To keep the commuter car or drive the Taco to work....

I kept my 99 Ranger when I bought the Prerunner for the same reason. Since I bought the Taco in April I have put about 3200 miles on the Ranger. My plan is to keep it, as long as nothing major fails, until the Taco paid off and than sell it or give it away. I live in the mid Atlantic where it does get cold so I don't let either truck sit for an extended amount of time.

 

drive the car until it is worn out, then drive the truck

 

I did the same thing with a 95 Corolla. I saved about 18,000 miles off my Tacoma but I spent about 2,000 on repairs from the Corolla. It was nice to have an extra car but I didn't save any money.

 

Matrix only gets 27 mpg??

Drive the truck.

But, sounds like you might have a bit of a heavy foot and may get less than 19 in the truck.

Drive it to work normally for a whole week and get a real number before you decide, just in case.

 

I'm in the exact same predicament. I geo-bachelor and drive about 300mi/wk on the weekends back to my house. I'm going to keep the truck. I love it, and I don't think I'd save much money by having a beater. Also, I'd be nervous all the time about the beater breaking down.

Just my two cents, but I'm sticking with my gorgeous new truck!

 

Make a spread sheet table with gas at various prices, maybe 20 cent increments. I bet if gas is back at $4 you might change your mind. And one day it will be.

Talk to your agent about 'low mile' discounts. Many firms give a reasonable one for under 8k a year. Would your truck meet that if not commuted?

Shop for another carrier. Costs nothing to shop, costs a lot if you have the wrong one.

Yes, saving 10k a year on the truck is significant, especially if the truck is a keeper.

The Matrix is a great vehicle, and even a capable hauler for an econo box. Maybe some of these thoughts will help you figure a way to keep it.

 

Op I see that you are from New York so my first question is do you commute to NYC. If you do I would say drive a commuter car and not the Taco. And I recommend this for a few reasons 1. Most city cars get destroy regardless of brand due to poorly kept roads, stop and go traffic which is brutal for a car. I would take a car with 100,000 highway miles any day over a city car with 50,000 miles. I take excellent care of my cars because a poorly functioning vehicle is a danger to my family and I in addition to everyone on the road. I have driven many Toyotas in my life but I have replaced many parts that I have never changed in my other vehicles with double the mileage. 2. For what ever reason people are careless when driving, walking, and just generally speaking especially in NYC. The money I spent on auto body work from my car being parked in the city is sicking (keyed doors, hit and runs, broke windows, stolen mirrors). I have 2011 Rav4 commuter that looks like it twenty years old but I could careless because on the weekend I know I can drive my pristine truck on my days off. You are never going to save a dime having a extra car so I wouldn't recommend doing it to save money. Truthfully I hate having 2 vehicles but its extremely difficult to keep a car nice in the city. But if your commute is highway from town to another I would just drive my Taco.

 

My commute is highway about 30 miles (60 miles round trip) from one town to another. No real city driving. Appreciate the input. Still going back and forth on it.

 

One thing to keep in mind wiht my situation is I live in Upstate NY... so not driving the truck as much means it is sitting in freezing cold weather without being started for extended periods... is this bad for the engine?

 

Nope. A battery tender could be in order though, depending on it's condition and how long a periods we are talking.

And if you feel your low temps are extreme, a block heater might be worthwhile? Our Canadian and Alaskan friends can speak more to that.

 

I would still drive the truck to work at least once a week and on weekends, would just be trying to keep the bulk of commute miles on the Matrix if I decide to keep it.

Good points on the Matrix also, Bill. It really is a great car with a ton of space.

I'm just so bad at making decisions.

 

I find that if too undecided on a decision like this one, it's best to wait. If unsure, don't.

Two reasons.

One. It's hard to undo once you've moved ahead. IE if you've sold the Matrix, replacing it with something for like $ that you know it's life history will be tough to do. At least what you have is predictable.

Two. It's not a critical life choice. If the decision is made today or next month, it means little. In the grand scheme of a lifetime, it means nothing. There is no legal, moral or health concern at risk in waiting. Save the fretting for the big stuff.