Pros/Cons of owning two vehicles?

[itsallaboutme]

I currently have a 5 yr old SUV that has some great features which I need and use quite a lot, 4WD and great for hauling stuff, the downside is the gas mileage. Now it is getting to the point were I'm cringing at the pump and wonder if it might be a good idea just to get a smaller sedan to run around in, and save the SUV for the winter months. But how would that work insurance wise? I'm the only driver in the house, would it double my insurance? And how long can you let a vehicle sit without using it?

Silly, stupid questions I know, but I've never had or even thought about 2 cars before...

 

[Ns1]

why don't you just rent an SUV when you need the size

 

[Tylanner]

babes

 

[sniperruff]

two words: subaru forrester

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Call your insurance company and ask them?

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: NeuroSynapsis
why don't you just rent an SUV when you need the size

or borrow it from a friend or relative if its not something you use often

i borrow my dads truck/trailer from time to time if i need to, otherwise i drive a sable

i get a discount on auto insurance for multiple cars, not sure what kind though, but the price is still based on what car you buy, discount or not, so if you bought a new cadillac i imagine it would more than double, if you got a late model sedan it may not be too bad, but you can get a quote on something before you buy it anyway.

 

[FoBoT]

insurance for 2 cars is more than for one

how much $ you want to spend on vehicles?

 

[vi edit]

Buy a little beater car outright and cash and carry the minimum insurance on it. Your insurance might actually go down with the multi-car discount.

I get a 15% discount for having two cars under the same policy. (Allstate)

 

[minendo]

When I bought the Durango in January I decided not to get rid of the Stealth. Now I just rotate which vehicle I drive based on distance travelling, purpose, needs, etc.

 

[vi edit]

When I lived in Iowa, the full coverage on my '00 Passat was $600 a year.

Liability only on my '94 Camry was about $180 a year.

 

[itsallaboutme]

Originally posted by: NeuroSynapsis
why don't you just rent an SUV when you need the size

I use the cargo space more frequently than I care to admit. the crucial thing for me is the 4WD in the winter - I can't get out to the road without it

 

[itsallaboutme]

Originally posted by: vi_edit
Buy a little beater car outright and cash and carry the minimum insurance on it. Your insurance might actually go down with the multi-car discount.

I get a 15% discount for having two cars under the same policy. (Allstate)

Actually, I'm thinking about getting maybe a new Civic or an Accord and using that as the primary vehicle (when the weather/roads are okay)

 

[itsallaboutme]

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy
Call your insurance company and ask them?

The two car thought just popped into my head and the insurance co is closed right now

 

[itsallaboutme]

Originally posted by: sniperruff
two words: subaru forrester

I checked out the forrester when I got this SUV, it was alright, but I wasn't impressed with the power

 

[thedarkwolf]

I have an 89 5.0l mustang coupe which is my fun cool car but is horrible in the snow, can't carry crap, and is a torture chamber if somebody has to sit in the back seat. I also have an 89 dodge caravan turbo which is also my cool car but can drive in the snow, can carry a ton of crap, and seats 7 in relative comfort. Insurance is about $800 a year for both so not really a big deal. One of the bigger pros for me being that both are old performance cars is that I can take my time working on one since I always have another one to drive. That will come in handy here soon sice the van is in need of an engine rebuild. The con is with two cars you have twice the problems.

 

[Engineer]

Pros: Helps economy and especially automotive manufacturers/suppliers (like my company! )

Cons: None!

 

[Anubis]

pros none

Cons: cost 2x as much
pay 2x as much in gas
pay 2x as much in insurance
pay 2x as much in serviceing
can only drive 1 at a time

 

[Ozoned]

5 yr old suv's are not worth much these days.

 

[itsallaboutme]

Originally posted by: Ozoned
5 yr old suv's are not worth much these days.

That's the truth! The SUV is pretty sound, but the trade-in value is low - that is what got me thinking about keeping it for doing the grunt work, and just getting a car for the day to day driving

 

[randumb]

Originally posted by: sniperruff
two words: subaru forrester 2.5XT

 

[thedarkwolf]

Originally posted by: Anubis
pros none

Cons: cost 2x as much
pay 2x as much in gas
pay 2x as much in insurance
pay 2x as much in serviceing
can only drive 1 at a time

Well all of those are pretty much wrong. You can only drive one at a time so gas isn't 2x as much and in his case he would drive a more fuel efficient car most of the time. Insurance isn't twice as much its more like 1.5x as much because of the multicar discounts. Servicing isn't 2x more since you are splitting your driving between two cars you can go longer between servicing so more like 1.5x.

 

[Ozoned]

Originally posted by: itsallaboutme

Originally posted by: Ozoned
5 yr old suv's are not worth much these days.

That's the truth! The SUV is pretty sound, but the trade-in value is low - that is what got me thinking about keeping it for doing the grunt work, and just getting a car for the day to day driving

Well then, why give it away? A Little more insurance, tags, property tax and whatever else.... If you can't afford these little things, I would assume that you would not have owned an SUV in the 1st place. JMO.