Date: Tue, 5 Dec 1995 10:14:08 +0500
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: cetin@kirk.bellcore.com (Cetin Seren)
Subject: Re: Cost of Operating Vanagon
Very interesting stats... I'd love to calculate my cost/mile on my
vehicles, but being as disorganized as I am, I only have ballpark
figures. I ran a quick calculation, it turns out the Audi 5000 was
the cheapest of them all. (Guess what was next?)
85 audi 5000:
purchase cost: $4,500.00
4yrs. maint./rep: $2,500.00
4yrs. ins.+tax $2,700.00
gasoline for 103,000 miles $4,500.00
so, for 103,000 miles, the Audi 5000 cost me $0.14/mile
(I retired the Audi at ~175,000 miles)
85 Renault Encore
purchase cost (new): $6,300.00
5yrs. maint./rep: $1,500.00
5yrs. ins.+tax $3,500.00
gasoline for 94,000 miles $3,100.00
so, for 94,000 miles, the Renault Encore cost me $0.15 /mile
(It was totaled when someone locked their brakes and hit me on a rainy
day)
And now, (drum roll, please...)
82 Diesel Westy:
purchase cost in 87, with 36,500 miles: $7,500.00
8yrs. maint./rep: $3,600.00
8yrs. ins.+tax $3,400.00
diesel for 74,000 miles $3,700.00
so, for 74,000 miles, the Diesel Westy cost me $0.25 /mile
(this is also a little unfair on the diesel westy, since it does not
take into account the fact that the Diesel Westy is still worth
something. assuming that it is worth $2,000, the cost/mile is $0.22,
and assuming that it is only worth $1,000, then the cost/mile is
$0.23 / mile -- one more thing: as it turns out, the vehicle was
relatively trouble-free , but the cost of regular maintenance was
high -- $200.00 every 15,000 miles for valve adjustment! -- maybe
I'll sit down and start doing that myself now...)
It has been worth every penny!!!!
(I'm quite sure I did not miss anything -- why does it look like my
numbers on the Audi and the Renault Encore are so good? The Diesel westy
numbers look reasonable, I guess).
Joel Walker writes:
> On Mon, 4 Dec 1995 12:26:00 -0600 you said:
> >My cost came out to pennies shy of $165.00 per month for 156 months
> >of ownership and at a cost of $.2246 per mile. This cost does not
> >gasoline or insurance. I guess gas and insurance would add about 10
> >cents per mile or less.
>
> the cost/month seems a bit high to me, if that includes ONLY maintenance
> items. but a few high-ticket items (like several sets of tires, shocks,
> or a tranny/engine rebuilt) can really upset that figure. i think the
> national average (for ALL costs: insurance, depreciation, gasoline, oil,
> tag and everything) is about $0.32/mile. which is waaay up from 10 years
> ago.
>
> my 88 bus costs are grossly as follows: (for 100,000 miles)
> gasoline.............. $5,000.00
> repairs .............. 4,600.00
> maintenance .......... 3,000.00 (oil, filters, etc.)
> insurance ............ 4,200.00
> tag/tax .............. 500.00
> total .......... $17,300.00 or $0.173/mile
>
> now, if you get picky, you have to figure the "cost" of the depreciation of
> the car:
> original cost ......... $20,000.00 <cause i bought it new>
> current resale value .. -6,000.00
> depr ciation "cost".. $14,000.00
>
> so the real "cost" would be 17,300+14,000 = 31,300/100,000 = $0.313/mile
>
> so, even with all the money that i've spent on the bus, i still come out
> pretty much the average cost/mile. i think. :)
>
> joel
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