Diane's Odyssey
Diane’s Odyssey
I like the pun, Diane! It looks like Diane’s major decisions will be the financial ones (how much to pay. where to get the money from) for her NEXT vehicle …
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So Adrian says, “Tell me about your car” and I go, “So, what ya wanna know?”
What I drive: 2000 Honda Odyssey (Minivan)
Bought it new in Sept 1999 (had it 9 years) – Honda had just remodeled the Odyssey and there were waiting lists. We paid $2000 over invoice, got off the list, and added roof racks, a cassette player, and a security system. The options for paying cash at that time were to pay off the house or pay for the van. At that time, interest rates were higher on vehicles (as they’d been all my life until recent months), so we (I was married at the time) paid off the van, for $28,100.
Today, with 215,000 miles on it, edmunds.com and Kelley’s blue book disagree on the value. Edmunds gives it about $2100 selling to a private party, and Kelley’s says $4675. I tried a quickie “black book” estimate at a local dealer’s online trade-in estimator but it could not compute an estimate without seeing the vehicle. Neither of the estimates even provides an option for a security system. I’m inclined to think Edmunds is more realistic, but hope that when I go to sell, the buyer is looking at Kelley’s.
Now Adrian wants to know, ” Why don’t you take public transport, ride a bike, own a rickshaw i.e. why do you need a car?”
When I was in Ohio, I considered riding a bike to work, but it’s 10 miles by car, probably 12-14 by bicycle and with iffy weather, not safe to assume that I would be able to ride home even if I could ride to work. I also often went to a gym after work, in the dark, which was not on a bike path, but near busy roads (I don’t ride on streets). Different kind of workout from the bike.
SO, then I considered doing it once a week and taking the risk; also not being able to get groceries or drive to the base (customer’s facility) if I needed to attend impromptu meetings (and the bicycle is unacceptable for the kind of dress I would need).
Currently, in NC, we are debating whether or not I need a car or should use one that is available here. We are keeping mine because we need transportation for an 80-pound old english sheepdog and the owner of the other vehicles available does not want to use it for that purpose.
Finally Adrian wants to know: “What/when/how (much) is your next planned vehicle purchase and how do you expect to pay for it?”
I may sell the van this year; probably most likely by March 2010 or transfer it to my son at that time (when he turns 16) – it’s original intended disposition. At that point, we will reassess what to do about doggie transportation, and hopefully have a solution.
If I buy something else, it must be safe, capable of transporting what I need transported, have adjustable sideview mirrors without leaving the driver’s seat, a great stereo system (CD and cassette preferred, but may opt for an MP3 add-in if available or another option we devise (i.e., need not be built into the vehicle), and suitable for any other purposes I may have at that time.
Hopefully, that’s answered all the questions about transportation. I don’t know if I’m on a bus route here, but mostly my trips are to doctor’s offices in an unfamiliar city and to the grocery stores. Can’t tote as much as I buy on a bus, and I would waste a lot of time using a bus to and from relay stations (which is how I think they are set up). My van gets 20 mpg, which apparently is still pretty good for a van. I’m using it a lot less frequently, and it is here for trips back to Ohio to see my sons.
Diane, is there anything wrong with the van? I wasn’t sure if there was from your post, or if you where planning on trying to sell it and purchase another vehicle.
If it is still running fine, I would keep it and just focus any “new vehicle money” on going toward your Money Making 101 and then Money Making 201 steps. Our GMC Envoy is 8 years old, but I plan on driving it until it falls apart to keep from spending money on such a depreciating item, lol. Just IMHO.