The problem more is their abandonment of people who prefer a car and its superior handling.

When it comes to fuel economy and high gas prices, the problem is just that people don’t realize that the crossovers and SUVs that are selling today actually get pretty good gas mileage, and switching to a smaller car won’t…

That said, strollers and car seats have become ludicrously oversized.

I do know plenty of people who used that argument, though - meanwhile I found a Graco double stroller that packed down nicely and would easily fit into the trunk of my Mazda6 with enough luggage for a 2 week vacation. People using that excuse were…

Current owner reports at fueleconomy.gov for the Focus with the 1.0L engine (the one getting the 30/40 rating and 34 combined or 27/38/ 31 with the auto) are:

35.8 mpg
37.3 mpg
41.6 mpg
43.5 mpg
47.5 mpg
35.9 mpg
36.8 mpg

That’s a ridiculously small sample, but it does seem to be hitting its ratings in the real world.

Over at…

and let’s not forget the stupidity of mpg as a rating. Costs go as the inverse of mpg.

So a 2018 Honda Pilot is rated at 23 mpg combined, while a 2008 Accord is rated at 24 mpg combined. At $4 per gallon and 12,000 miles per year, the difference in fuel costs is $86.96 per year.

Side note: going from a 2008 Taurus to a 2018 Escape is a considerable DECREASE in space.

Every one I’ve rented I’ve managed to hit or exceed EPA estimates. Hell, I routinely get 34+ hwy out of Escapes. Those aren’t supposed to crack 30.

“Yeah only the most american made cars are all from non american manufacturers.”

Anyone who knows anything (ie, NOT YOU) would know the problem with this ridiculous cars.com ranking. They place an arbitrary cutoff on domestic content, and then rerank the vehicles above that mark based on sales. The first year the Camry…

Why? EASY. They massively overprice everything.

In 2010 when we bought our Mazda6, they wanted $18,200 for a 2009 iSport with 38,000 miles on the odometer. We got a 2010 iSport new off the dealer lot for $17,800.

I’m ALL for making them have some skin in the game and providing other incentives.. Our kids have no clue at this point and I hope to keep it that way to help build their work ethic.

Interestingly, what you describe is kind of how it worked for me. This was before the age of 529s, mind you... My parents had saved and…

Orbital ATK still flies an L-1011.

Those things looked great in TWA’s final paint:

It was bound to change as composites took over aluminum for fuselages, however...

I wonder if it sucked as much in comparison to the VC 10 as the Tu-134 did in comparison to the DC-9.

Better yet is the feeling looking at the kids’ college funds. Too many coworkers (who are getting good salaries, mind you) complain as their kids head off to college about how tight their budgets are, given their expensive homes, BMWs, and tuition. My 2 kids are at least 10 years off from going to college - and their…

$160 a month for a gym membership is stupid. You can get much cheaper than that. Planet Fitness sells memberships at $10 a month. My city’s rec center charges $2.50 a month and while it is much smaller and not as shiny as a fancy gym, it is well-equipped and you can get time with a personal trainer at no extra cost.…

$1800 a year for insurance!

Ouch.

I’m at just a hair over $800 for two cars (76k and 48k on the odometer, with $250 comprehensive and $500 collision deductibles and millions in liability coverage)...

Pfft..

Most reliable car I’ve had is my Ford Fusion I got used at 9 years old. It’s rapidly coming up on 13 years old (one of the very first off the line). I’m the third owner and I’ve spent just over $5 on repairs. I’ll take those “problems” anyday.

Believe it or not, I actually knew someone 15+ years ago who was…

That figure can be a bit misleading, though.

The median household income for those in the 35 year old - retirement age bracket is more like $73k. Income for those in retirement is significantly lower, but a good portion of retirement income isn’t technically considered income, but rather a draw-down on savings. And…

The problem isn’t so much the cost (though it matters) as it is how often they want to trade.

An *average* vehicle has an expected lifespan of 15-16 years. That includes all those taken off the road because of accidents that totalled them (not hard to total a 10+ year old car in a tiny fenderbender). So if you kept…

I know some people who used that as justification for early retirement with low savings.

Unfortunately for them they didn’t consider mitigating circumstances - like family members that died young were dying largely from cancer from chain smoking, asbestos inhalation, etc - things these people never did.

Wife and I keep my cars for what seems like forever (15 years and 19 years on our last purchases). We’re at 13 years and 7 years on our current fleet. Should get 5-6 and 10 more out of those vehicles, respectively. Spent $6000 on the older a few years ago (used purchase) and $17800 on the newer one (new off the lot).…