| 2010.10.28 |
$870 in routine maintenance repairs today. Thanks to the spreadsheet, I noted that one of the
parts that was replaced today had only been in service for two and a half years. Did that knowledge
help me earlier today? No. But it could be helpful later if something by the front wheels feels "loose"
again.
So, in celebration of the money I blew on a car that's only worth about $5500 now (thanks,
KBB), I thought I'd offer some completely useless facts about my car.- The car
has been in service for 3,454 days.
- Over it's operational life, it has been fueled 483 times.
- On average, I burn $3.24 in gas per day, spend $1,184.22 on gas for this car each year.
- I have
spent $11,193.30 on fuel for this car in total.
- My lover
believes I'm completely dorktastic for having calculated all of this.
- She's right.
- I have
had the oil changed 26 times.
- I've only ever taken this car to ONE place to get it cleaned, and
have done so 50 times.
- Including the work done today, I've spent $9,175.77 on maintenance; that's
41.4% of the original cost of the car.
- Spread over the life of the car, I spend an average of $969.65 on maintaining that car each year.
- When boiled down to an average per day, maintenance costs $2.66; when added to the $3.24 in gasoline,
it costs me an average of $5.90 to drive this car each day.
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| 2010.10.28 |
So I have reams and reams of data about my current car, as you've seen. What I don't have, however, is context; given that I will have had
the car for TEN YEARS next May, I may suspect that spending just under $1000 on maintenance each year is
pretty cheap for its age (and suggests a quality vehicle), but I don't know that it is. (Des Toupes,
a senior editor for MSN Money, advises "anybody with a car older than three years should be tucking aside $50 a month for repairs and maintenance."
Averaged out, I'm spending $80.)
Also unknown is at what point supporting the car becomes (or became) a bad deal. Austin C. Davis, who bills
himself as "The Honest Mechanic", opines, "I would replace your current vehicle if your average
yearly auto repair bills are more than ten percent of the price of the new car you would like." I'm well
under Davis' threshold.
Have thoughts on this? Please drop me a line!
Links:
Des Toupes, Keep your old clunker or buy a new car?
Austin C. Davis,
Should I Buy a New Car?
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