Topic: My Vehicular History Thread by DKaz

[dkaz]

Totally. Something especially clicked in my head that I just don't want to spend a year's salary on something that'll only be around maybe 20 years. I don't regret getting my Mazda 3 but it's likely the last brand new vehicle I ever buy.

I didn't go wrong with my last $2,500-5,000 used car buy either, a 91 Corolla back in 2002. Bought it at 225k, super clean, it was like a luxury car for college student me. Sold it at 365k and only replaced the clutch, timing belt, water pump, alternator, and brakes, although suspension was long overdue lol. In hindsight, I should've kept it.

Even though my Sienna is old with lots of km, it's only one generation old. It's optioned somewhere between the current base and LE Siennas which lease for $525-575 a month for 48 months, and the best direct competitor is actually the Odyssey SE which is $550 a month. Financing is about the same payments but stretched another three years. Not everyone appreciates it, it's just a boring old minivan. But that attitude got me a fantastic vehicle for a fantastic price.

I saw a beautiful 97 4Runner Limited 5 speed manual a few years ago, wanted it so bad.

[rrocket]

You mitigate repairs with certain makes known to be more reliable, then mitigate more with people who lovingly maintained it. Sure there's a risk still...but sometime the risk/reward can be in your favor

[dkaz]

You mitigate repairs with certain makes known to be more reliable, then mitigate more with people who lovingly maintained it. Sure there's a risk still...but sometime the risk/reward can be in your favor

This. And I would say risk/reward is usually in one's favour. The only cars I've been burned by was a Chevrolet Sprint and the Mazda MPV.

[dirtyjeffer]

You mitigate repairs with certain makes known to be more reliable, then mitigate more with people who lovingly maintained it. Sure there's a risk still...but sometime the risk/reward can be in your favor

This. And I would say risk/reward is usually in one's favour. The only cars I've been burned by was a Chevrolet Sprint and the Mazda MPV.

Chevy Sprint...that brings back some memories...my mother's first new car was one of those in 1987...sipped fuel and cheap to buy (can't remember the exact price, but maybe $8k?)...she had it about 10 years, but rust forced an early retirement.

[dkaz]

Chevy Sprint...that brings back some memories...my mother's first new car was one of those in 1987...sipped fuel and cheap to buy (can't remember the exact price, but maybe $8k?)...she had it about 10 years, but rust forced an early retirement.

Nice. I bought an 86 in 2002. No rust thanks to the West Coast but it wouldn't pass emissions (my fault for not checking before hand, stupid college kids) and the brakes overheated and seized up on me on the highway one day. It also had overheating issues. Fun times...  At least the dealer gave me $2,000 for trade in on an 91 Corolla.

[dirtyjeffer]

Chevy Sprint...that brings back some memories...my mother's first new car was one of those in 1987...sipped fuel and cheap to buy (can't remember the exact price, but maybe $8k?)...she had it about 10 years, but rust forced an early retirement.

Nice. I bought an 86 in 2002. No rust thanks to the West Coast but it wouldn't pass emissions (my fault for not checking before hand, stupid college kids) and the brakes overheated and seized up on me on the highway one day. It also had overheating issues. Fun times...  At least the dealer gave me $2,000 for trade in on an 91 Corolla.

other than a set of brakes and oil changes, my mother's Sprint was fine (but she doesn't put on tons of kms so things may have been different if she put on hundreds of thousands of kms).

so, you've got the Beige Rage II...would this be the Black Baller:

https://www.mercedes-benz-london.ca/inventory/used/2015-mercedes-benz-sprinter-vans-london-ontario/6754587#vehicle-images

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQdUTP2iuSE

[dkaz]

So I found out in my owner's manual how to activate unlock when the van is set to park. The previous owner must've disabled it. How often do door lock actuators fail?

so, you've got the Beige Rage II...would this be the Black Baller:

https://www.mercedes-benz-london.ca/inventory/used/2015-mercedes-benz-sprinter-vans-london-ontario/6754587#vehicle-images

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQdUTP2iuSE

I can sell my townhouse and live out of that, right?

[dirtyjeffer]

so, you've got the Beige Rage II...would this be the Black Baller:

https://www.mercedes-benz-london.ca/inventory/used/2015-mercedes-benz-sprinter-vans-london-ontario/6754587#vehicle-images

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQdUTP2iuSE

I can sell my townhouse and live out of that, right?

LOL...i saw that van and the price and was like "WTF?!?"...then i looked at the photos and was still wondering why that was so expensive, until i got half way through them and into the rear area...then it was like "AHHHH, I get it now".

while pricey, it would make an interesting local touring vehicle to take small groups of people on private tours (if you live in a touristy area).

[2JDM]

so, you've got the Beige Rage II...would this be the Black Baller:

https://www.mercedes-benz-london.ca/inventory/used/2015-mercedes-benz-sprinter-vans-london-ontario/6754587#vehicle-images

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQdUTP2iuSE

I can sell my townhouse and live out of that, right?

LOL...i saw that van and the price and was like "WTF?!?"...then i looked at the photos and was still wondering why that was so expensive, until i got half way through them and into the rear area...then it was like "AHHHH, I get it now".

while pricey, it would make an interesting local touring vehicle to take small groups of people on private tours (if you live in a touristy area).

A tiny 2.1L diesel has to move that bus around? 

[dirtyjeffer]

A tiny 2.1L diesel has to move that bus around? 

meh, i'm sure it's fine...it's not a meant to be a race car.

look at a city bus...the most common bus is the New Flyer Xcelsior...in its diesel platform, it is powered by an 8.9L I6 engine making 280HP and about 900TQ...while those numbers are a fair amount larger than the 161HP and 265TQ the MB has, the MB "only" weighs 5432 lbs...the Xcelsior weighs 24,500 lbs...that means the power to weight ratio for the MB is actually better than the bus is, and they don't lack for power.

https://www.newflyer.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=104&catid=2&Itemid=167
https://cumminsengines.com/uploads/docs/4103683.pdf

[Bubba]

Neat!   

"Frosted Mink Pearl"   

If you're going to frost your mink, make sure it's with pearl.

Great find, DKaz.

[dkaz]

Final running costs:

Fuel - $4873
Insurance - $3158
Maintenance - $3306 (since last report -- tires, timing belt, motor mounts, oil pump seals, rear shocks, tie rods, alignment)
Original purchase - $1200
Sale - -$250

Total - $12287
33447km driven

Cost of ownership 36.7 cents per km
Maintenance plus purchase minus sale = $4256 or $125/mo

It's too bad I did the timing belt, motor mounts, and oil pump seals only to have the transmission crap out a few months later, but $125/mo is dirt cheap to run what's been a good minivan up until last December and still held up long enough until after I purchased my townhouse. Lots of good family memories in this Odyssey -- drive in theatres, road trips (three times to Edmonton, once to the Kootenays, several times between Vancouver and Kelowna), hockey games, and everything else in between -- and for that I'm thankful.

[Solstice2006]

Guess I had more luck with my 05 Odyssey, cost me much less in maintenance, and I was able to sell it certified.  Less with the Hyundai as well, but it does need work, just not getting it fixed. 

[Solstice2006]

Whats next?  Another van?

[Hannibalsmith]

Impressive...those are some low running costs! And a happy family. Good job

[dkaz]

Guess I had more luck with my 05 Odyssey, cost me much less in maintenance, and I was able to sell it certified.  Less with the Hyundai as well, but it does need work, just not getting it fixed.

Well I bought it dirt cheap to begin with, I knew what I was getting myself into and it exceeded my expectations. The timing belt, motor mounts, and oil pump seal job alone was $1487. If I didn't do that work, my maintenance plus purchase minus sale would've been $81/mo.

Whats next?  Another van?

https://www.autos.ca/forum/index.php?topic=98927.0

Impressive...those are some low running costs! And a happy family. Good job

Thanks!

[Noto]

Great story - pretty impressive, actually, to get running costs, including FUEL AND INSURANCE, down to $125/month!

Hell, I thought leasing a c-segment car (Corolla, etc) around $250/month was cheap...on top of that, assume about $100/month for insurance, fuel (depends on how much you drive), and then you still have oil changes here and there...that's at least triple what your van cost you.  Good on ya!

[dkaz]

Great story - pretty impressive, actually, to get running costs, including FUEL AND INSURANCE, down to $125/month!

Hell, I thought leasing a c-segment car (Corolla, etc) around $250/month was cheap...on top of that, assume about $100/month for insurance, fuel (depends on how much you drive), and then you still have oil changes here and there...that's at least triple what your van cost you.  Good on ya!

Sorry, $125/mo excludes fuel and insurance. I just wanted to compare it to leasing a new Odyssey EX which is about $600/mo, since that new Odyssey EX will require fuel, insurance, and $33/mo in maintenance on top (factory interval at the dealer).

The 36.7 cent a km figure however includes everything.

[Noto]

Still incredible.

[johngenx]

Still incredible.

No kidding!  Under $1000 in depreciation shows how cheap these older cars can be to run.  Even adding in the repairs/service, the cost of those two items is only a few payments on a new car.

I'm at about $16,500 in fuel, $2500 in insurance, $3000 in tires, service and maintenance.  Depreciation would be ~$4000.  Total cost for the 150K on the Highlander is approx $26,000 for the 150,000km I've driven it.  That's only $0.173 per kilometer.  The reason the cost/km is so low is the amount of highway droning it does.  On a monthly basis, $26,000/54 = $481/mos for ALL costs including gas and insurance.

For the Corolla, the calculation is $15,000 in fuel, $5500 in insurance, $2000 in tires and service/repairs and $14,000 in depreciation.  $36,500 over 200,000km is $0.1825 per km, or $323/month over the 113 months of ownership.  No way I can imagine to buy a new car for cheaper driving. What makes the Corolla so economical?  The very low fuel costs and the near non-existent costs for service/repairs.  The car's $14,000 depreciation expense is also very low for a new car thanks to the low new purchase price and Toyota's excellent resale.

I've done very precise calculations for the FGCs I've owned, and the numbers are heart-stopping.  Even on used cars where the depreciation costs were minimal, the service/repair costs offset the depreciation on the Toyotas and much, much more.