POLL: does your household have more cars than drivers?

[AdamK47]

Having more cars than drivers is a gluttonous waste.

 

[CRXican]

Originally posted by: AdamK47
Having more cars than drivers is a gluttonous waste.

It's the American way

 

[AdamK47]

Originally posted by: CRXican

Originally posted by: AdamK47
Having more cars than drivers is a gluttonous waste.

It's the American way

It's the wrong way.

 

[nakedfrog]

Originally posted by: AdamK47

Originally posted by: CRXican

Originally posted by: AdamK47
Having more cars than drivers is a gluttonous waste.

It's the American way

It's the wrong way.

Somebody call the waaaahmbulance 😉
It seems to me having multiple vehicles that fulfill different roles would actually be less wasteful. Suppose you have two drivers, two small coupes/sedans, and one van/SUV.
Are you saying it's a gluttonous waste for those people to drive the smaller cars around when they're only moving one or two people, and then using the van/SUV when they have more people?
Would it be less wasteful if they just had a coupe/sedan and a van/SUV?

 

[AdamK47]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog

Originally posted by: AdamK47

Originally posted by: CRXican

Originally posted by: AdamK47
Having more cars than drivers is a gluttonous waste.

It's the American way

It's the wrong way.

Somebody call the waaaahmbulance 😉
It seems to me having multiple vehicles that fulfill different roles would actually be less wasteful. Suppose you have two drivers, two small coupes/sedans, and one van/SUV.
Are you saying it's a gluttonous waste for those people to drive the smaller cars around when they're only moving one or two people, and then using the van/SUV when they have more people?
Would it be less wasteful if they just had a coupe/sedan and a van/SUV?

Yes and yes. Think of the environment and such.

 

[Turin39789]

2 drivers

2006 Ford Ranger
2006 Scion Xa
1972 Volkswagen Beetle
1985 Honda Rebel 250
1978 Honda CB750K8
1975 CB550K1

edit -

1 car garage 🙁

 

[joutlaw]

We have a truck that I use for truck duties and to take off road to have fun.

Me: 2000 Mazda Millenia
Wife: 1994 Honda Accord

We "share" the 2004 Chevy Silverado Z71.

The truck has the 5.3L V8 and gets 19mpg on the interstate. I could probably get 20mpg out of it if I really tried. The accord gets 30mpg+ and the millenia gets 25mpg and has seen almost 30mpg when it was recently tuned up.

Our accord has over 260K miles and will be replaced soon.

 

[BlackTigers]

Originally posted by: AdamK47
Having more cars than drivers is a gluttonous waste.

You're right.

you should donate one to me. 😉

 

[thedarkwolf]

How is it a gluttonous waste? Its not like I'm driving them both at the same time.

 

[rh71]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog

Originally posted by: AdamK47

Originally posted by: CRXican

Originally posted by: AdamK47
Having more cars than drivers is a gluttonous waste.

It's the American way

It's the wrong way.

Somebody call the waaaahmbulance 😉
It seems to me having multiple vehicles that fulfill different roles would actually be less wasteful. Suppose you have two drivers, two small coupes/sedans, and one van/SUV.
Are you saying it's a gluttonous waste for those people to drive the smaller cars around when they're only moving one or two people, and then using the van/SUV when they have more people?
Would it be less wasteful if they just had a coupe/sedan and a van/SUV?

People are too harped up on gas costs... it really is not that much per year if you're driving an SUV (do it all) vs. a passenger car. The difference in buying a 2nd, more economical car... say $10k at a minimum... you won't make that back up for many many years... sort of like the hybrid discussion.

BTW, I also worked out having 2 cars (but using 1 at a time) vs. just 1 car alone... we actually paid more to have 2 cars in our driveway even though we only use 1 at a time..

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/rh71/rh71gascosts.jpg (got rid of the accord and kept the suv... still cheaper driving the SUV everywhere).

 

[SnipeMasterJ13]

We have five drivers in the house. Here goes...

Dad - 1995 Bonneville SSE for commuting and 1993 (w/ 255K on it) Suburban for fishing/light hauling
Mom - 2003 Chevy Suburban (heavier hauling needs)
Sister - 1999 Grand Am GT
Me - 2002 Corvette Z06 and 1993 Chevy Z71 for winter
Brother - 1993 Bonneville

Vehicles we still have around the house - 1994 Corsica, 1986 Pontiac SE station wagon, 1969 Chevelle SS. Also have 3 snowmobiles, a 4-wheeler, and boat.

 

[nakedfrog]

Originally posted by: rh71

Originally posted by: nakedfrog

Originally posted by: AdamK47

Originally posted by: CRXican

Originally posted by: AdamK47
Having more cars than drivers is a gluttonous waste.

It's the American way

It's the wrong way.

Somebody call the waaaahmbulance 😉
It seems to me having multiple vehicles that fulfill different roles would actually be less wasteful. Suppose you have two drivers, two small coupes/sedans, and one van/SUV.
Are you saying it's a gluttonous waste for those people to drive the smaller cars around when they're only moving one or two people, and then using the van/SUV when they have more people?
Would it be less wasteful if they just had a coupe/sedan and a van/SUV?

People are too harped up on gas costs... it really is not that much per year if you're driving an SUV (do it all) vs. a passenger car. The difference in buying a 2nd, more economical car... say $10k at a minimum... you won't make that back up for many many years... sort of like the hybrid discussion.

BTW, I also worked out having 2 cars (but using 1 at a time) vs. just 1 car alone... we actually paid more to have 2 cars in our driveway even though we only use 1 at a time..

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/rh71/rh71gascosts.jpg (got rid of the accord and kept the suv... still cheaper driving the SUV everywhere).

I don't believe I mentioned gas costs anywhere 😉

 

[Bignate603]

2 drivers, 4 cars. One is going to be going away soon and the other is a classic so it doesn't really count.

 

[Arcanedeath]

Lets see 4 drivers and 6 cars/vans/trucks

Spare / Work a 1980 GMC Pickup of some type, (plow truck) & a 2000 Ford E350 Cargo Van
Dad 1997 Lincoln Town Car
Mom 2004 Honda Minivan
Brother 1998 Pontiac Sunfire
Me 2006 Honda Accord

the Truck and Cargo Van get used for hauling stuff they just have liab. and its a hell of alot cheaper keeping them around than paying to rent a Van / Truck if we need to move something. Also having the Plow around in the Snowbelt here in Ohio helps and is actualy a cost / time saver. The others are daily drivers.

 

[secretanchitman]

nope, exactly equal at 3 drivers, 3 cars.

1997 Mercedes-Benz E420 - dad
2000 BMW 328i Sedan - me
2002 Mercedes-Benz ML500 - mom (and thank GOD we're selling it! horrible reliability)

 

[Mister4x4]

Two drivers here, 4 vehicles.

1997 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4: Me
1995 Honda Civic VX hatchback: Me
1980 Jeep CJ-7: Me
2001 Pontiac Grand Prix GT: Wife

If I had my way, I'd also own an '05 GTO and a V-Rod.

The Jeep was a daily driver until I lifted it and blew the tranny (has since become the toy). The Ram was a daily driver until gas went up and my pal blew the engine in his Honda almost 2 years ago - I bought it for $800 and had it back on the road for less than $500. It gets a solid 38 mpg (in town), and my Ram uses roughly $2000 per gas annually, so I'd say I'm already seeing a return on my investment.

Adamk47 - pull the stick out, and think of it like this: people can only drive one car at a time. I'm actually doing the environment a favor by keeping my two 4x4s parked at home when I'm driving the Honda... that's two less 'gas-guzzlers' on the road. AND I'll bet I even have less of an impact on the environment than your car does (the typical 'environmental-whackos' usually drive cars that aren't as 'friendly' as they preach that others should be driving... and are also usually less well-maintained than those who like their cars).

Just because you don't like cars, doesn't mean you should hate others because they do.

 

[rh71]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog

Originally posted by: rh71

Originally posted by: nakedfrog

Originally posted by: AdamK47

Originally posted by: CRXican

Originally posted by: AdamK47
Having more cars than drivers is a gluttonous waste.

It's the American way

It's the wrong way.

Somebody call the waaaahmbulance 😉
It seems to me having multiple vehicles that fulfill different roles would actually be less wasteful. Suppose you have two drivers, two small coupes/sedans, and one van/SUV.
Are you saying it's a gluttonous waste for those people to drive the smaller cars around when they're only moving one or two people, and then using the van/SUV when they have more people?
Would it be less wasteful if they just had a coupe/sedan and a van/SUV?

People are too harped up on gas costs... it really is not that much per year if you're driving an SUV (do it all) vs. a passenger car. The difference in buying a 2nd, more economical car... say $10k at a minimum... you won't make that back up for many many years... sort of like the hybrid discussion.

BTW, I also worked out having 2 cars (but using 1 at a time) vs. just 1 car alone... we actually paid more to have 2 cars in our driveway even though we only use 1 at a time..

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/rh71/rh71gascosts.jpg (got rid of the accord and kept the suv... still cheaper driving the SUV everywhere).

I don't believe I mentioned gas costs anywhere 😉

if it's not money waste, are you people talking about materials waste in building them?

 

[IronWing]

Two drivers, three cars. I'd like to get rid of one but so far my wife won't budge. My complaint about the third car is that it takes up space, otherwise it is a fine car.

 

[Mister4x4]

Quote: "if it's not money waste, are you people talking about materials waste in building them?"

I think the point trying to be made by 'wasted money' by purchasing a Hybrid lies in the money you will lose on the deal. Hybrids get great gas mileage, but all of the money you'll save while getting that great fuel economy won't even come close to negating the price differential between it and a 'normal' car... especially when the price of gas drops like it has recently.

Example: you would pay $15,000 for a decent economy car (like a Nissan Versa, for instance). You would have to pay nearly $25,000 for a Toyota Prius - leaving a difference of $10,000. Drive both cars for a year. The Versa gets roughly 30mpg (average) and the Prius gets 45mpg (average). Say the Versa uses $1000 in gas annually (at $2.50/gallon) - quick math would have the Prius using only $633 in gas annually for the same amount of miles traveled. So if you banked all of the money you 'save' at the pump by owning the Prius, at the rate of $366 per year, how long do you think it will take you to make up the $10,000 in the difference you paid for the Prius, instead of buying the Versa?

The only way you realize any savings is when the gas prices are higher, and you're spending noticeably less at the pumps than you would've with your 'normal' car because there's a higher savings ratio between fill-ups. The higher the prices, the more money you're 'saving' (which is a psychological trick anyway - even if you only spent $10 for a $20 item, you've 'saved' nothing but instead spent '$10.'). And fluctuating prices could have a huge impact on how long it would take for you to realize any kind of 'savings' benefit buying the Prius has over the Versa. The lower the prices, the longer you're going to have to drive that Prius to 'get your money back.'

In my case with my resurrected Honda Hatchback, I'm seeing immediate results because I've only got $2000 total invested in the Honda (including the cool rims and tires), and that's about how much my Ram drank in gas per year at $3.00/gallon. The Honda gets 38mpg, and the Ram gets 12-ish. I've had it almost 20 months now, and in that time I've only put 3,200 miles on the Ram, and over 6,000 on the Honda. I think sometime around the 28-month point is when the money I spent on the Honda turns into the money I would've spent in the Ram's gas tank. And afterwards, every time I drive the Honda and leave the Ram parked, I'll be realizing that I'm actually 'saving' money by driving the Honda. (Of course, the doesn't take into account the money spent on car insurance, registration, and inspections - which of course cancels each other out for each car and is just money I've spent as a result of owning two cars... well, actually 'four' in my case. But I don't factor that into the equation with the Honda vs. the Ram)

Bottom line: don't buy a Hybrid because you think you're going to 'save' a ton of money in not having to pay at the pump - that's just not going to happen because the short-term cost of the car will kill any long-term savings you're hoping to recoup. If you like a Hybrid (and all of the hassles that go along with owning them), by all means buy one. But just like with anything else involved in 'Going Green,' it's WAY more expensive (at this point) to do so.

 

[AdamK47]

Originally posted by: Mister4x4
Adamk47 - pull the stick out, and think of it like this: people can only drive one car at a time. I'm actually doing the environment a favor by keeping my two 4x4s parked at home when I'm driving the Honda... that's two less 'gas-guzzlers' on the road. AND I'll bet I even have less of an impact on the environment than your car does (the typical 'environmental-whackos' usually drive cars that aren't as 'friendly' as they preach that others should be driving... and are also usually less well-maintained than those who like their cars).

Just because you don't like cars, doesn't mean you should hate others because they do.

So easy yet so fun.

 

[Mister4x4]

So - are any of those cars in your sig yours? If so, those are some very nice rides (and a perfect example of hypocrisy). If not, then apparently you admire vehicles that are not good for the environment.

Kind of a double-edged sword, eh? 😉

 

[MovingTarget]

Definitely. When you drive older vehicles or higher-mileage vehicles, having a spare around is just common sense. Repairs (of varying magnitures) are inevitable.

Thus far, I personally own an 87 Caprice (Used for long interstate trips or when moving a lot of stuff...also my "nice" car) and a 97 Cavalier as my daily commuter. I am a shadetree mechanic, so if a car breaks down or needs work, it isn't really going to hurt me if I take my time. I do wish I had a Vespa though...

My family on the other hand has 1 car per person + my old truck. We keep it around mainly to haul limbs and stuff around the property. It is the only vehicle that we can all really work on as it is an 85, and thus doesn't have all that computerized electronic crap. Hooray for simplicity! It never leaves the property though, so it doesn't need to be insured. The only reason it will ever hit the road is if another vehicle is incapacitated with a MAJOR repair, which is unlikely (and in which case we promptly insure it before we drive....it isn't worth it to drive w/o insurance) Having an old beater truck around is really useful when you have acreage and when Hurricane season comes around. 😛

 

[compguy786]

Having a spare around is a awesome thing. We have 2 drivers and 4 cars

- ME- 1993 Honda Accord EX
- Dad -1998 Toyota Corolla LE
- Dad - 1999 Toyota Sienna XLE
- Dad - 1986 Nissan Truck.

At a time when i didnt drive, we only had 2 cars, van and truck. My dad for fun bought a 1988 corolla for about $500. He liked driving that around, and
could take the family around in it. One day we had to go somewhere very important, and the Vans battery died. Obviously we aren't going to go in a truck,
and then the Corolla came in handy. A month later that car got totalled by some vietnamese guy, And then my dad liked having a third car around so much,
he got another !

The truck is probably driven at most, 3 times a year ??????? insurance is like $20 on it, and its not worth selling either.