Toshi wrote:It's a luxury to have a new car. You're going to pay for it. If it's worth it to you to save the fuel then knock yourself out. If you just want to save money then driving your TDI into the ground has to be the cheapest option...
Yes, my feeling exactly, and why I've decided to keep the TDI, at least for the next three to five years, at which point it will be ten years old with 150K+ miles, and will re-evaluate at that time. We normally keep our cars 10-12 years and have never leased, but as battery technology gets better, leasing (as a way of future-proofing) might be the way to go on an EV like the Volt, not being trapped and able to easily change cars as the technology improves.
We traded in a worn-out 2003 Jetta TDI and put some money down on the used 2005 Passat TDI. Our payoff is under $10K. I'm miles ahead to pay off the TDI and drive the hell out of it. That Jetta TDI sedan cost us $19K (plus tax) in 2003, and compared with the 2002 Dodge Dakota quad-cab I'd been driving, paid for itself in fuel dollars saved over the 196K miles I drove the car.
GM is doing better, the Volt is a volley in the right direction (at least for the USA, if not for GM) and the Volt, or something like it, might be a vastly better car in 3-5 years.
