I’m going to get rid of one of my two cars.
Honda is forcing me to.
The lease on my 2004 Odyssey EX is up on April 19, 2008 and, sadly, my family and I must part with it.
It’s been a great vehicle.
Reliable, comfortable and safe.
So, why am I not replacing it? The reasons are simple.
First, my wife and I work out of the house. Not a bad situation if you can get it. We measure our daily commutes in feet, not miles. I’m a public relations consultant; she’s a project manager. I do have to go see clients, but I spend most of my time serving them from home. My wife on the other hand doesn’t need to go to an office at all. As for kids, we have a ten-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter. No tussle for keys there.
The second prevailing factor is proximity to an Avis rental office. It is literally a half mile away from our house as the crow flies. If I need a car, I can get one for about $45 a day. Even if I rented one once a week, the total is still far less than the $500+ I’d be shelling out monthly for a new car that, with the exception of grocery shopping, would just sit in my garage. Add the price of insurance and the liquid gold cars run on and you are talking significant savings.
So, without a commute and easy access to wheels, buying a new car right now just doesn’t seem to make a whole heck of a lot of sense.
And finally, we just weren’t that thrilled with our new car options. We’re attempting to downsize in the face of high gas prices that are here to stay. More on what models we looked at and why we balked in a later post.
So, here’s the experiment. We are going to see if we can hold out without a second car until September 19, 2008. I chose this date hoping a 2009 model will better fulfill our purchasing criteria. I’ll regularly report on how we’re adapting, including the highs and lows on family harmony and patience, as well as a running tally of what we’re saving.
Will we cave early to our perceived need for unencumbered mobility? Will we buy new, or buy a cheap beater? Being the suburbanites we are and the community where we live (Naperville, IL), I’m anticipating some bumps along the way.
9 comments:
Bob - good luck with the experiement. I don't think I could pull it off.
Believe 'balk' is spelled without a "u."
Bob,
Bravo! Very interesting and clever!
You could even ride a bicycle to the Avis office.
Glenn
By the way, Enterprise will pick you up and is probably cheaper.
I like the concept for the blog. We have been struggling with some car replacement issues ourselves, but ours is more a function of financial comfort. I am curious... What are you waiting for in 2009 that doesn’t exist today?
To Greg: We looked at the Honda CR-V, the Toyota Rav4 and the Hyundai Santa Fe. We like the Honda least of all because it didn't have enough room in the back. With the exception of the Santa, Fe the other two felt a little too utilitarian, even with a leather interior and other upgrades. We were about to pull the trigger on the Rav4, but we just weren't all that excited about it. Hence, that lead to our experiment.
What we're waiting for is to take a look at the VW Tiguan (a diesel), as well as the Toyota Venza. The other option is if Toyota upgrades its Rav4 by bringing over the Vanguard, a Rav4 look-a-like that is slightly bigger and just slightly more upscale.
I believe the Vanguard and RAV4 are the same vehicle. Worldwide, the RAV4 comes in two lengths. The US gets the longer wheelbase model. Europe's gets a version that's shorter by 4 or 5 inches. The Vanguard is the Japanese market version of the LWB RAV4. Although the RAV4 is due for a refresh next year, I wouldn’t count on too much more than a nose job. There's not much Toyota can do with the RAV4 because it already overlaps the Highlander and the Venza.
The Tiguan looks very promising. I was impressed last time I looked it over. However, with VW's known shortcomings in reliability, I'd be hesitant to buy one in the first couple of model years. There is also an issue of size: the Tiguan is on the petite side.
I'm a fan of the Santa Fe. It's a strong combination of styling, utility and value. What's better is that it just doesn’t look as cheap on the inside as the RAV4. Consumer Report's praise of the Santa Fe can’t hurt either. My only hesitation would be the fuel economy. I've had trouble hitting 20 MPG with the last two Santa Fe models I've tested.
If you're considering a Venza, I would definitely take look at the new Nissan Murano. The Murano has a lot of style, performance, and room, but still has respectable fuel economy numbers of 18/23.
There's a new Forester that's nice, but you may find it too small if the CR-V was too cramped. Volvo's got a new smaller model headed our way, but it won't be available until after the first of the year.
Oh wait, I shouldn’t be telling you about cars, you're trying to live without one.
Greg,
Yes, VW reliability and the Tiguan's size does give me pause, but diesel fuel economy and better resale value aren't shabby qualities.
While the Nissan Murano is nice, the need for premium fuel knocks it out of the box of contenders.
My heartburn with the Santa Fe is fuel economy equal to my Odyssey; a strict maintenance obligation to satisfy the warranty; and a less than stellar resale value. They tank hard and fast.
Wouldn't it be nice to have a zipcar nearby?
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