Comments on: WSJ: When Buying a Gas Guzzler Makes Sense

By: make art every day

make art every day — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 12:37:31 +0000

by the way, we ended up buying a used mazda. not an SUV.

By: Kerri

Kerri — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 18:34:09 +0000

I bought a used 2005 Highlander at the end of 2006 and plan on running it until it runs no more. If I got in an accident and my SUV was totalled, I’d get another certified used Highlander without a second thought. I drive 37 miles each way to work every day for a total of 370 miles a week. I fill up the tank once a week (every Wednesday morning) with between 13 and 14 gallons which means I get between 26 to 28 mpg, and it’s not a hybrid. Not only does it get great gas mileage, but it’s perfect for what we bought it for in the first place–fitting myself, my husband, a kid, three dogs, and all our gear for frequent road trips camping and to the in-laws.

By: michael

michael — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 00:09:59 +0000

If you do very little driving, as I do, a gas guzzler can be a great deal. I work in my house and live in a really bike friendly city. I only use my car a few times a month, big grocery trips & maybe social events in the burbs. Also, second hand is better for the environment.
In my case it’s much better to buy an old used 6 cylinder for 2k then a new prius at 22k.

By: Josh

Josh — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 19:27:08 +0000

Not for an SUV. I have no need for one, and gas prices will continue to rise. I need a truck so I have a truck. Luckily for me I also have a commuter. Downside is instead of having one really nice low maintenance car, I have two decent cars that are pushing 200,000 miles. But that’s the way it goes.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 17:42:45 +0000

People get too caught up in the MSRP and ignore the cost of ownership when it comes to vehicles. The fact is, SUVs have a high cost of ownership, because they are, in fact, gas guzzlers.
On a side note, I would never consider one for purely environmental reasons, no matter how cheap.

By: marie

marie — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 14:38:06 +0000

I am in the market for a car right now and absolutely, positively, refuse to consider an SUV because I just don’t like them and have no use for one. I will get either a Rabbit or a MINI. I am a small person and prefer small, zippy cars. The fact that this type of car tends to get much better mileage is a nice bonus.

By: make art every day

make art every day — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 12:33:02 +0000

we are considering this. my husband’s 98 sedan has a broken air compressor and our mechanic recommends NOT paying the $1000+ to get it fixed because he feels other things will start to go bad on the car. so we are looking at used cars. at first we thought about getting a hybrid or some other small, gas-saving car but we don’t want to spend a lot of money. after seeing a similar news story, i told my husband he should look for a used SUV because he could probably get a deal.

so far, he hasn’t found an SUV but he has discovered a few older luxury cars at great prices. they don’t get great gas mileage, but we live 3 miles from his work, a mile from our kids’ school and we rarely drive his car on the weekends. in the eight years we’ve owned his current car, we’ve put less than 6K a year on it.

we’re going to keep looking (but we won’t buy a new car). in our case it might be worth it to buy a car that doesn’t get great mileage.

By: K

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 07:02:36 +0000

It's just like buying a hybrid when your current vehicle (even if it is an SUV) is fine. That won't save you money and isn't worth it. An SUV's higher fuel costs can be more than offset by a lower purchase price. People just focus on what they have to pay every week and neglect the total cost of ownership. So do the math.

And in my area, gas has DROPPED $0.25 in the past week, so there's no way to predict future prices.

By: Wilson

Wilson — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 06:07:09 +0000

renting an SUV is better now, just like renting a house.

By: Livingalmostlarge

Livingalmostlarge — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 03:39:15 +0000

Maybe, depending on how cheap it really is. I don’t drive much so maybe. But it depends really on how many kids and what we are using it for.