The Salem Leader
Educationally Speaking
October 6, 2008
Justin Harter
Another New Car
Recently, a friend and I decided we wanted to go out for lunch. I was in the mood for a taco and I had plenty of time to kill on that particular Saturday afternoon. So, we went down the road and ate at a local restaurant when across the street I saw a sign on a car lot that read, “We have 4 models that get 35 – 52 MPG!” It was a Toyota dealership so I knew the 52-MPG rating had to come from their Prius model. Just for a lark I wanted to walk over and see what the Prius was all about. I knew it was out of my price range, so I saw no harm in going.
Funny thing about car salesmen, they’re not keen on letting you walking away without actually buying anything. As I was looking at the really boring and really expensive Prius, I could tell the salesman was trying to gauge where I was on the car-knowledge-meter. I told him I couldn’t afford, nor would I want, a Prius. I have to assume that the expensive and very large and powerful batteries inside the Prius probably tack a hefty carbon footprint on the car before its ever driven. To me, that renders its overall purpose worthless.
Avid readers of my column will know that in January my old car, a 95 Toyota Corolla, failed to start in my garage one morning. I tried my best to get it started by doing things known as “turning the key” and “shutting off the radio”, but that didn’t help. Since it was old and nearing 200,000 miles, I decided to go out and buy a new(er) car. I ended up with a 2001 VW Beetle.
I liked the Beetle, I really did. Except for that part about it being a worthless piece of – well, you know. I bought it with 94,000 miles. In the paltry eight months I owned the thing I spent thousands of dollars on such items as a new timing belt, water pump, turn signal switch, alternator, battery, one towing bill, three hubcaps and a car wash. It also stranded me at home once and almost stranded me at Marengo Cave earlier this summer when the coolant leaked out the bottom. I owned the Corolla for nearly seven years and only replaced a few light bulbs and some oil. After this experience I was willing to believe the Germans had barely figured out round wheels and the Japanese were already making rocket ships for less than $10,000.
Since I wasn’t a big fan of praying for the Beetle to start each morning, I’ve wanted to sell it for a few months now. I figured it’s small size and good fuel economy helped it hold its value even as it approached 100,000 miles. I had it appraised by several dealers. I was told it was worth anywhere from a few beads and some ribbon up to $4,500. I owed nearly $7,500 on the car.
So, when I found a dealer willing to buy my car, in addition to its near-100,000 mile reading, I was both surprised and willing to make the trade. That’s when I decided to take a Toyota Yaris for a test drive. It’s slightly sleeker looking than a Corolla, and considerably more economical with fuel. It’s also much cheaper. I took it out for a drive and was shocked to learn that cars aren’t supposed to make funny noises when you drive them. I was also pleased to start a car that didn’t make me gawk at the dashboard to see if anything red was flashing at me.
Because I put my Country FirstTM, I bought a brand new 2008 Toyota Yaris. I call this, “Doing my part”. Unfortunately, the economy and our country continue to crater, but the car is working wonderfully. After adjusting for the decreased fuel and maintenance costs, this car costs me roughly an extra $100 a month. The goal here is to get at least five years of use out of it before I give up on it, too. I assure you that the first morning my car doesn’t start – you’ll be the first to read about it.