I Couldn't Wait

[ThreeWheelBurnin]

I was hoping my 14 year old car would hold out until it could be replaced by an Elio, but after increasing numbers of trips to the mechanic over the past months, I got rid of it and bought a used Chevy Volt this week. Now, I still want my Elio, but when I can commute to work every week without burning a drop of gas with the Volt, suddenly 84mpg isn't as compelling as it once was. Crazy, right? Don't tell anyone, but that Chevy Volt is a pretty amazing vehicle and the fact that they seem to depreciate about 50% in the first 3 years makes them fairly affordable on the gently used market. The Elio wins the efficiency title with trips over 80 miles or so, but even a 40+ mile trip for me is fairly uncommon.

That said, I *still* want my Elio!!!!

 

[BlioKart]

I guess the new Volt helps the last gen be even cheaper. The Volt always was a disappointment to me plus they put too much hype on it.

 

[Elf]

I couldn't wait either .He's almost saddle ready .

 

[Rickb]

I guess the new Volt helps the last gen be even cheaper. The Volt always was a disappointment to me plus they put too much hype on it.

How long did you own your Volt, or do you still drive it?

 

[BlioKart]

How long did you own your Volt, or do you still drive it?

I never owned one but did drive one.

 

[Gas-Powered Awesome]

I was hoping my 14 year old car would hold out until it could be replaced by an Elio, but after increasing numbers of trips to the mechanic over the past months, I got rid of it and bought a used Chevy Volt this week.

Congratulations on the new ride. However you may be using some shaky math and logic to justify it. You spent maybe $15,000 to get a used car when you could have refurbished your existing car to like-new reliability - new engine, trans, suspension - for less than half of that. Your refurbished car would likely last another 14 years, while the used car will likely not. If you bought it because you wanted something new(er) and different; nothing wrong with that and no other justification needed.

My daily commute is 40 miles total so I seriously considered the Spark EV when they were offering it for $139/month on lease. But I did the math and even spending zero dollars on gas and completely ignoring the cost of electricity, it still cost more than driving my gas-powered 15-year-old Honda Insight. And that was when gas was still over $3/gallon!

I like the Volt. I think they did a brilliant job on the drivetrain (if not the styling...) and on understanding the typical driver's use-case. But unfortunately it is so expensive that it still doesn't make sense for most people who really need to save money. Far cheaper to fix and drive what you have.

 

[ThreeWheelBurnin]

Far cheaper to fix and drive what you have.

Oh, I hear ya...The economics of getting another car rarely are in your favor, but darn it, I wanted it! :-) For a little more than the price of two Elios, I get a car that seats twice as many as an Elio and gets half the gas mileage over long distances...so it's a wash. Two Elios heading in the same direction get 42 mpg combined, carrying 4 people. See how I brilliantly justify it? :-)

 

[ThreeWheelBurnin]

On a side note, I spent the weekend in the Texas Hill Country, and I'm kinda shocked at how many Polaris Slingshots and Can-am Spyders I've been seeing. I guess we aren't the only ones who want a 3-wheeler.

 

[WilliamH]

On a side note, I spent the weekend in the Texas Hill Country, and I'm kinda shocked at how many Polaris Slingshots and Can-am Spyders I've been seeing. I guess we aren't the only ones who want a 3-wheeler.

What part of Hill Country? I see Can-ams but have yet to see a Slingshot.
(PS: I live near the YO.)

 

[ThreeWheelBurnin]

What part of Hill Country? I see Can-ams but have yet to see a Slingshot.
(PS: I live near the YO.)

This weekend I was driving through Bandera when I saw the Slingshot, though last weekend I saw three Slingshots in and around Round Rock. I hadn't seen one in person prior to then. They look kinda odd, depending on the angle. My wife described it as a Batmobile that someone slapped together in their garage.