Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (December 1995)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
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


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.