I wouldn’t normally come to Daily Kos for help making a decision about a car, but this feels like a unique moment, where it isn’t just a question of whether to buy a new car, what kind of car to buy etc. It’s also about the climate, and the price of gas and my values and my finances and, well, everything. I’m really hoping to generate some discussion and hear what other people are thinking and doing.
First, my situation: I own a 2010 Subaru Impreza. It’s been a fine car, but it isn’t in great shape. It has an oil leak that has stayed small, but is growing a puddle in my garage. It’s very loud when I drive it. It has some undercarriage damage from all the potholes, some rust from the salt (I live in Central New York), last summer the mechanic had to jerry rig the AC to get it working (I discovered it not working while bringing my cat to the vet on a very hot day and it was frightening — the vet had to send us home with ice in the carrier. Luckily he is fine). The oil leak would cost around $3000 to fix, I’ve been told. I haven’t asked about the rest. It’s due for inspection in July and I have a long drive to the Cape in July. I do not live in a place where biking, walking everywhere or public transportation is a viable option
I am rounding the corner on 60 and hoping to escape my government job at 62. I do have options to continue bringing in money in addition to my pension and I’m doing some extra private work now to supplement my income. But, I live alone, I have a mortgage, there are things my house needs, I have expensive health problems etc. I am not an endless fountain of money.
The car questions: I really want another AWD. We still get snow and I’ve had some harrowing drives to work this winter. They are obnoxious about insisting that you must come in no matter the weather (my job is entirely in front of a computer and I teleworked through the pandemic, but yep, they’re those people — it’s over and you have to come in every day). I’m not the world’s best driver and I appreciate the extra safety in winter. I would like to get an electric car or at least a hybrid, but I don’t think I can afford an electric AWD car. So, I’ve researched and looked around and tried to make sense of the market. The options as I understand them:
1.Nurse my car along and hope it passes inspection and the oil leak doesn’t get worse and rent a car for long drives (rentals being super expensive now of course).
2. Subaru has a hybrid that’s around $31000, but eligible for rebates, but it isn’t clear the electric part is that great (it goes 17 miles on battery and gas mileage, as far as I can tell, isn’t awesome). They are coming out with an electric car, but the chances that I could afford that are zero.
3. I test drove a Toyota Prius. It was a nice car, but the AWD version is $29000 and it isn’t plug in, so no rebates. It does seem to get better gas mileage than the Subaru.
4. I lease a gas Subaru for a few years and watch the market. I can’t figure out if leasing is a reasonable deal.
5. I buy another base line Impreza for around $18-$20,000, pay it off as quickly as I can and plan to trade it in for an electric when there are more reasonably priced new electric cars and I’m retired and maybe don’t need AWD so much.
6. I contemplated buying used, but the used car market is crazy right now. I might as well buy a 2022 Impreza for $18000 as a used 2016 Impreza for $15000.
I want to do my part for the environment. I don't want to buy another gas guzzler. Given the gas market right now, there are financial incentives to not buy another gas guzzler too. I can’t tell if things are going to change — in two years will there be a broader range of electric cars? In five years? Whatever I buy could possibly be the last car I buy. Or it could be something to get me through. But then I’m buying a new car after retirement, when I have less income I can count on.
Help???