Not sure it makes sense for us to have 3 vehicles...

I have a funny Corolla story. I had a girlfriend that had a 02’. 200,000 miles maybe. She mentioned something about the oil. I checked it. No oil on the dipstick. I put half a quart in still didn't hit the stick. I pulled the drain plug. I got 3/4 a quart out. Changed the oil. Didn’t even faze that thing. She drove it for another 100,000 miles. She drove the thing hard too…like some race car video game. Peeling rubber off stop signs. I was afraid to ride with her. Huge respect to that Corolla though….

 

KEEP THE TRUCK OR YOU WILL REGRET IT!!!!!

I was in the exact same situation! Had a job close to home and got another 80 miles one way to work! At the time I had a Tacoma and drove it back and fourth for a while but ended up getting a beater (‘95 accord wagon WHICH I LOVED). Timing belt went in that so I had to pick something else. That led me to a 05 Corolla bassseeee manual! Loved that thing to until a lady decided to total it for me on the way to work… last beater I had was a Scion XB which again I LOVED.

IMO beaters are essential. I’ve had my tundra for almost 3 years and only have 27k on her. Beaters allow you to keep miles low which in turn keeps maintenance low, cost low (fuel) and it’s called a beater for a reason! You don’t really worry about it. FIRM believer is a reliable beater too so I would stick to Honda/Toyota products but thats a given haha

hope this helps and good luck

 

My last 4x4 was an old Nissan Pathfinder beater I bought to get out hunting and camping, all that good stuff. In retrospect it was awful to drive but enabled me to do the things I loved to do the most.

It finally kicked the bucket about a year ago, I was lucky to have access to a free "beater" BMW sedan to get me to work and back, around town, etc. but man that was a rough year for any of my outdoor hobbies. Camping was a chore, hauling and materials for projects around the house took multiple trips. I was often overloading it picking up chicken feed, etc, and I wasn't able to do dump runs with a trailer to maintain my property so I had to hire out.

Man am I so fucking glad to have a truck again. Got my Tundra about a month ago, don't ever intend on going without a truck in the future again... But we're still keeping the beater around and insuring it for probably 6 months of the year. (Where I am you can pre-pay 3, 6, or 12 months of car insurance at a time to save interest and take the bandaid of cost off quickly.)

Just ask yourself if you will be happy without a truck.

 

Similar situation in 2019. My 2000 Tundra gets about 10-12 mpg and for my new job I was driving up to 100 miles/day. I did the math and determined that 100mi/day at $3.00/gal if I bought a car that got 20mi/gal more than my truck, I would save about $6,000/yr.

I bought a 2016 Civic with 30,000 miles for $17,900. Drove it for three years and 40,000 miles. Just sold it for $17,000. Our kids have another vehicle otherwise I would have kept it.

We moved so I no longer drive that much, so I bought a 2021 and am selling my 2000.

Best of luck to you.

 

My little 06 had ~880k when it was totaled. Kept a book in the glove box of the oil changes when the odo quit at 300k around 2010

 

My father bought it new and put most of the miles on. 25k oil change intervals with Mobil 1 extended. One water pump, one alternator, the transmission got serviced once at 410k miles, original radiator, original a/c system. Except the clutch for the compressor was replaced. One ECU (recall) wheel bearings up front at 670k. It was legit a car you got in, turned the key and left. Never stopped running. Even when dead

 

The 09 I picked up with 186k miles for 500 bucks. Body was beat and the engine was shot (ran out of oil.) put a 900 dollar 12k mile engine in, a new driver door, some body work on the passenger rear dog leg, an axle and 4 new struts. 3 years later it’s mine, but I let him use it like before, it’s sitting at 270k now. Luckily his drive isn’t as far as it once was and is only 5 days a week now instead of 7 days a week

 

It’s hard letting go a fourth vehicle. It’s only my wife and I. But our situation is different. I just sold my 22 Camry recently only had it about 6 months. But got pretty much back what I paid for it. Was driving my 2003 Acura about 8 months ago for years but sold it. Was a great car. Bought the Camry and then decided I don’t really need it. Driving my 21 tundra pro all the time. Actually really enjoying it. Only has 8000 miles on it. My wife drives her 21 Acura RDX all the time. She’s retired over 3 years now. And I have one more year so that was my deciding factor to sell the Camry. My 3rd car is my enjoyment car. My 19 Z06 stays in the garage and only comes out in nice weather or road trip. But is definitely nice to have a fourth vehicle if needed.

 

My wife's 2013 Corolla got its second water pump at 55k miles. I change oil every 3-4k miles and it's always black as can be.

 

highway mileage is far different from what most people drive like. the 06 and 09 would do at least 160 miles A DAY. consistent lower rpm in overdrive. luck also probably played a part. but the 06 was a tank. never really had to put money into it. and i beat the piss out of it when i bought it. then he ended up needing it again so i let him use it to avoid the mileage on his tacoma. (that 02 he got had 67k miles when he bought it. its about to crest 200k soon. dude drives alot. lol

 

Ask yourself if you need a truck or want a truck? I do wonder if it would be worth going back to stock size tires/height

 

My wife's parents have a 2005 Corolla with about 300k miles, I believe. I told them the story of yours and now my father in law's goal is to put that many miles on theirs. I think they mostly drive it in the city, though so, as you say, it will be much harder to get there. My mother in law also wants a new clutch put in it if they're not replacing the car.

 

Yea mine was an auto. That transmission was fantastic honestly. Gutless wonder. But never an issue

 

I bought a 05 Prius in 2018 and it honestly has been one of the best decisions I have ever made.

 

I’m not looking to get rid of my truck. Just debating on buying a third car. Or running my truck till it’s time for a new one

 

I'm debating on a 5th but no, I must get rid of at least one, driving them all enough is work...

 

I bought an '08 Scion tC with a rebuilt title and 105K miles for $3500 last summer. It doesnt have a good carfax all, but I bought it entirely on how it feels. It does not feel like something that has been beat. Mechanically, it's a pretty solid little runner and the interior is in excellent shape.

(It has the Corolla engine with the very common oil consumption issue from those years due to a defect in the pistons. I've read that it's only a serious problem if you allow it to run dry, which wouldn't be too hard. It consumes almost exactly 1 qt every 1,000 miles)

I figure roughly double the gas mileage of the Tundra, so as long as the money I spend on fuel for it (equal to the amount I saved by not driving the Tundra) is more than insurance, registration and maintenance, I'm ahead of the game. I pretty much ignored the $3500 purchase as it was from the last stimulus check.

So far, it's been nice to have. If I'm not going to sell the Tundra, it's to my advantage to own this 3rd set of wheels.



Speaking of wheels, the OE 17s were bent out of round, probably due to the low profile tires, so I found a cheap deal on 15" Prius wheels with good Michelin tires. (They accepted the Scion center caps haha!) It's now smooth as glass at 80mph. It likes speed too as it handles excellent. Fun car to drive.

 

Yes! The part about not caring about the 3rd car is excellent. I maintain it only for safety and longevity and I never sweat the cosmetic. Mine is losing the clear on some panels, the paint doesn't match from panel to panel from the accident(s), the rear sway bar knocks, the sunroof rattles and leaks if I spray the roof too much when I give it the ol' whore's bath. I really don't care an it is wonderful.

Is this how normal people feel about thier primary vehicle?

I lose sleep over a scratch, one odd shift, or a random nosie on the the Tundra.

 

Get a third car! You won’t regret it. My wife had never owned an suv so I thought it a good idea to get her an sq5. Found a barely used one with 12k on the clock. Decided not to trade my 2014 E350 with 125k on it. I now use the merc for work. Then when I take out the Tundra sitting all clean and shiny in my garage It’s like driving it off the lot again. Almost. Love driving my truck but I’d be lying if I said the sq5 wasn’t a fun suv to road trip! It’s also nice having three when the kids or in-laws come to visit.

 

If it were me, I'd consider:

1) Would I feel safe driving a beater on my daily commute?

Aside from the obvious "big truck == people don't mess with you == safer drive", there's also things like "how often is my daily beater not safe to drive because of weather/road conditions?" Being able to see MUCH farther ahead because you can see over cars isn't insignificant either.

2) Would I feel happy driving a beater on my daily commute?

Don't under estimate the value of happiness! That's a lot of driving.

3) How likely am I to do stay with this daily commute/job for an extended period of time?

 

My car is so much better to drive than my truck. I don't have to baby it trying to maximize my fuel economy and if I step on the gas it actually goes. Front engine/FWD is also way better than front engine/RWD in snow and ice (and that's with dedicated winter tires on both vehicles).

 

These are the person specific things the OP has to consider.

(I don't baby my truck, and it definitely gets up and go when I push go.)

 

Buying a 15 thousand dollar (for example) vehicle to drive half the time and get a few mpg better that half the time will take 20 years or something to even break even and pay for itself.

Drive what you’ve got paid off

 

As your title states, it doesn't make sense.