Cost to Drive a Mustang (2005)

This post was such a rousing success the last two years that I just had to do
it again this year. And because I am a glutton for abuse from Usenetizens, I'm
cross-posting this into my "home" newsgroup, alt.music.rush (geekiest post
ever, my big ol' butt!).


The Most Boring On-Topic Post *Ever* (Part III)!

I purchased my 2001 GT Coupe for $24,861.38 on October 31, 2001. As of last
Monday, I have had it four years. I have kept meticulous records on my costs
for this vehicle. This is my report of those costs as of October 31, 2005, to
RAMFM.


The car (El Imán de Chicas):

The car is 2001 Mustang GT coupe, green/tan, leather, automatic transmission,
Mach 460 stereo with in-dash six CD changer. Other than replacing the original
Goodyear tires with Bridgestone Potenzas at 45,000 miles, no modifications have
been made to this car. The car currently has 83,685 miles; it had 259 when I
bought it. The car is in good condition. There are no mechanical issues, and
only minor cosmetic issues (some pitting on front bumper and the hood and worn
spots on the driver's side floor mat). The car was rear-ended in a collision
in October 2002, in which the front and rear bumpers and the left-rear quarter
panel were damaged. The car was rear-ended again in November 2004. All
damaged parts were replaced.


The driver:

I am a married male, 41, with a clean driving record, employed as a systems
analyst, residing in Hoover, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham.


The costs:

The costs calculated using actual cash payments are in the left column. The
costs using depreciation (from edmunds.com) instead of loan payments are in the
right column. The report is designed to be read using a mono-spaced font. If
you are having trouble reading it in your newsreader, you can see these
figures, as well as a pic of the car, in html format he


http://hometown.aol.com/maxx2112/mustangcosts2005.html



The "note" is $414.35 per month. Insurance coverage is provided by USAA, with
$100K/300K/$100K limits. The service payments are for tires and scheduled
maintenance only -- there are no out-of-pocket repairs as of this report. The
"other costs" are car washes and supplies.


Cash Payment Basis Depreciation Basis

Costs Amount Costs Amount
----------------------------------- -----------------------------------
Payments $ 19,474.45 Depreciation $ 15,361.38
Service 1,970.38 Service 1,970.38
Fuel 5,902.06 Fuel 5,902.06
Insurance 4,186.78 Insurance 4,186.78
Tax & License 888.86 Tax & License 888.86
Other Costs 485.62 Other Costs 485.62
----------------------------------- -----------------------------------
Total Cash Costs $ 32,908.15 Total Accrued Costs $ 28,795.08
=================================== ===================================


The following section breaks the total costs down by mile and time period.


Cost per mile and time period Cost per mile and time period
----------------------------------- -----------------------------------
Miles Driven 83,426 Miles Driven 83,426
Cash Cost per mile $ 0.3945 Accrued Cost per mile $ 0.3452
Daily Cost $ 22.52 Daily Cost $ 19.71
Weekly Cost $ 157.67 Weekly Cost $ 137.96
Monthly Cost $ 685.12 Monthly Cost $ 599.49
Annual Cost $ 8,221.41 Annual Cost $ 7,193.84
=================================== ===================================


Most of the miles driven were for business purposes, and I received
compensation at $0.345 per mile through July 2005. In August, the
reimbursement rate increased to $0.405 per mile (the current IRS rate is
$0.485). For fuel purchases, I use a credit card that rebates a portion of
each purchase (3% for fuel, 1% for all other) against future fuel purchases.
The following section backs out business miles, mileage reimbursements, and
fuel rebates to calculate how much it cost me to drive each personal-use mile.


Adjusted Personal Cost Adjusted Personal Cost
----------------------------------- -----------------------------------
Business Miles 54,197 Business Miles 46,101
Personal Miles 29,229 Personal Miles 29,229
Mileage Reimbursements $ 18,946.93 Mileage Reimbursements $ 18,946.93
Fuel Rebates $ 1,248.08 Fuel Rebates $ 1,248.08
"Out of pocket" costs $ 12,713.14 "Out of pocket" costs $ 8,600.07
Personal use per mile $ 0.4349 Personal use per mile $ 0.2942
=================================== ===================================


Observations:


After two years, I was "upside down" on my car. That is, I owed more than it
is worth. Last year, I achieved some positive equity in the car. This
positive equity has made my adjusted personal cost per mile much higher than
the accrual basis. These costs will be recovered if and when the car is sold.
The financing contract remains 60 months same-as-cash with 13 remaining
payments. Since there is no incentive pay the loan off early, I intent to make
all the remaining payments.

The average driver will put between 12,000 and 15,000 miles on a vehicle in a
year. I was much higher than average in my first two years, putting 55,370
miles on the car. I drove only 13,942 miles last year and 13,855 this year.
Still, my total miles driven are much higher than the average driver's, so the
average driver's per-mile cost likely will be higher than mine because of a
lower mileage denominator.

Insurance costs steadily increased during the first two years, but finally went
down last year and decreased some more this year. My current monthly premium
is $67.05. It has been as high as $106.20. My wife got a speeding ticket this
year (35 in a 25 -- it was dismissed after attending a one-day defensive
driving class), so our rates may go up next year.

In the four-year period, I have 362 gas receipts. My fuel economy for all
miles driven is 19.4 miles / gallon, a slight decrease from last year's 19.5.
Like last year, this decrease is likely due my not driving as many highway
miles as before. For a single tank, it has been as high as 26.9 or as low as
15.5 MPG -- both figures are outliers and are likely due to errors. Averaged
over any ten consecutive fill ups, the high was 25.6 (an increase from last
year's 23.5) and the low was 17.9 (a decrease from last year's 18.7) MPG. My
average per-gallon gas cost was $2.287 this year, a considerable increase from
last year's $1.633.

I used to keep detailed records like this when I bought
a 1979 Datsun 310 new back in 79.
When it came to getting rid of the rusting thing in 1991 no one cared any
more except me!
Now I don't keep such good records.
Fred

"Max C. Webster III" > wrote in message
...
> This post was such a rousing success the last two years that I just had to
> do it again this year. And because I am a glutton for abuse from
> Usenetizens, I'm cross-posting this into my "home" newsgroup,
> alt.music.rush (geekiest post ever, my big ol' butt!).
>
>
> The Most Boring On-Topic Post *Ever* (Part III)!
>
> I purchased my 2001 GT Coupe for $24,861.38 on October 31, 2001. As of
> last Monday, I have had it four years. I have kept meticulous records on
> my costs for this vehicle. This is my report of those costs as of October
> 31, 2005, to RAMFM.
>
>
> The car (El Imán de Chicas):
>
> The car is 2001 Mustang GT coupe, green/tan, leather, automatic
> transmission, Mach 460 stereo with in-dash six CD changer. Other than
> replacing the original Goodyear tires with Bridgestone Potenzas at 45,000
> miles, no modifications have been made to this car. The car currently has
> 83,685 miles; it had 259 when I bought it. The car is in good condition.
> There are no mechanical issues, and only minor cosmetic issues (some
> pitting on front bumper and the hood and worn spots on the driver's side
> floor mat). The car was rear-ended in a collision in October 2002, in
> which the front and rear bumpers and the left-rear quarter panel were
> damaged. The car was rear-ended again in November 2004. All damaged
> parts were replaced.
>
>
> The driver:
>
> I am a married male, 41, with a clean driving record, employed as a
> systems analyst, residing in Hoover, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham.
>
>
> The costs:
>
> The costs calculated using actual cash payments are in the left column.
> The costs using depreciation (from edmunds.com) instead of loan payments
> are in the right column. The report is designed to be read using a
> mono-spaced font. If you are having trouble reading it in your
> newsreader, you can see these figures, as well as a pic of the car, in
> html format he
>
>
> http://hometown.aol.com/maxx2112/mustangcosts2005.html
>
>
>
> The "note" is $414.35 per month. Insurance coverage is provided by USAA,
> with $100K/300K/$100K limits. The service payments are for tires and
> scheduled maintenance only -- there are no out-of-pocket repairs as of
> this report. The "other costs" are car washes and supplies.
>
>
> Cash Payment Basis Depreciation Basis
>
> Costs Amount Costs
> Amount
> ----------------------------------- -----------------------------------
> Payments $ 19,474.45 Depreciation $
> 15,361.38
> Service 1,970.38 Service
> 1,970.38
> Fuel 5,902.06 Fuel
> 5,902.06
> Insurance 4,186.78 Insurance
> 4,186.78
> Tax & License 888.86 Tax & License
> 888.86
> Other Costs 485.62 Other Costs
> 485.62
> ----------------------------------- -----------------------------------
> Total Cash Costs $ 32,908.15 Total Accrued Costs $
> 28,795.08
> ===================================
> ===================================
>
>
> The following section breaks the total costs down by mile and time period.
>
>
> Cost per mile and time period Cost per mile and time period
> ----------------------------------- -----------------------------------
> Miles Driven 83,426 Miles Driven
> 83,426
> Cash Cost per mile $ 0.3945 Accrued Cost per mile $
> 0.3452
> Daily Cost $ 22.52 Daily Cost $
> 19.71
> Weekly Cost $ 157.67 Weekly Cost $
> 137.96
> Monthly Cost $ 685.12 Monthly Cost $
> 599.49
> Annual Cost $ 8,221.41 Annual Cost $
> 7,193.84
> ===================================
> ===================================
>
>
> Most of the miles driven were for business purposes, and I received
> compensation at $0.345 per mile through July 2005. In August, the
> reimbursement rate increased to $0.405 per mile (the current IRS rate is
> $0.485). For fuel purchases, I use a credit card that rebates a portion
> of each purchase (3% for fuel, 1% for all other) against future fuel
> purchases. The following section backs out business miles, mileage
> reimbursements, and fuel rebates to calculate how much it cost me to drive
> each personal-use mile.
>
>
> Adjusted Personal Cost Adjusted Personal Cost
> ----------------------------------- -----------------------------------
> Business Miles 54,197 Business Miles
> 46,101
> Personal Miles 29,229 Personal Miles
> 29,229
> Mileage Reimbursements $ 18,946.93 Mileage Reimbursements $
> 18,946.93
> Fuel Rebates $ 1,248.08 Fuel Rebates $
> 1,248.08
> "Out of pocket" costs $ 12,713.14 "Out of pocket" costs $
> 8,600.07
> Personal use per mile $ 0.4349 Personal use per mile $
> 0.2942 ===================================
> ===================================
>
>
> Observations:
>
>
> After two years, I was "upside down" on my car. That is, I owed more than
> it is worth. Last year, I achieved some positive equity in the car. This
> positive equity has made my adjusted personal cost per mile much higher
> than the accrual basis. These costs will be recovered if and when the car
> is sold. The financing contract remains 60 months same-as-cash with 13
> remaining payments. Since there is no incentive pay the loan off early, I
> intent to make all the remaining payments.
>
> The average driver will put between 12,000 and 15,000 miles on a vehicle
> in a year. I was much higher than average in my first two years, putting
> 55,370 miles on the car. I drove only 13,942 miles last year and 13,855
> this year. Still, my total miles driven are much higher than the average
> driver's, so the average driver's per-mile cost likely will be higher than
> mine because of a lower mileage denominator.
>
> Insurance costs steadily increased during the first two years, but finally
> went down last year and decreased some more this year. My current monthly
> premium is $67.05. It has been as high as $106.20. My wife got a
> speeding ticket this year (35 in a 25 -- it was dismissed after attending
> a one-day defensive driving class), so our rates may go up next year.
>
> In the four-year period, I have 362 gas receipts. My fuel economy for all
> miles driven is 19.4 miles / gallon, a slight decrease from last year's
> 19.5. Like last year, this decrease is likely due my not driving as many
> highway miles as before. For a single tank, it has been as high as 26.9
> or as low as 15.5 MPG -- both figures are outliers and are likely due to
> errors. Averaged over any ten consecutive fill ups, the high was 25.6 (an
> increase from last year's 23.5) and the low was 17.9 (a decrease from last
> year's 18.7) MPG. My average per-gallon gas cost was $2.287 this year, a
> considerable increase from last year's $1.633.
>
>

"Fred V." > done said:

> I used to keep detailed records like this when I bought
> a 1979 Datsun 310 new back in 79.
> When it came to getting rid of the rusting thing in 1991 no one cared any
> more except me!
> Now I don't keep such good records.


Heh, I originally started keeping the full records to see how accurate the
government estimates of per-mile costs were. I was surprised to find they were
fairly balls on. I continue doing it because I'm a nerd, and it doesn't take
all that much time. Quicken and Excel to all the real work.

It is, however, sobering to realize I've spent nearly $33K in four years for a
freakin' car, and I've got a little of $4K in equity (supposedly) to show for
it. Cars ain't cheap!



- Max -
=======
Do you know what it means
To miss New Orleans
And miss it each night and day . . .

http://www.secondharvest.org/

http://www.redcross.org/

http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/

> It is, however, sobering to realize I've spent nearly $33K in four years
> for a freakin' car, and I've got a little of $4K in equity (supposedly) to
> show for it. Cars ain't cheap!
>
>
>
> - Max -

You ought to see the little `88 Civic I bought to drive to work.
Paid only $800 and it gets 36 mpg.
Good thing, because I put about 550 - 600 miles a week on it.

This mustang is a ugly piece of crap, not like the new ones that Steven
Spielberg designed to look like the late 60's & 70's version, as
desired by me he abided.

Why don't you get rid of this ugly piece of garbage, and get a new cool
looking one.

Max C. Webster III wrote:
> This post was such a rousing success the last two years that I just had to do
> it again this year. And because I am a glutton for abuse from Usenetizens, I'm
> cross-posting this into my "home" newsgroup, alt.music.rush (geekiest post
> ever, my big ol' butt!).
>
>
> The Most Boring On-Topic Post *Ever* (Part III)!
>
> I purchased my 2001 GT Coupe for $24,861.38 on October 31, 2001. As of last
> Monday, I have had it four years. I have kept meticulous records on my costs
> for this vehicle. This is my report of those costs as of October 31, 2005, to
> RAMFM.
>
>
> The car (El Imán de Chicas):
>
> The car is 2001 Mustang GT coupe, green/tan, leather, automatic transmission,
> Mach 460 stereo with in-dash six CD changer. Other than replacing the original
> Goodyear tires with Bridgestone Potenzas at 45,000 miles, no modifications have
> been made to this car. The car currently has 83,685 miles; it had 259 when I
> bought it. The car is in good condition. There are no mechanical issues, and
> only minor cosmetic issues (some pitting on front bumper and the hood andworn
> spots on the driver's side floor mat). The car was rear-ended in a collision
> in October 2002, in which the front and rear bumpers and the left-rear quarter
> panel were damaged. The car was rear-ended again in November 2004. All
> damaged parts were replaced.
>
>
> The driver:
>
> I am a married male, 41, with a clean driving record, employed as a systems
> analyst, residing in Hoover, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham.
>
>
> The costs:
>
> The costs calculated using actual cash payments are in the left column. The
> costs using depreciation (from edmunds.com) instead of loan payments are in the
> right column. The report is designed to be read using a mono-spaced font.. If
> you are having trouble reading it in your newsreader, you can see these
> figures, as well as a pic of the car, in html format he
>
>
> http://hometown.aol.com/maxx2112/mustangcosts2005.html
>
>
>
> The "note" is $414.35 per month. Insurance coverage is provided by USAA,with
> $100K/300K/$100K limits. The service payments are for tires and scheduled
> maintenance only -- there are no out-of-pocket repairs as of this report.The
> "other costs" are car washes and supplies.
>
>
> Cash Payment Basis Depreciation Basis
>
> Costs Amount Costs Amount
> ----------------------------------- -----------------------------------
> Payments $ 19,474.45 Depreciation $ 15,361.38
> Service 1,970.38 Service 1,970.38
> Fuel 5,902.06 Fuel 5,902.06
> Insurance 4,186.78 Insurance 4,186.78
> Tax & License 888.86 Tax & License 888.86
> Other Costs 485.62 Other Costs 485.62
> ----------------------------------- -----------------------------------
> Total Cash Costs $ 32,908.15 Total Accrued Costs $ 28,795.08
> =================================== ===================================
>
>
> The following section breaks the total costs down by mile and time period.
>
>
> Cost per mile and time period Cost per mile and time period
> ----------------------------------- -----------------------------------
> Miles Driven 83,426 Miles Driven 83,426
> Cash Cost per mile $ 0.3945 Accrued Cost per mile $ 0.3452
> Daily Cost $ 22.52 Daily Cost $ 19.71
> Weekly Cost $ 157.67 Weekly Cost $ 137.96
> Monthly Cost $ 685.12 Monthly Cost $ 599.49
> Annual Cost $ 8,221.41 Annual Cost $ 7,193.84
> =================================== ===================================
>
>
> Most of the miles driven were for business purposes, and I received
> compensation at $0.345 per mile through July 2005. In August, the
> reimbursement rate increased to $0.405 per mile (the current IRS rate is
> $0.485). For fuel purchases, I use a credit card that rebates a portion of
> each purchase (3% for fuel, 1% for all other) against future fuel purchases.
> The following section backs out business miles, mileage reimbursements, and
> fuel rebates to calculate how much it cost me to drive each personal-use mile.
>
>
> Adjusted Personal Cost Adjusted Personal Cost
> ----------------------------------- -----------------------------------
> Business Miles 54,197 Business Miles 46,101
> Personal Miles 29,229 Personal Miles 29,229
> Mileage Reimbursements $ 18,946.93 Mileage Reimbursements $ 18,946.93
> Fuel Rebates $ 1,248.08 Fuel Rebates $ 1,248.08
> "Out of pocket" costs $ 12,713.14 "Out of pocket" costs $ 8,600.07
> Personal use per mile $ 0.4349 Personal use per mile $ 0.2942
> =================================== ===================================
>
>
> Observations:
>
>
> After two years, I was "upside down" on my car. That is, I owed more than it
> is worth. Last year, I achieved some positive equity in the car. This
> positive equity has made my adjusted personal cost per mile much higher than
> the accrual basis. These costs will be recovered if and when the car is sold.
> The financing contract remains 60 months same-as-cash with 13 remaining
> payments. Since there is no incentive pay the loan off early, I intent to make
> all the remaining payments.
>
> The average driver will put between 12,000 and 15,000 miles on a vehicle in a
> year. I was much higher than average in my first two years, putting 55,370
> miles on the car. I drove only 13,942 miles last year and 13,855 this year.
> Still, my total miles driven are much higher than the average driver's, so the
> average driver's per-mile cost likely will be higher than mine because ofa
> lower mileage denominator.
>
> Insurance costs steadily increased during the first two years, but finally went
> down last year and decreased some more this year. My current monthly premium
> is $67.05. It has been as high as $106.20. My wife got a speeding ticket this
> year (35 in a 25 -- it was dismissed after attending a one-day defensive
> driving class), so our rates may go up next year.
>
> In the four-year period, I have 362 gas receipts. My fuel economy for all
> miles driven is 19.4 miles / gallon, a slight decrease from last year's 19.5.
> Like last year, this decrease is likely due my not driving as many highway
> miles as before. For a single tank, it has been as high as 26.9 or as low as
> 15.5 MPG -- both figures are outliers and are likely due to errors. Averaged
> over any ten consecutive fill ups, the high was 25.6 (an increase from last
> year's 23.5) and the low was 17.9 (a decrease from last year's 18.7) MPG.My
> average per-gallon gas cost was $2.287 this year, a considerable increasefrom
> last year's $1.633.

"MANOFTRUTH" > wrote:

> This mustang is a ugly piece of crap, not like the new ones that
> Steven Spielberg designed to look like the late 60's & 70's version,
> as desired by me he abided.
>
> Why don't you get rid of this ugly piece of garbage, and get a new
> cool looking one.
>

Spoken like a TRUE LINUX geek! No there isnt....

"Backyard Mechanic" > done said:

> "MANOFTRUTH" > wrote:
>
>> This mustang is a ugly piece of crap, not like the new ones that
>> Steven Spielberg designed to look like the late 60's & 70's version,
>> as desired by me he abided.
>>
>> Why don't you get rid of this ugly piece of garbage, and get a new
>> cool looking one.
>
> Spoken like a TRUE LINUX geek! No there isnt....


BM, "Man of Truth," a/k/a Liberator, is AMR's resident psychotic troll. He's
not faking it . . . he's the real deal, constantly going on about Jews and
Speilberg and Hollywood. He's best ignored.



- Max -
=======
Do you know what it means
To miss New Orleans
And miss it each night and day . . .

http://www.secondharvest.org/

http://www.redcross.org/

http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/

Backyard Mechanic wrote:
> "MANOFTRUTH" > wrote:
>
>
>>This mustang is a ugly piece of crap, not like the new ones that
>>Steven Spielberg designed to look like the late 60's & 70's version,
>>as desired by me he abided.
>>
>>Why don't you get rid of this ugly piece of garbage, and get a new
>>cool looking one.
>>
>
>
> Spoken like a TRUE LINUX geek! No there isnt....
>

That guy is no geek, Linux or otherwise. He's just a loser.

--
John Nichel
By-Tor.com
http://www.by-tor.com

Remove 'no_spam' from the email
address to contact me directly.

"Max C. Webster III" > wrote:
>>
>> Spoken like a TRUE LINUX geek! No there isnt....
>
>
> BM, "Man of Truth," a/k/a Liberator, is AMR's resident psychotic
> troll. He's not faking it . . . he's the real deal, constantly going
> on about Jews and Speilberg and Hollywood. He's best ignored.

Heh.. my kinda nutcase.. any side he picks on those subjects, I can argue
the opposite!


--
Yeh, I'm a Krusty old Geezer, staving off dementia here..DEAL with it!

Jim Geiger wrote:
>>It is, however, sobering to realize I've spent nearly $33K in four years
>>for a freakin' car, and I've got a little of $4K in equity (supposedly) to
>>show for it. Cars ain't cheap!
>>
>>
>>
>>- Max -
>
>
> You ought to see the little `88 Civic I bought to drive to work.
> Paid only $800 and it gets 36 mpg.
> Good thing, because I put about 550 - 600 miles a week on it.
>
>
How the hell does Gieger fit in a civic?