Thinking about a second car for the long commute… Now WFH is done?

Seeking Advice
1

So here’s the deal… after doing the numbers, it just doesn’t make sense to get a second car unless:

  1. You’ve got extra cash and want a second car for other reasons, or

  2. You’re okay buying a really cheap car and dealing with possible issues.

Yesterday, I shared that my truck gets about 17 mpg, costing me around $3,400 in gas per year (driving 20k miles), since my job canceled working from home.

I don’t want a junky car because I can’t sit in a bad car for 3 hours a day, and I can’t risk breakdowns because of my job.

I looked at a $15k car with 50k miles that gets 30 mpg. It’d save me $1,200 a year on gas, but insurance (around $100 a month) wipes out those savings.

Add in maintenance, repairs, oil changes, and I’m not saving at all.

Then I looked at hybrids. A car that gets 50 mpg would save me a lot — only $1,200 in gas a year, saving me $2,200 yearly.

But the math still doesn’t work.

Looking over 10 years:

My paid-off truck would cost me $34k in gas over 10 years.

A hybrid would cost $12k in gas. So, if I buy a new $30k hybrid, it’s like $8k out of pocket (assuming I can get one for that price).

But when you add $100 a month for insurance on the second car, that’s another $20k out of pocket.

Throw in two tire changes and two brake pad replacements… now we’re looking at $23k.

Factor in oil changes, and I’m out another $2k. So now I’m at $25k out of pocket.

Hybrid batteries usually last around 150k miles, so I’d need a new one in 10 years, costing around $5k. Now we’re at $30k.

Plus, I’d have to pay upfront to buy the car (down payment, taxes, etc.), so I’d have to wait 10 years to even see these “savings”… and I say “savings” loosely because I’m still spending $30k extra. So am I really saving anything?

And the kicker… my job would need to stay the same for 10 years to see these “savings.” But given how unpredictable everything is, that’s a big assumption.

Driving my paid-off truck isn’t fun, but I think I’m better off sticking with it because if things change, I’m not stuck with the financial burden of a second car. In 10 years, if I still want a new truck, I’d probably have enough saved up to buy one outright.

2

Only makes sense if you sell the truck, right?

3

Everyone knows you can’t rock a hybrid and keep the same vibe.

4

Why even have two cars? Just trade your truck for a used hybrid. Problem solved. Having two cars won’t save you any money.

5

OP should probably think about why they have a truck to begin with. So many people think they need a truck when they really don’t. Get stuff delivered or rent a pickup when you actually need it. The extra cost of owning the truck is usually more than renting when necessary.

6

I live in a middle-class area, and I see so many huge, shiny trucks. Most probably haven’t carried more than groceries in the back. Why pay for something you’re not using?

7

Some people buy them for status, some just because. I have a full-size truck because I like the higher view and four-wheel drive for snow. If I had space for a trailer, I’d get an SUV instead, but I don’t, so I stick with the truck.

8

It seems crazy to spend that much money for no real reason. If people can afford it, fine. But I bet most of them can’t. I’d rather save for retirement than have a fancy truck.

9

Finances are factual, but spending is emotional. You can’t separate the two, and there’s no formula for emotional decisions.

10

OP said they use it for offroading on weekends. That’s a legit use for a fun vehicle. But daily driving it until the return-to-office mandate happened changed everything.

11

Offroading is a hobby, though. It’s a want, not a need. If OP wants to keep doing that, maybe get a smaller, older truck just for the weekends, and not something to commute in every day.

12

True, but sometimes it’s the hobby that keeps you going. At least OP is smart enough to break down the costs and get input from others.

13

It makes sense to evaluate the total cost. But one thing OP missed is fuel efficiency numbers. They’re using the EPA estimates, which aren’t realistic for daily use. Real-world mileage is always lower, and it’ll take years to see any real savings from swapping vehicles.

14

Yeah, having a fun second vehicle is definitely a luxury.

15

Nothing wrong with a hobby vehicle if you can afford it, but it’s clearly not going to save money, which was the whole point of this exercise.

16

Just trade in the truck for something more fuel efficient.

17

I didn’t mention this, but we use my truck for weekend trips, offroading, and camping. Plus, we live in a flood-prone area, and the truck has saved us and friends multiple times because it’s lifted. Can’t get rid of it.

18

How many times have you actually saved your family from a flood?

19

Not saving lives exactly, but I’ve driven through floods a few times when coworkers were stuck at work, and I’ve also helped family get home when roads were blocked. Once, during an ice storm, I picked up family members from a house with no power. So, about six times in the last decade.

20

Do you think it’s worth keeping the truck just for that?