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It's not worth getting a second vehicle to keep miles off a Malibu. Never mind using a truck for that purpose. If you had a sports car, it'd make sense to have a cheaper car to keep the miles off it.
Now, having a truck as a second vehicle can be great for hauling things and driving through the snow. Also very useful if you need to bring 1 car to the shop or you're waiting for a part to come in. Having an 2nd option to drive is a huge plus.
A friend I know bought another truck and is selling the one he has. It's a 2003 Ranger and runs okay and has had no major issues. He's just looking to get rid of it since it has 160k miles on it. He asked if I wanted to buy it and would sell it at a discount.
I bought a 2 year old Malibu late last year and the miles are racking up due to my 50 mile each way commute. It had 30k and I bought it and has 45k now in only 8 or so months! They are mostly highway miles but the miles are accumulating quick!
I thought maybe buy this truck and drive it for part of the year (warm weather months) to keep the miles on my main car down so it will last longer.
I have a relative who has just purchased another car and looking to get rid of her car (about 15 years old). She also asked me if I wanted to buy it, it's a full size car and she suggested I could drive that in the winter to save wear and tear on my main car.
If I keep driving my current car, it's going to hit 100k miles in the next two years at this pace.
Insurance should be pretty cheap since both of these vehicles are around the 15 year old mark.
Would it be a good idea to have another vehicle? Or are there drawbacks and hidden costs I'm not thinking of?
OMG, no. It would be cheaper to keep your existing car and run it into the ground, and then buy another car (that gets good gas mileage).
Insurance and maintenance,not to mention the lack of good gas mileage on that old geezer truck, would make that purchase a very unwise decision, IMO.
If you had a need for a second car, i.e., a 4WD or AWD for wintry weather, then I'd get a truck. If not, then it's probably not worth it to spend $2500 and insurance/maintenance on another vehicle to keep miles off a Malibu, not that there's anything wrong with it, but it's a regular FWD sedan and it's value to you is in the safe transportation it provides during your daily commutes.
I have more than one vehicle, and do think that it is a good option to have a second vehicle, but both vehicles you described are older and/or with higher mileage, so you will have higher maintenance and repair costs over time, although you did not mention the make/model of the relative's older car. If it is a Honda Civic, Accord or a Toyota Corolla, then I'd consider it, as even at an older age, you will have a generally reliable second car. The downside is the age and lack of advanced safety equipment that you have in a modern Malibu, so given the longer commute, you would put yourself at higher risk in a vehicle that does not have the latest in safety features, which I would want if driving 100+ miles per day.
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A friend I know bought another truck and is selling the one he has. It's a 2003 Ranger and runs okay and has had no major issues. He's just looking to get rid of it since it has 160k miles on it. He asked if I wanted to buy it and would sell it at a discount.
Well, I've always had a car and a truck. But I actually used to truck in restoring an old house. Comes in handy.
But if you are living with Mom and Dad or renting an apartment. The truck makes no sense.
If you had a need for a second car, i.e., a 4WD or AWD for wintry weather, then I'd get a truck. If not, then it's probably not worth it to spend $2500 and insurance/maintenance on another vehicle to keep miles off a Malibu, not that there's anything wrong with it, but it's a regular FWD sedan and it's value to you is in the safe transportation it provides during your daily commutes.
This is a truck, but a smaller one (ranger), not a 4WD
Quote:
Originally Posted by bmwguydc
I have more than one vehicle, and do think that it is a good option to have a second vehicle, but both vehicles you described are older and/or with higher mileage, so you will have higher maintenance and repair costs over time, although you did not mention the make/model of the relative's older car. If it is a Honda Civic, Accord or a Toyota Corolla, then I'd consider it, as even at an older age, you will have a generally reliable second car. The downside is the age and lack of advanced safety equipment that you have in a modern Malibu, so given the longer commute, you would put yourself at higher risk in a vehicle that does not have the latest in safety features, which I would want if driving 100+ miles per day.
Good points re safety. The other car is a Monte Carlo, early 200s
Good points pro and con, thanks all for the different perspectives! Still haven't made a decision yet but will think it over
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