EverydayDiesel

Do you really save money? My truck has been paid for and it may cost a little more in fuel but when you figure in a car note AND gas to put in the new car. It my not be such a wise choice

steveh1155

In my case I'll come out ahead - estimated fuel cost per year to drive the Cummins=$4380 - estimated fuel cost per year for the Suzuki=$2380 (based on 20000 mi/year). Paid $1500 cash for this little Suzuki in great shape, so that leaves me $500 ahead after a year, not to mention the oil changes take 1/3 as much oil as the Cummins. I admit though, if I hadn't got such a great deal on this little car it probably wouldn't have been worth it.

96_12V

Well, I've had to ponder that same thing as well. My '96 was purchased, seven years ago, as a winter beater/support veichle/practical hauling alternative for my BMW 325i daily driver. I've worked extensively with the 5.9L B-series and had a great respect for it. However except for a few years in graduate school, I've always had a car as well, presently a 2000 Accord 5-speed. However the simple cost of operation is making it a less and less practical alternative to keep the truck these days.

It's my take that what you drive in no way affects who you are. I drive what I enjoy and can afford, regardless of anyone else's opinion. I get quite a kick out of people talking about thier manliness being affected by loosing their truck to a car, that to me simply indicates one's insecurity. I personally encouage you to drive and enjoy your 2006 Civic - it's a great little car, and it should pay you dividends in fuel savings and being a low maintance car. I'm at 164k on the Accord, purchased from a private party first owner who kept all his records. Keep it maintanced well, and it would serve you well.

~Angry Tractor~

I bought a little diesel car about a year ago for $1000. It paid for itself in about 3 months. I have been driving it ever since. It was a good move a year ago but with gas cheaper then diesel I should have got a gasser. I never thought diesel would cost more then gas. I'm keeping miles of my truck and in a few more years it will be a low mileage truck. A mans gotta do what a mans gotta do. I just wonder what diesel will be this time next year. This is just nuts!

wcbcruzer

Don't trade a Cummins for a CIVIC!!! WTH! You can pick up Civic for a couple thousand, if you need a daily driver. Money aside, a Cummins is just worth a lot more in every aspect.

kevellis32

Diesel will be cheaper than what it is by probably about a dollar a gallon this time next year. We are on a bubble right now and that bubble will pop causing the price of petroleum and gas to fall probably back to 100$ per bbl, some even think as far as 80-90 per bbl. The same thing has happened quite a few times before. Never to this price level, but it has happened before and that is when people thought that paying 1.60 a gallon was ridiculous. One large factor for the price of diesel being what it is, is the EPA and other environmental agencies forcing refineries to push out ultra low sulfur diesel which made them buy all new equipment, and of course they are going to pass that cost on to us, but eventually that added on refining cost will lower as their equipment is paid off.

Another way to look at it is. Diesel is about 4.41 a gallon where I'm working at in Texas right now. Say we go back to 2.41 a gallon from about 2-2.5 years ago. The average driver in the US uses about 500 gallons of gas/fuel each year so I will bring that number up to 700-750 gallons (@20mpg is 15000mile per year which is the national average) for us each year since most of us drive our trucks a bit more and we don't get the fuel economy of a civic. That is a difference of 1400-1500$ per year if fuel was cheap again. Yes that seems like a big number at first; But how much money do you spend on booze per year?, how many times do you go out and spend 40+$ on a dinner each month? It all adds up. I guess what I am getting at is that, if you really want to keep the truck then its for you and there are ways to save money so that you break even after all your bills are paid, or for some people that don't need a HD truck and you want to save money then that is in your best interest to get a gas friendly car and as said before. if you can go from a HD truck to a civic, then the truck probably wasn't your style to begin with. Not saying i wouldn't like to have a civic as a side car, but I would never get rid of my truck for one.

Its all about how you want to spend your money, and I would never give up the opportunities I get with my truck to dump smoke on every single prius I run across to save some money each month...oh wait, I don't even pay for my fuel, my boss does

wcbcruzer

My friend works at the Toyota dealership. He said just less than a year ago when gas prices were steady, they had a good number of Priuses on the lot and there was room for bargaining. Yesterday he told me there were none left and his manager told him that in the next few days they're actually going to ADD $4000 to the sticker price and won't come down from that price.

kevellis32

Once they can find a way to make that car more attractive looking and find a way to make the mining of nickel less destructive on the environment then I will have respect for that car. My main issue with people that own a Prius is how they think that their car does no damage to the environment, yet do they realize that the mining of nickel to produce that battery, not to mention the dangers on the environment while trying to dispose of or recycle that battery is far worse than the emissions of any diesel or V8 gas vehicle.

96_12V

Not to mention the incredible danger that EMT rescuers face when dealing with an accident involving one of these - since high voltage may be sent through the entire chassis (and whatever it's touching) with no external warning signs. Plus firemen face unique challanges - how exactly do you put out a fire in a hybrid? Better not use water....

staken

u know i just bout my 95 and my dad sed why did u buy anoter diesal for and not a chep gas car i told him one u go diesal u never go back to gas and i pay $4.50 a galon and i dont care bc i love my 95 and i wouldent trade it for no rice berner and even wit my pump ternd up and the fule pin done i still get 21 to the galon i bet when the prices go down you will which u have never traded for that car and like some one else sed if you trade your cummins for that then you were never ment to have a diesal yea you may have things going rong with it and your tierd of fixing it then trade it for a difrent cummins thats waht i did i went frome a 93 to my 95 with 7 in stacks bc i to was tierd of fixing it so i fixt it and got a newer one with no problems just think relly hard befor u trade k

Olratlr

That is right on! Do what you have to do and don't worry about what other people think

oaborbag

I was actually thinking about selling my truck for a while, as I commute 50 miles a day 3 days a week for school and with school, and going to work every day I was needing fuel about ever 6 days, but I just found out my dad is going to give my my old car back, a 97 eclipse gst, so I'll park the truck at the end of summer and drive it maybe once a week as a toy, Diesel prices are getting ridiculous when I bought the truck almost 5 years ago diesel was like $1.80 a gallon in California!

but if you can't afford the fuel for your truck that may be the right move, but I'm not sure where you live, but you can get an older civic for pretty cheap, and they get near 40 mpg on highway.

Captum

I see nothing wrong with purchasing a smaller more economical vehicle.

I bought my CTD last year simply for hauling a fifth wheel and I have no regrets what so ever, even though I am spending an arm and a leg to bring her up to scratch.

As soon as the snow disappears, I take my Dodge Shadow out of hibernation and drive it.

Having a diesel just for the sake of having one does not make sense to me so I would have to say go for the economical civic.

Stickboy1971

There is nothing wrong with driving a Civic. I have a 07 coupe and LOVE it. For 2 years before I got the Civic, I drove a 92 Maxima with a jillion miles to use for a commuter. Before that, my truck was my daily driver. I decided I was tired of working on cars all the time (routine maintenance items required to keep a 16 year old car with a jillion miles running - seems like there is always an injector, or sensor, or coil pack, or electric motor, or switch, or pulley, or shocks/struts, or brakes, or something that needs to be replaced) and wanted something reliable and economical. The Civic fits my needs perfectly. I commute 30 miles each way to work every day and knocked back 36 mpg out of my last tank. If I were a disciplined driver, I have no doubt I could achieve 40+mpg.

I have held on to my truck to do truck-duty things that I need to do. On a side note, now that my truck has been relegated to truck-only activities, I wish I had a long-bed dually instead of a short-bed single. When I bought the truck, it was a compromise between daily driver (with parking lots and drive thrus to contend with) and tow vehicle. Now that it is relegated to truck-only related duties, I'd rather have a truck that is more suited for the truck-only activities (towing/hauling). If I didn't need my truck for towing/hauling, while I would miss it, I could easily live without it.

The Civic gets 80+% of my miles put on it (as did the Maxima before the Civic). The beater Maxima paid for itself many times over with the savings achieved. I won't try to convince anyone that adding a NEW car (instead of the beater) is cheaper than driving the truck. But the cost-savings certainly help offset the expense. Right now, I spend about $150/month less in fuel alone. Oil changes are MUCH less expensive. Air and fuel filters are MUCH less expensive. Tires are MUCH less expensive. There are no $1000+ VP44s on Civics that will go out on a whim. Somehow, even insurance is even less expensive on the brand new Civic versus the 7 year old truck (haven't figured that one out yet, but I'm not arguing). And if you can stand to drive a reasonably priced beater (like my Maxima was), you'd be way ahead to drive it instead of a full-size truck of any kind. If you drive any number of miles at all, an inexpensive beater will pay for itself even if you keep the truck. Plus it's nice to have an extra vehicle to use, just in case.

If you do not NEED a truck to perform truckly duties, I would advise to go the more economical route and trade for the Civic. If you did make the trade, I also won't try to convince you that you won't miss your truck. I'm sure there would be times that you do. To paraphrase Marcellus Wallace from Pulp Fiction (edited some for family-friendly appropriateness as well)... "You may feel a little sting... That's pride messing(edit) with you. Forget (edit) pride. Pride only hurts. It never helps."

Tim9712v

While I didn't trade my truck in, it is now parked and used as a truck/spare vehicle only. I parked it about two months ago. The car is nice, fast, and little...still not crazy about it and while it is a safe car, I feel much less safe than in my truck. I get about 350miles to the tank... less than my dodge got, but gas is cheap compared to diesel, and the tank is half as big...