Re: Update Re: Carfax, Buying Used, & Craigslist.org

"Elle" <honda.lioness@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:mdJek.20482$%q.4865@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> "Pszemol" <Pszemol@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote
>> "Elle" <honda.lioness@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote
>>> Yesterday I found and purchased a 1993 Civic DX four door 
>>> sedan with 185k miles on it.
>>> [..]
>>> I spent a little more, and I think I got a little more.
>>
>> May I ask how much was it?
>> Thanks.
>>
>> ps. good luck with your purchase!
> 
> I paid $3400 out-the-door.
> 
> Excellent condition KBB private party is $2860 and retail 
> used is $4005.

That is for me a lot of money for such an old car...
So there is still some hope for my 95 camry with 246k miles ;-)
Camrmax priced mine for $750 :-)
 
> The fuel mileage was a big factor in deciding whether to 
> purchase or not. From www.fueleconomy.gov city and highway 
> mpg (manual tranny only), and comparing to my 91 Civic:
> 
> 93 Civic = 29 and 36 mpg laboratory; 6 actual drivers' lo 
> and hi = 33 and 45 mpg
> 91 Civic = 27 and 32 mpg laboratory; 7 actual drivers' lo 
> and hi = 27 and 39 mpg

I think fuel price for an average driver is kind of overrated.
It is not rational, it is just emotional - sticker shock effect.
Think about it - on average one can make - what? - 12000 a year?

Lets say you compare a car making 30mpg to a car making 35mpg.
12000/30 is 400 gallons. 12000/35 is 343 gallons. Difference
is 57 gallons. With todays price less than $5 per gallons it
is 57*5 = 285 dollars PER YEAR. 23 dollars per month...

Now let's do same math for a cars making 35mpg and with 40mpg.
12000/35 = 343 gallons, 12000/40 = 300 gallons, the diff: 43.
43 * 5 = 215 dollars PER YEAR. 18 dollars per month...

Is it really such a big deal to make a car purchase decisions based
mainly or solely on fuel consumption? I think sometimes we apply
too much value to higher mpg and we are ready to pay much too much
for a car with lower consumption compared to what the car is able
to save us on fuel cost...

The same applies to buying toyota prius and comparing it to - let's
say - toyota corolla or camry, but camry looks much bigger car...
The purchase price difference has to be compared to the amount
it is saved on gas between these two cars.

Of course one can speculate on future fuel prices - with the fuel
price per gallon, le'ts say $8, the situation would look different.
But we are still not there, yet :-)