Looking for a beater in the Charleston, SC area

Hello fellow GRMers. As the title states, I'm on the hunt for a beater. I've got a 40 mile round trip commute and I drive a Tundra, so you can see why I'm shopping. I've been looking on FB Marketplace and CL but I haven't seen anything worth my while. It seems marketplace has turned in to dealer central!  I prefer something manual and fun, but at the end of the day, it is just a beater. So if you're in my area and you've got something, let me know. Thanks!

Chad

Buying a second car to save money can be a tough proposition mathematically.  I use fueleconomy.gov as a tool for this.  The site has a good compare tool.  As an example:

I guessed and put in that you have a 2010 Tundra w/ 5.7L.  It is rated for 14 mpg, average.  I then compared it to a 2009 Prius w/ 48 mpg average and 2010 Kia Rio with 30 mpg average.

To drive the Tundra 15,000 miles costs an average of $2,300 per year
To drive the Prius 15,000 miles costs an average of $700 per year.
To driver the Rio 15,00 miles costs an average of $1,100 per year.

At 40 miles per business day you are looking at about 10,400 commute miles per year so your saving could be less per year but staying at 15,000...

Trundra to Rio you are looking at saving 1,200 per year or $100 per month.  For that $100 saving in addition to the purchase price of the Rio you have to factor insurance on a second car and repairs to a second car.  I predict a break even at 30 mpg.  Buy something with worse mpg than 30 and its a loss, but it could be a way to have a fun car at a low additional cost.  

Move to something with better mpg like the Prius and there can be some slight savings.  But, purchase price of the car will be higher and fun factor of the car will be lower.  The savings from a Prius vs Tundra are $1,600 per year or $133 per month before costs.  

You can play around with the website to adjust gas prices or miles driven to help with other scenarios.  

TLDR: if buying a second car, buy something you enjoy driving.  Buying just to save becomes more difficult.   

In reply to John Welsh :

That's why I got a motorcycle. At $8k brand new, cheap insurance, free HOV lanes (huge factor when I was in DC at $30/day), and 45mpg, it made financial sense and was enjoyable. I'm not sure I could do Charleston in July though...

When looking at the financials, talk to your insurer about low annual miles. For mine, under something like 7k annual miles is the cutoff point. Two vehicles under 7k annual miles can come close to one vehicle at 12k miles, depending on the policies of course. 

cyow5 said:

In reply to John Welsh :

That's why I got a motorcycle. At $8k brand new, cheap insurance, free HOV lanes (huge factor when I was in DC at $30/day), and 45mpg, it made financial sense and was enjoyable. I'm not sure I could do Charleston in July though...

When looking at the financials, talk to your insurer about low annual miles. For mine, under something like 7k annual miles is the cutoff point. Two vehicles under 7k annual miles can come close to one vehicle at 12k miles, depending on the policies of course. 

 

I'm gonna need you to talk my wife into letting me get a motorcycle. And fair warning, she's mean. 

In reply to Xradchadx :

Hahaha, as long as she is more miserly than mean, it'll work! I think mine let me because I have good life insurance, haha. 

cyow5 said:

In reply to Xradchadx :

Hahaha, as long as she is more miserly than mean, it'll work! I think mine let me because I have good life insurance, haha. 

Lol. I feel like my wife would feel the same. I've got that sweet military life insurance. She'd have it made! 

Commuting in Charleston SC on a motorcycle would be a death wish. No one around here can drive on a good day. 

I don't have anything to sell but I'll keep  eye out incase something pops up.

In reply to Toyman01 (Moderately Supportive Dude) :

I did I-26 in Cola for a few years. Right through Malfunction Junction. Felt more visible & safer on the bike than I did in the Miata that I used the next few years...

Toyman01 (Moderately Supportive Dude) said:

Commuting in Charleston SC on a motorcycle would be a death wish. No one around here can drive on a good day. 

I don't have anything to sell but I'll keep  eye out incase something pops up.

Thanks man! Yea I wouldn't ride a bike around here. 26 in the morning is TERRIBLE! 

You can save more money by changing the primary vehicle on your insurance from Tundra to whatever you buy.  You will also lower the depreciation somewhat on the Tundra by cutting mileage.