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This will be just a quick communique to answer my critics who are suggesting I don't inform them in a timely manner.

The Geo Metro that has been my traveling companion for the last 15 years has finely (at 378,039 miles) reached the end of it useful life. There has been a miss in the engine when it is under stress (acceleration) that has progressively gotten worse, and it became increasingly obvious that the end was near. T. S. Elliot, in his poem Hollow Men writes:

This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.

I just couldn't see my car ending that way, and held out for some "catastrophic event" that would clearly signal that the time had come.


On 2-22-13, while traversing Park Link Drive on my way home from work, that event came in the form of a collision with a large animal. I originally thought it was a deer, but examining the vehicle damage I now suspect it was a cow.



Given that the car kept running, and I thought it was a deer, I didn't even slow down. However, upon arriving home, the fact the drivers side door wouldn't open was a clue that the damage was greater than I thought.


In the light of day, it was obvious that repairs would be neither quick nor easy, and I resigned myself to the unpleasant reality--the end had come!



I set about finding a replacement. For several months I had been surveying the automotive marketplace, and had settled on a 2007 or 2008 Toyota Corolla, with a standard transmission and less than 80,000 miles. Given that only about 15% of vehicles now come with a "standard" transmission, one might surmise that they are no longer standard... but I digress. According to Craigslist, there were no acceptable vehicles in Tucson, Phoenix, Flagstaff, Yuma, or Sierra Vista--in short in Arizona. While looking for a traveling companion to check out one in Las Vegas, I learned that Fred and Laura were in Denver. A visit to Craigslist/Denver showed a potential lead, and I requested their help. To make a long story short (not really) this photo depicts my new vehicle--one that I have never driven, sat in, or even seen.


The ad for what is now my car reads a follows:
I am moving to Norway and I'm unable to keep my car. It is a wonderful car in excellent shape. 68k miles, manual transmission, dual airbags, AC, no accidents, great upkeep and maintee throughout it's life. I will be sad to say goodbye. I am leaving in one week, so will sell to the first person available to pick up. Please email or text me if you are interested in taking her for a test drive. 303.579.0784.
From that I surmised the seller was a female under some pressure to make the transaction. The asking price was $9000 and I was desperate enough to give her that... but Fred offered her $8500, and that sealed the deal. My understanding is that Laura plans to ferry the vehicle back to Tucson, but forecast inclement weather in the Denver area has introduced some uncertainty as to the exact date. Until then, I am reduced to driving Barbara's MB (Maroon Beast) to work (at $22.50/day)...

On a separate note, my debit card has taken another vacation--again without me--this time to Jonesboro Arkansas... The card is now canceled, and tomorrow I get to chat with the bank about the $200+ charges. My life is never dull...


Addendum

I noted on the title to the Corolla that the list price was $14205, and this piqued my interest--so I did a few calculations and was a bit disturbed by what I found. The fixed costs associated with owning the Corolla for 6 years are calculated thus:
  • Sales tax is 9.09% of list price (as quoted by a used car dealer in Phoenix).
  • List price of vehicle depreciates 16.25% each year (per AZ DOT website).
  • Assessed value is 60% of depreciated list price (per AZ DOT website).
  • Vehicle license tax is 2.80% ( for new & 2.88% for used) of assessed value (per AZ DOT website).
Year List Price Assessed Value License Tax
2007 $14,205.00 $8,523.00 $238.64
2008 $11,898.11 $7,138.86 $199.89
2009 $9,965.86 $5,979.51 $167.43
2010 $8,347.40 $5,008.44 $140.24
2011 $6,991.78 $4,195.07 $117.46
2012 $5,856.32 $3,513.79 $98.39
2013 $4,905.25 $2,943.15 $85.06
2014 $4,108.64 $2,465.18 $71.24
2015 $3,441.40 $2,064.84 $59.67
2016 $2,882.51 $1,729.51 $49.98
2017 $2,414.39 $1,448.64 $41.87
2018 $2,022.30 $1,213.38 $35.07
Total, 2007 thru 2012 $962.04
Total, 2013 thru 2018 $324.89


Actual & Projected Costs

List/Sale Price $14,205.00 $8,500.00
Sales Tax $1,291.23 0
Vehicle License Tax $962.04 $324.89
Vehicle License Fees $81.00 $81.00
Sale Price $8,5000.00 $2,022.30
Total (6 years) $8,039.28 $6,901.59
Difference $1,137.69


The cost to the original vehicle owner for years 1 thru 6 are only $1,137.69 greater than the projected cost to the second owner for years 7 thru 12. This analysis makes the assumption that the second owner sells the vehicle for the depreciated list price (which is in line with the price of 12 year old Corollas on Craigslist), and that two owners pay the same amount for parts and repairs (which is highly unlikely). It does not address the effects of inflation.

Repairs to a vehicle during years 7-12 of its lifetime (alternators, starters, CV joints, alignments, sensors, lights, switches, etc.) could easily amount to $1000. This analysis challenges my long and tightly held assumption that used cars are a better deal than new cars, so I performed the same analysis on the Geo and Barbara's MB, and came away a bit reassured. The first four years of owning the Geo cost $5,777.79 more than the second four years, and the first ten years of owning the MB are projected to cost $40,295.47 more than the second ten.

The inescapable conclusion is that purchasing a used Corolla was not a particularly good choice...

But it's a cute car...


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