Would getting a different car make sense?

[ErikCLDR]

Heh, I have the opposite problem. I have an '05 Toyota Matrix that I bought because I thought I'd be saving a lot of gas compared to my previous car which was a RAV4. Turns out the Matrix uses "almost" as much gas as the RAV (very minor savings) and yet I lost out on four-wheel-drive, more cargo space, etc. Shortly after I bought the Matrix I started seeing ads for the Jeep Patriot, and noticed that its fuel economy was roughly the same as the Matrix! (2WD version, anyway...) So I was debating whether to trade in the Matrix for a 2WD Patriot...

In my case the question would be whether I would regret going from a Toyota to a Jeep.

Whats the point of taking ANOTHER hit by selling the Matrix and trading it in for a car that has slightly more room but you're not getting your AWD back? Does that make sense to you?

 

[TheMonarch]

How much did you originally pay for the jeep?

Are the civics you are looking at new or used?

Civics average what, 30mpg. So you're getting a 5mpg gain. So say you put 15,000 miles on your car a year. Lets say gas costs $4.50 a gallon.
Jeep at 25mpg: $2700 in gas/yr
Civic at 30mpg: $2250 in gas/yr

So you're going to save $450 a year in gas. I assume you're taking a fairly large hit on selling the jeep after 1 year, especially with the SUV market right now and jeeps not so great resale value.

This is one thing that makes me want to kick myself in the head. People selling there 1-2 year old SUV, taking a huggge hit on it for a more fuel efficient car. Yes, you'll save $450 in gas a year, but you just lost what- $6,000. $7000, $8000 (?) by trading in the SUV. So no, it doesn't make much sense to trade it in.


Keep the Jeep and be thankful you get 25mpg, and not 14.6

Try 36MPG for the non-hybrid, thats 30% more than he's getting how, which is nothing to scoff at. But I do agree with the huge hit he OP will take on the Jeep from a dealer trade-in. Its going to be huge, and I suggest selling it privately if you can to get a better deal.

In the end though, the civic may cost you less [Reliability: Honda>Jeep]. I'm not just echoing what others say, Mom drives a Civic, Dad a Cherokee, and I've seen how many times each has been to the shop. Civics also hold their value very well.

**One thing to note that people seem to overlook, or just not care about, is that its not just about saving on gas money, its also about not taking a huge dump on mother nature, and its best whenever possible, to use as little fuel as you can./ mini rant

 

[GfPQqmcRKUvP]

**One thing to note that people seem to overlook, or just not care about, is that its not just about saving on gas money, its also about not taking a huge dump on mother nature, and its best whenever possible, to use as little fuel as you can./ mini rant

No, taking a huge dump on mother nature would be getting a new car to replace a car that is working perfectly well. The added fuel it used to make that new car is far and away larger than any incremental gas you save in driving.

 

[TheMonarch]

True, if the OP decides to get a new car.

 

[notjustjay]

Whats the point of taking ANOTHER hit by selling the Matrix and trading it in for a car that has slightly more room but you're not getting your AWD back? Does that make sense to you?

No, it doesn't. I've pretty much decided to stick with the Matrix for now and suck it up. Eventually it will be time for another car and by then I can evaluate what's out there.