What do YOU drive?

[DeltaBond]

With all the car threads about fixing payment situations, I'm curious to hear what the long time mustachians are driving.  So, here are a few questions.


What do you drive (if you own a vehicle)?

How much did you pay, and did you finance or pay it all at once?

Do you feel your vehicle situation is mustachian?

[SmallCheese]

I drive a 2012 Subaru Impreza hatchback.

I paid ~22k, I financed ~17k, but I paid it off in 22 months of a 5 year loan because I decided debt was BS.

While I know MMM's feelings on AWD I love this car and will likely have it for 20 years or so (my dodge neon lasted 15 and those weren't built for longevity lol!) so I'm very content with my purchase.

[dandarc]

We have 2 cars:

2006 Nissan Sentra - purchased in 2007 for under 10K

2010 Prius - wife purchased new before we were married

The Prius is fantastic - will cut the Sentra if we go to being a one car household.

[Kaminoge]

I have a Hyundai i10.

I paid 8000 lev (just under $5000). I could have paid cash but my employer offered me a loan at 5% which I decided was worth doing because it meant I could leave the cash in my mortgage and not have to transfer it to where I was buying the car (different country).

I have no idea if it's a Mustachian vehicle or not (to say I know nothing about cars is an understatement) but it does the job. I use it in a fairly Mustachian manner because I largely cycle in summer and use the car once winter closes in.

[andy85]

2010 Ford Fusion
Financed $15k
$268.51/month @3.34% for 5 years
2 years and 9 months remaining on the loan
(Last payment should be October of 2017)

[dandarc]

We have 2 cars:

2006 Nissan Sentra - purchased in 2007 for under 10K

2010 Prius - wife purchased new before we were married

The Prius is fantastic - will cut the Sentra if we go to being a one car household.

Forgot about payments - I financed the Sentra but that was pre-MMM and i paid it off fairly quickly.  Wife paid cash for the Prius.

[Self-employed-swami]

My work vehicle is a 2005 Toyota Tundra TRD 4WD.  I paid $11,000 for it in 2013, all cash (well, actually the business I own bought it).  I think it is as frugal as possible, given my requirement for 4WD and hauling for my job.  It is decently fuel efficient, all things considered.

Our car is a 2005 Yaris, which we paid $1400 for (it had no engine).  With another $1100 in parts, it is roadworthy and trustworthy again (thanks to my Dad, the mechanic!).  It's freakishly cheap to operate, and rather roomy, considering it's size.  Again, we paid cash for it, and all it's parts.

[meyla]

I wouldn't consider myself a long time mustachian (I'm only 25, "long" is a relative term), but I have always been mustachian about cars. My dad always encouraged me to buy a car outright and never make payments.

I drive a 1999 Honda Accord EX coupe manual transmission with 225k miles.
I paid $6000 cash for it in 2007 when it had 160k miles.
I think that my purchase is mustachian. I think you could buy a less luxurious and cheaper car, but I think I got the better end of the deal in this purchase.

[DSKla]

1999 Nissan Frontier
Bought: 2004 w/23k miles on it
Paid: $7,000 cash
Miles: 106,000


It may not be the most fuel efficient, but I've never had a payment, and it was a steal at that price for those miles. I've had it 11 years now, and though I've had to shell out for some repairs, it's still way more economical than buying a new, or even used, vehicle. I'll drive it til the repair costs outweigh the price of a newer used vehicle. I am hoping to get at least 150k miles, maybe 200k+.

[fitzgeralday]

98 Camry
purchased last year after selling my Durango
paid $2K cash
Yes - I feel as though my vehicle choice is mustachian, as I expect it to last a few more years without costing much to maintain.

[Bob W]

1999 Mercury Mountaineer at the moment.  It sips gas at an average 18 mpg.   Course I only paid 3K for it and carry liability only.   I could go for a used 30 mpg car and save about $300 per year but I'd probably end up paying 4-5K for a decent one and be unsure of the reliability.  So it would take several years to break even.   

Newer tires,  all wheel drive (I live in the hills),  leather,  used to haul kayaks, canoes, camping gear and other crap.

When I'm on the Highway I can hypermile it up to 21 mpg!  So yeah,  I'm loving today's $1.78 gas price. (cost per mile for fuel about 10 cents). 

I am considering doing some significant driving this year though,  so when the time comes I'll be trading the SUV for an 01 -02 Toyota Camry.   The one I passed to my daughter has 390K on it and still gets 30 mpg.   

[SantaFeSteve]

DW and I share a 1999 Subaru Outback.  Purchased 3 years ago for $2,400 cash because it needed some work.  Spent ~$1,000 changing head gaskets, all brakes, clutch, timing belt, accessory belts and hoses, all ignition parts, and probably a few other items.  Did all the work myself so the cost was only for the parts and the rental of an engine hoist($60). Currently has ~240,000 miles and is going strong. 

In spite of the less than stellar gas mileage I think it is a semi-mustachian purchase.  (Maybe its a 7 on a scale of 1-10?).  We don't really drive much except for 1-2 road trips per year and semi-regular camping trips in the warmer months.  I think that our minimal driving helps to offset the mileage we get.  Hope to drive it for 2 more years and then upgrade to a FWD car that gets better mileage.  We will pay cash for the next vehicle as well, and it will be at least 3 years old.

[schimt]

2 vehicles

1999 Toyota Corolla with only 40,000 miles that a friends grandmother owned bought for $2600
1997 Suzuki sidekick 4x4 that get 32 mpg someone gave me because originally they were going to pay to have it towed to the junk yard, i repaired it myself, probably have $500 into it, is great for the snow and camping and to tow a utility trailer when needed.

Mustachian? ehh i could get away with just the car, and i'm paying slightly more for insurance, both just liability. But its nice to have 4x4, and the top comes off, which is nice in the summer. Plus we camp a lot on a friends property and there is no way to get out of the woods with out 4x4. So in the mustachian spirit, i sold my 2008 dodge ram hemi and replaced it with the sidekick. Also sold the street bike recently as well, and 2 jetskis!

[begood]

Let's see... before I discovered MMM, we drove a 1998 Volvo S70 and a 2002 Honda CR-V. And then I got the new car bug, which happens like clockwork about every 10 years or so.

We traded the Volvo for a new 2012 Honda Crosstour. Paid cash.

A year later, I sold the CR-V and bought a new 2013 CR-V. Financed for a $750 incentive, then paid off the loan in three months.

Of course, if I'd known about MMM in 2012, we'd still be driving the Volvo and the 02 CR-V. *shrug* No loans, and we'll drive these cars a looooooong time. The 13 CR-V will probably end up being my daughter's in a few years.

What I haven't figured out how to do is stop lusting over cars. Like, I want that Volvo XC-60 BAD, even though I know it's expensive to repair, even though it takes premium gas and costs the earth to start with. I still want one.

[pdxvandal]

2005 Ford Focus 4-door hatchback w/ 139k miles. Paid $3,900 last year. Outside of buying two new tires and fixing a faulty lock, no issues. I've put about 2k miles on it in the last 6 months (commuter car).

[Rural]

2003 Kia Rio
Paid cash, $1,200 in 2012
Only gets about 35mpg, which doesn't seem great to me since I have often driven Hondas from the 80s, but it was a good deal in a hurry when my previous car was totaled and I know it was maintained well because it was my mother's car, her first ever new vehicle.


Car before (the totaled one) was a 2001 Kia Rio bought in ~2008 for $1,600 cash from a local dealer based on my father's recommendation because they were so happy with my mother's car. About the same mpg, but a solid reliable car for me until an F250 rear-ended me at a light... crumple zone works, too, at least in the back.

[skunkfunk]

1991 K1500. It's a 5-speed pickup with 242K miles. I don't drive it all that much, but since I can fix most anything in the driveway it works well for me.

$1500

[ketchup]

For two people:

Past cars:
1988 Chevy Sprint, bought in April 2012 for $1000 with 46,000 miles.  Crashed in June 2013 with 69,000 on the odometer. :(
1996 Volvo 850 wagon, bought in July 2013 for $2000 with 155,000 miles.  Sold in April 2014 at 168,000 to buy:

Current cars:
1999 Chevy Metro, bought in April 2014 for $1000 with 146,000 miles.  Currently at 162,xxx.
1992 Buick Roadmaster wagon, bought in July 2014 for $700 with 157,000 miles.  Currently at 163,xxx (I think).

The '88 Sprint was wonderful, and crashing it sucked pretty hard.  The Volvo was super nice, but it was too thirsty for driving around town, and too small for big roadtrips with multiple dog crates.  The Metro is nice for in-town driving, shorter roadtrips, or roadtrips with less cargo.  The Roadmaster is a gigantic beast of a landyacht, perfect for long roadtrips with up to 4 dog crates set up in the back.  Or 6 passengers.

Both current cars I view as quite Mustachian.  No depreciation costs of any significance, the Metro is efficient, both are super easy to work on (and I do, myself), and the 20MPG Buick is driven with purpose, not moseying around town for no reason.

EDIT:  All were bought with cash upfront.  I think I would have a nervous breakdown if I had a car payment.  Couldn't do it.

[ShoulderThingThatGoesUp]

2010 Honda Fit, which we bought new with cash.

[senecando]

1992 Volvo 240, which has been in the family for at least a decade. I've owned it for about  eight years. It was a gift from my sister, who got it as a gift from my parents.

I think it's pretty mustachian. If I drove a lot more, I'd consider getting something more efficient. It's a heavy car.

[ysette9]

I wouldn't consider ourselves mustachian because our spending is more than most people on this forum, but we manage a great savings rate and I am very excited about the idea of FIRE in another 10 years (when I am 42/43). Our current cars:

2005 Scion tC - 120k miles, paid off long ago, thinking of replacing with something with 4-doors since getting the baby in and out of the backseat is tough with the 2-doors and the sloped back
2012 Golf TDI - paid off last year, purchased new, with the diesel engine will likely last us forever

After our experience buying the TDI, I think we won't be buying a new car for a very long time. We had wanted to buy used but at the time there just were not any used TDIs on the market in our area. I took that as a sign that they are good cars and people hang on to them!

[b4u2]

Me 2005 Suburban Z71 owe $2700 on it. It's my winter driver and camper tower.
Me 2012 Harley Davidson electra glide classic. Our summer ride and fun vehicle. Owe 10k on it
Wife 1996 Toyota Camry paid cash for it about 3 years ago. Love this thing and it's her daily driver.
Step daughter 2001 Saturn L300 paid cash for it 5 years ago. Piece of junk but it runs. Now that she is in college I drive it some to help with fuel costs in the winter.

[Homey The Clown]

Didn't want to buy new, but got a deal cheaper than a used on a new 2013 Chevy Volt. Almost never use gas around town and get upper 30s on the highway. Net cost after finance charges and tax credit is a bit under $21000. We bought it new in August 2014. Our other car is a 2006 Volvo V70, which is super nice, but not efficient. I still have a 99.5 VW Jetta TDI with 225000 miles that I need to get around to selling.

[GW]

06 Hyundai Sonata GLS - $10K PAID FOR.. 107K miles on it now

Will drive it into the ground while I save for my next vehicle, a truck.

Which I know isn't very mustachian, but I love hunting/fishing/camping and need 4WD and extra clearance to get into the mountains!

[lauren_knows]

I drive a 2009 Mini Cooper S.  It was $23k. I put down 50%, and paid the rest off in 3 years.

Is it mustachian? Well, not really.  But, I had driven beater cars for my whole life and really spent a lot of time researching to find the cheapest, best MPG car, that would provide the most fun.  A manual, turbo, Mini Cooper seemed to fit that bill pretty well.  No regrets.

[Exflyboy]

I think like any spending decision, whether something is mustacian or not depends on your financial situation.

So with that I am FI, never had a car loan in my life, my last car (my first when I emigrated to the US) was a 97 Neon manual, bought it new and paid cash.

Current cars...

Car 1.

I have a 1999 Dodge Neon that I rebuilt (engine, transmission and some cosmetic damage)

Cost $350

Payments.. Umm zero



Car 2 Wife's

2012 Chevvy Cruze, bought from Hertz (ex rental car) High end model leather seats, power everything

Cost $12,000

Payments.. zero.. paid cash, and only carry liability as I can do bodywork etc and my car is sort of spare since I retired and hardly drive it.

[Khaetra]

2008 Nissan Altima which I bought used last year.  It only has 88k miles on it and I expect to keep it for a very long time.  My previous car was a Mustang.

[BadStache]

2014 Subaru Forester

Paid cash for it $26,000.

Non-Mustachian, love it so much!!! 

[tarheeldan]

2010 Acura TSX
Financed $25k @4%, refi to 2.3%, paid off last year
Non-mustachian for sure!

[TexasStash]

I wouldnt say that we're long-time Mustachians, but we have:

2013 Prius - purchased 2 months ago used with 33k miles on it for $18,500. Love this car even though I think we could have maybe haggled more. Love the gas mileage. Bought with cash.

2009 Ford Escape - bought for a little over $20k with 18k miles on it in early 2010. After warranty and all, cost me $24k with half in cash, half financed for 3 years (paid off a few months early). Definitely overpaid and didnt get something that matched my needs (bought AWD model because I was in Colorado and thought it would help in the mountains, and then promptly moved to Texas less than a year later).

Going to keep both cars for a long time I hope. And use Prius for long trips. Tempted to go down to a single car, but will stick with 2 for now.

[Exflyboy]

OK I think I'm winning this game..:)

[Nate R]

With all the car threads about fixing payment situations, I'm curious to hear what the long time mustachians are driving.  So, here are a few questions.


What do you drive (if you own a vehicle)?

2001 Honda Insight, 347K miles.
2011 Honda CR-V, 48K Miles
2005 Yamaha Zuma Scooter, 7K miles.

How much did you pay, and did you finance or pay it all at once?

Insight: $4500, but sold an extra set of wheels it came with for $150, so $4350. Bought it in 2011 with 225K on it. Paid cash.
CR-V: 20.4K OTD. Put 1K down, financed 19.4K for 5 years at 2.4%.
Scooter: $975 Cash.

Do you feel your vehicle situation is mustachian?

Insight: DEFINITELY a mustachian car, but its' duty is my UN-mustachian commute.

CR-V: Probably not. Probably could've bought a 2004 and been better off, but hard to say with the way prices were at the time vs year/mileage. We use it for towing a tiny camper for mustachian vacation time. (Can camp for $15/night in state parks.)Bought this before we got more hardcore, but we'll keep it for a LONG time. (10 years?) And I suppose we instead could've bought a larger SUV and or truck and a large camper and be out a LOT more $$$! I know a few who have a big truck just so it can tow a ridiculously large camper. No thanks. I'll take our mini-camper that's basically a hard-sided tent.

Scooter: Probably. Wife takes this to work on nicer days, saves $ and wear and tear on the CR-V. We also use it to go to events where we'd otherwise have to pay for parking. We COULD use bikes instead, and that'd be better.

[RapmasterD]

2001 Subaru Forester S that's been on the road since July 30, 2000. It has almost 131,000 miles on it.

Paid about $26,000 cash.

I still don't know what 'mustachian' is and don't care if the car is mustachian or not. But the last time I checked, major U.S. airliners hold onto planes for 25 years or so. They run pretty tight operations, cost management-wise.

They don't lease planes. They purchase them. They don't flip their planes every three years.

You might not like most U.S. airliners. You might not flying in their planes. But we can all learn from them.

[dorothyc]

Shared with my wife: 2002 VW New Beetle manual transmission diesel. Bought in 2009 for $8500 with a credit union loan, which we paid off in 14 months - before discovering the MMM forums, after my wife's car at the time - a '98 Honda Civic passed 240,000 miles and the engine crapped out for the second time in a year. She had originally bought the Civic for $400.

My college age son who lives with us has a 2000 Toyota Echo which we bought in 2007 for $3500. It has been very reliable, even though we purchased as a salvage title. We bought it from our mechanic who had fixed it up for his own use, but wasn't driving it much. He told me last time we spoke that he regretted selling it to us.

[SmallCheese]

I have a 1999 Dodge Neon that I rebuilt (engine, transmission and some cosmetic damage)

Cost $350

Payments.. Umm zero

I had a '96 neon before the car I drive now. May it rest in peace. I loved that car...

[volte]

Hi guys!

I'm new here, but it seems I've been practicing the cores of Badassity for a while. Granted, I still have a lot to learn and more I can always cut out.

Anyhow, I drive a Solé... That's right, a single speed bicycle. http://shop.solebicycles.com/collections/bicycles/fixed-gear-bicycle

It was definitely on the expensive end, and this was back when I was starting to get settled and didn't have the most amazing grasp on my finances, although I was headed there quickly.

This little sucker gets me all over town. Granted, I don't have hills. And I take public transportation to work for a monthly fee of $115. That's a total of $5.75 round trip, with the added perk of unlimited local rides as well.

I know, I'm cheating. Obviously you meant cars, but I had to represent the carless here. I love thinking about how much money I save constantly by not having a car.

(I had a car back in the day, a Jeep Cherokee 1996. I loved that thing. Sadly, it was lost in a freak car-fire. Long story)

[FLBiker]

We've got two cars -- a 1999 Ford Explorer Sport (my wife bought it before we met for ~$6K in 2005/6, I think) and a 2009 Corolla (purchased in 2011 for ~$12K).

We'll let the Explorer die at some point, but it's been reliable.  I think we're game to be a one car household at that point, too.  If I had it to do over again, I'd buy an older Corolla.  It's been a good car, though.

My wife drives the Corolla and we use the Explorer occasionally as a second vehicle.  I bike most days (Gary Fisher Mako).

[Jon_Snow]

My truck is 15 years old. I am thinking I may never have to buy a vehicle again. It's been that good.

[RWD]

I drive a 2013 Subaru BRZ. With taxes and fees it was $30k. I financed $28k at 2.9% for five years.

This was not the most Mustachian choice, obviously. It gets decent fuel economy (40% better than the vehicle it replaced), but requires premium. Our savings rate is still plenty high though and I plan on keeping it for at least 10 years. Overall I am very happy with it.

[gimp]

What do you drive (if you own a vehicle)?

How much did you pay, and did you finance or pay it all at once?

Do you feel your vehicle situation is mustachian?

- 2000 Buick Regal GS, bought in 2011 with 60k miles on it (yes, some old guy barely drove it); this car is a hidden gem.
- 6 grand for the car, 2 grand for work done on it; borrowed money from parents for a few months since I got it just prior to starting my first real job.
- Probably. It ain't flashy, but it gets the job done. Lots of fun, great time owning it; been to 49 states and DC on it. Has it where it counts. Costs a bit more to maintain than I would like. Safe. But hey, who's going to admit their car decision is stupid?

I hope to drive it until it dies, then resurrect it and drive it some more. I've got the cash for it. Hoping at least 5 more years.

[YTProphet]

I drive a 2006 Saab 9-3 with around 120,000 miles. Bought it in 2011 for $11,000 when it had about 55,000 miles on it. Not the most Mustachian purchase, but I plan on driving it into the ground. Plus, it gets good gas mileage for a sportscar (27 mpg) and I'll drive it a lot less now that I work about 3 miles form my office.

[boarder42]

2008 Ford escape hybrid - 45mpgs

will turn over 200k miles this year.  bought it with 150k 2 years ago for 4800 bucks at our fleet auction.

[UnleashHell]

2001 Volvo s80. List price 45,000. I bought it in 2006 for 10k as it had 96,000 miles on it. It currently has 144,000 miles and could happily continue for a long time. very comfy. gas guzzler though - 18.6 mpg. however as I only do about 6k a year max and am reducing that with biking to work then the cost benefit of trading it in is minimal.

2003 town and country. very handy for kids (we had 3 at home when we bought it) and visitors from out of town/ country (just had parents here for 4 weeks). we got it for 15k when it was 11 months old and had 15,000 miles on it. its currently at 96,000 and going strong.  This would be the next car to be replaced if needed.

both long paid off.

[Numbers Man]

2001 Mercedes 430E paid cash ($15k) in 2008. It currently has about 153,000 miles on it.

[YK-Phil]

We own a Fiat 500 2012, bought cash for $12,000 exactly two years ago. It was offered at $17,000 in Calgary-area dealers but I got it from a Dodge Chrysler dealer in rural Alberta who could not be happier to get this toycar off the lot in the middle of 4x4 monster trucks.

We rarely use our car, it sits in the condo parkade 3-4 weeks every month. I work 2000 km north in Yellowknife where I either bike or work and do not own a vehicle, and my wife does not drive and walks to work two blocks away. In Calgary, I bike or walk most of the time except for groceries and errands or short trips to visit friends. It is a very mustachian vehicle, excellent fuel consumption, low maintenance, easy to drive. The mustachian thing would be to get rid of it and rent when I need a car but I am not ready to take this step yet.

[JoshuaSpodek]

New York City subway!

[k-vette]

Leitra Velomobile
$4,200 including motor modifications
paid for
1,600mpge and I dont have to pay for insurance, registration, etc and I can drive on roads legally.

If all goes to plan, I will be able to advertise with it too, generating money just for riding to and from work.

And my wife drives a camry.....   

[minimustache1985]

2008 Civic.  I'm a fancypants ;)

Bought it right before moving across the country for a job new for 23k?  Financed about 6k of it at 1.9% to keep my emergency fund intact but paid it off within a year.  The payments were pretty low because they didn't have loan terms shorter than 3 years.

I'd say it's medium- certainly buying new isn't mustachian (although I tried used, but anyone try to buy a used gas efficient car in 2008?  In hindsight should have made my clunker last until the used market started breathing again, whoops), but it's a fuel efficient reliable car that I'll have for years to come.

H has a 2007 Chevy Impala, which is even more fancypants (leather seats!) but bought used 3-4 years ago when his college clunker finally died.  He bought it pre-engagement and I don't recall what he said he paid, but it was financed at a low rate and paid off early.  For someone in sales who has to drive clients it feels like a good compromised choice.

[NoraLenderbee]

1997 Saturn SL2 sedan, automatic.
Mustachian?
No, because I bought it new. It is the higher-end model. It has leather seats and other fancy things  (if I wanted ABS, I had to get the whole options package). It's not a hatchback.
Yes, because it's still my daily driver after 18 years and 160,000 miles. It has been fantastically reliable. It's needed very few repairs. The gas mileage is decent. I like it and so it is associated with good feelings instead of bad ones. I wish it would last forever.
Paid cash.

1998 Saab 900 convertible.
Mustachian?
Of course not, it's a SAAB. Parts cost a lot and certain repairs are so complicated we take it to a shop. Some parts can't be found at all except used. Plus it's a CONVERTIBLE, which means a whole additional system to break down (and it has). It has HEATED leather seats. It's bigger than the Saturn and has a more powerful engine for no good reason except to go faster.
Yes, because it was free. After my mother stopped driving, my father felt he could no longer justify having 2 cars, so he gave the Saab to me (it was 10 years old then). It allowed me to have the wonderful experience of driving from NY to KC, MO with my father, just the two of us together. Then my husband and I drove it the rest of the way to CA, visiting Colorado and Arizona along the way. I treasure those memories. It's also fun to drive.

[BlueMR2]

1991 Toyota MR2.  Bought used in 1996 for $10,500 cash.  Fairly mustachian for a sportscar.  32-34 mpg.  Originally ran on 87 octane, but with 10% ethanol being all I can get locally it now requires 93 octane.  Parts can be ridiculously expensive (and hard to find), but it rarely breaks despite the beating it gets (hey, it *is* a sportscar!).

1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX.  Bought used in 2002 for $15,500 cash.  Not as mustachian.  Originally was getting 28-30 mpg, but had severe hesitation problems at low speeds.  Found and fixed injection timing issue and it now runs tons better, but only get 25 mpg (with 93 octane, it's a turbo).  Most parts are easily found and dirt cheap.  However, stuff breaks a LOT, and I recently had it stuck on a lift for multiple months while we were trying to locate a rear axle cup (seems you can buy anything BUT that part)...

1994 Suzuki Katana (motorcycle).  Bought in 2013 for $1 (cash :-) ).  55 mpg highway (42 in town).  Parts are dirt cheap and easily available.  Stupid easy to work on compared to a car.