Hello, I may be getting a new job after being unemployed for several months. The pay is actually higher than I was making before, but I’ll have to commute about 2 hours each way, twice a week.
My current car is a beater and wouldn’t be able to make the trip and I’m not in a credit spot to buy a car. I don’t live near anyone that would allow me to borrow a car for the two days. I was thinking of renting a car each week for the two days which would be about $35-50 a day or up to $400 month. However, I wanted to come to this sub and see if anyone had a better idea!
Edit: the first thing I did was check public transit options. There are none. I could piece together a route but it would take 6-8 hours each way along with a one mile walk. America sucks in that regard.
Thanks.
Posted by tametimes
10 Comments
Is mass transit available? Bus? Train? Drive your current car and save up til it dies?
what’s the cost for public transport
Drive the wheels off the current car
Can you move closer to your job? Worth exploring options of you think you’ll be in this job for a while
Can you move closer to your job?
See what cars are out there for 15K, that seems to be breakeven point for the $400 a month in rental car fees.
I feel like that’s the big question, especially when it seems like your current car isnt long for this world.
America sucks at public transportation? Pretty sure there’s every option known to man available in most locations. Think it has to do with your location sucking
Possibly driving your own car and staying overnight so you are only driving twice a week? You would have either to see what a room would cost. If you had a friend close by work, that would be even better so you can couch surf.
I bought a brand new F150 for $24,000 in 2013. It has low mileage and it’s worth about $16K now. It cost me $12.30 a week to drive and own a brand new pickup with a V8 engine.
Think about that. $12.30 a week
The problem with a lease is its condition when you return the vehicle. It was new when you got it.
Now it has a couple door dings, the tires and brakes are worn, there’s a stain or tear on a seat, the muffler might be rusting out. There’s that thing your kid did in the backseat. You drove it too many miles and you have to pay a fee per mile.
When you return the vehicle they’ll tell you how much it’s going to cost you for the wear and tear or you can buy it, at a bad price, after two years of lease payments are lost.
If you agree to lease another new vehicle they’ll tell will forgive most or all the charges, so you lease another new vehicle. If you’re old leasing a new vehicle every other year is fine because of your longevity.
We bought a popular SUV with the works for $35K six and a half years later it’s worth $15K with 85,000 miles. It got 28 mpg. It cost $61 a week to own a self driving AWD suv with a B&O stereo system.
If you buy a hybrid you will be paying for two drive train systems that both wear out rather than buying one drivetrain. When the generators and battery wear out the repair bill will be astronomical so you don’t want a used one. There’s a lot more parts to break if you end up buying the leased vehicle.
> 2 hours each way
Big oof. The pay better be worth it. It’s not even just about the cost of taking the trip, but the fact that your work day (on office days) is effectively 4 hours longer. With your average week being 48 hours long, effectively. That’s not insignificant and just something to think about.
As for the car. If you REALLY don’t trust your current car will make it, then an appropriately priced hybrid hybrid might be a decent shout here. My first thought would have been EV of some sort, but then I saw in the comments you’re in a condo so I’m assuming overnight charging is probably a no go? When it comes to conventional hybrids, Toyota is the final boss, but they also carry a price premium. Saw a comment shouting out the Fusion hybrid which is a good call – fun fact, Ford uses Toyota’s hybrid system (paired to their own engine). In Toyota’s own lineup – there’s always the Prius but as a former owner myself my one caution is that it gets a bit uncomfortable with a drive that long so I’d be VERY tempted to go Camry Hybrid instead. OR if you can get a deal, Honda’s hybrids are pretty good, too. Insight/Civic Hybrid is fine. Accord will be more comfortable. I absolutely will not recommend the Prius C – such a bad car, even worse for stuff like this.