My Celica will have paid for itself in 57,284 miles

"Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo" (thetomselleck)
04/29/2016 at 21:04 • Filed to: Celica

If you thought the Celica posts would slow down, you were mistaken. Here’s an exercise in math:

With what I paid for the Celica, plus title, plates, registration, it comes out to $2,000.

The pickup gets, for a sad while now, 20 miles per gallon.

The Celica, however, gets 29 miles per gallon. And I bet I could get more if I tried. But we’ll stick with that figure for now.

Insurance costs are moot because my pickup’s insurance is suspended when parked.

Maintenance costs are also a wash because only one vehicle would be driven, and the only maintenance needed to be done would be oil changes if either were used.

Ballpark cost for 87 octane is around $2.25/gallon here.

So the question is: how many miles do I have to put on the Celica before I save $2,000 by NOT driving the pickup? Or, stated differently, how many miles do I have to drive before the total fuel costs of the pickup would be $2,000 more than of the Celica?

Check out this sweet arithmetic on the back of an envelope for a bill I might not have paid:

And as gas prices keep increasing, that figure will only decrease! I get to save money while enjoying myself.

“But, Zoidberg! With how little you drive, won’t it take you like nine years to hit —”

SILENCE!!!

I can’t wait to bombard my wife with this information. It combines her two least favorite things: my cars, and math! :)

DISCUSSION (14)

slipperysallylikespenguins > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
04/29/2016 at 21:10

My Ninja payed for itself in 9500 miles. Thats when gas was almost $4 though. Hurray math.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
04/29/2016 at 21:25

I feel triumphant. I managed to get the 4Runner to achieve a staggering 18.43 MPG!

*cries.

HammerheadFistpunch > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
04/29/2016 at 21:27

I can’t wait to bombard my wife with this information. It combines her two least favorite things: my cars, and math! :)

My wife would get a good laugh out of this

Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
04/29/2016 at 21:28

My truck has been getting 11 MPG ( 8.2 today ), I want the TA’s 21 again.

6Cylinder > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
04/29/2016 at 22:08

Wow 2k all said and done? Well done.

MrDakka > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
04/29/2016 at 22:14

$2.25 gets you slightly more than half a gallon here in kommiefornia :(

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > 6Cylinder
04/29/2016 at 22:18

Too kind. But it is far from perfect...

6Cylinder > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
04/29/2016 at 22:47

That is to be expected. But honestly, it isn’t the type of car most people are going to keep in the garage and cherish. So I’d imagine clean examples like yours are pretty tough to come by.

I might be in the market soon for something unique, cheap and reliable to daily drive for work. Your Celica adventure has opened my mind to more possibilities than the typical Civic, Carolla, Sentra, etc.

wafflesnfalafel > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
04/29/2016 at 22:49

I tried that “math” on my wife regarding a Corvette a couple years ago and it didn’t go over very well...

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > 6Cylinder
04/29/2016 at 22:50

Oh, taking some wear off of the WRX are you?

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > wafflesnfalafel
04/29/2016 at 22:50

What about Smiles per gallon instead?

6Cylinder > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
04/29/2016 at 23:01

Yeah I’m a laborer so I drive anywhere between Olympia and Everett for work. It adds up to around 30k a year.

That would be 150k by the time the WRX is paid for so id like to get something else to soak up the boring freeway/traffic miles.

His Stigness > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
04/30/2016 at 04:26

So does marriage just consist of opportunities to one up each other and say "I told you so!"?

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > His Stigness
04/30/2016 at 09:25

There’s other stuff but yes