens with the C7...

joyrider564 > Jayhawk Jake
05/22/2014 at 11:19

Not driving your car is like not "mating" with your girlfriend, so you keep it nice for the next person. Sure, enjoy the heck out of the car, but that doesn't mean you have to go Chris Brown on it either.

Jayhawk Jake > joyrider564
05/22/2014 at 11:32

I'm not suggesting everyone thrashes their car, but it should be driven.

jdrgoat - Ponticrack? > Jayhawk Jake
05/22/2014 at 13:07

It was about $17k. I was shopping nationwide, lowest price first on Autotrader. Maybe not the smartest thing, but I've always seemed to have good luck. It ticked all the right boxes: 01-04, manual, transparent targa, black sport seats, HUD, Z51, not black. Even the insurance was $2 less per 6 months.

Jayhawk Jake > jdrgoat - Ponticrack?
05/22/2014 at 13:19

That's pretty much exactly what I'd be looking for. A little high for what my imaginary scenario could afford, but doable.