trading in for a car with better gas mileage?

[grey56]

I am financing a 2009 Nissan Versa. I pay $263/mo. I expect to pay it off by December 2013.

I get ~29mpg. My commute is 100 miles roundtrip. So daily, my commute costs $12. Weekly, $60. Monthly, at least $250.

If you were me, would you consider trading in this car (now or later) for a car with better gas mileage? The cars coming out now seem to get such better gas mileage! Even the Altima is claiming 43mpg.

I specifically bought this Versa b/c of its decent gas mileage (at the time). I got it brand new, which I don't want to do again. But would I be able to find a used car with the great gas mileage that cars are coming out with now...or do I have to wait for them to become used?

Basically, is this an avenue I should be looking into?

We also own a Subaru Legacy that also gets 29mpg.

What other info do you guys need? Thanks for helping me work through this.

[kaylie]

I don't know the financial answer, but I will say that I drive a Prius and I LOVE it. I have a 70 mile RT commute and spend ~$125 per month on gas which includes gas used on weekends (we don't use H's car unless we have to). It's a really reliable car known for going a long time without needing major $$ work. The full hybrid engine system (including battery) is warrantied for 8-10 years depending on what state you live in.

You could probably save a bit on a used one, but from what I've seen they hold their value fairly well so the discount usually isn't huge.

[magpie]

I also don't know the financial answer, but I also thought I'd come in and say that I love my prius. It's the best car I've ever owned, hands down. I drive almost all city driving and get about 50 mpg (less in the summer when the AC must blast at all times, done I live in southern Arizona.

According to fueleconomy.gov, a prius would cost about 7.52/100 miles, but you could get a more accurate measure with the cost of gas on your area.

[secondhandscottie]

The Nissan Versa is one of the least expensive cars on the market and 29 mpg is pretty good. Since your commute is 100 miles round trip, I'm assuming most of it is highway? Some of the vehicles that "claim" to get 40+ mpgs do have a hard time reaching that under real driving conditions.

And since you say something about "the cars coming out now" I'd assume that you're thinking of trading in your Versa on a new model. I hate to break it to you, but the trade in value on a 2009 Versa won't get you too far towards a new car. A 2009 Versa sedan with 105,000 miles (based on 4 years at 100 miles each work day, plus assuming you drive some on the weekend) in excellent condition has a KBB trade in value of around $5K. A new base Altima is $21,500. You will never make up $16,500 in gas savings.

Keep it if your only reason to replace it is better mileage to save money on gas.

[secondhandscottie]

I missed the part where you said you wouldn't buy new again. Anything with great gas mileage is going to be difficult to find used right now, and they will hold their value better, so you might not get the best deal on a model that's only a year or two old.

[Deleted]

Assuming that most of your commute is at per 50 mph, a Prius/ new Altima will still get about 29 on the highway. Hybrid engines save gas in stop and go traffic, not in distance driving at "high speed."

... Says the girl who wants an suv o wagon that has all wheel drive, and gets 40+mpg at 83mph with the air conditioning on. Rumor is that BMW will be making his mythical vehicle in diesel for 2015, but it will be waaaaay out of our $25k price range.

[kaylie]

Oct 16, 2012 13:35:31 GMT -5 @idaholakelady said:

Assuming that most of your commute is at per 50 mph, a Prius/ new Altima will still get about 29 on the highway. Hybrid engines save gas in stop and go traffic, not in distance driving at "high speed."

I don't think this is entirely true, maybe for the Altima but I get ~50 mpg on the highway (45 mpg minimum). My commute is almost entirely on the highway and there's meter in the car that tells me how much gas I'm using at any given time.

[grey56]

Ok, this is what I needed to know. I am glad I have you all to bounce ideas off of. Yes, my commute is mostly highway. My car has just about 70K miles on it (I used to live 8 miles from work, but we moved and bought a house in an area we could afford.....50 miles away!). I knew I couldn't trade it w/o bringing some cash to the table....just wasn't sure if that cash would end up paying for itself in whatever I could save on gas, etc. Sounds like not.

My next step is to find a good job closer to home.

Thanks all!