Waffling by proxy (not your average question)

[Terri Kennedy]

It's time for my business partner to get a [the] new company car. Since I'm obviously "the car guy" in this company, it's my job to tell him what to go buy, and then he just goes and buys whatever I suggest.

Most recent 3 cars:

• 1987 Dodge Colt DL - I sold it to him used in late 1994 (with 42K miles) when I bought the Talon. Was run to well past 200K (probably closer to 250K) miles.
• 2001 Ford Focus ZX3 - Bought new, run over 200K.
• 2007 Honda Fit - Bought new, has ~ 190K on it now.

These get used hard, on very poor New York City roads. Normal use is 50 to 70 miles/day in congested traffic. The car gets used to transport large amounts of networking equipment around the city (the original purchase requirement was "had to fit a Cisco 7513 in the back") and get parked in NYC lots / garages with careless attendants and the resulting damage*.

* Before the cars get to be a couple years old, he'll file claims for damage from parking attendants. The body shop acually kept a stock of pre-painted Fit rear bumpers in his car's color so they could swap one in less than 60 minutes whenever he came in.

There are occasional drives of ~ 200 miles each way to his vacation house with his girlfriend.

The things he didn't like about the previous cars:

• Colt - a little small (but the price was unbeatable).
• Focus - he must have gone through over 2 dozen alloy wheels (3 in one trip!) due to poor roads combined with heavy loads. Not cost-effective to repair someplace like Wheel Collision, but a PITA. Also, his girlfriend (acquired after the car) wanted a four-door ZX5, but that model wasn't availalable at the time.
• Fit - no real drawbacks - the only thing he didn't like was the option bundling - he would have had to get larger alloy wheels (see above) in order to get the MP3 option on the stereo. It has recently started stumbling, which was initially diagnosed as bad gas / bad injectors / bad coils but which is actually related to the A/C compressor, which would lead to a not-economically-viable repair.

He's thinking about another Fit, because he likes it so much. His girlfriend suggested he get a Fit EV, but I talked him out of that because the 80-mile range won't cut it (it's a lot less in stop-and-go traffic, and it won't make it to his vacation home).

Cheap, reliable, and indestructible are desired features. Lots of interior space in a small car (think NYC parallel parking) are also needed - hs current Fit is only 158" long.

Suggestions (before I just tell him to get another Fit)?

[clyde]

First thing that came to mind was Fit EV, too. From what I've read the range doesn't drop that much in stop and go. If that normal 50-70 miles a day use includes any regular stop for an hour or more, buy and install a second charger at that location to top off. That's damn near a perfect scenario to make the most of the Fit EV lease deal with renting other cars for the occasional trips.

[JST]

If you think more room would be useful, a Transit Connect?

It's hard to argue with the Fit in that category, but the Fiesta would be something else to look at.

Prius C?

[Terri Kennedy]

Originally Posted by clyde

First thing that came to mind was Fit EV, too. From what I've read the range doesn't drop that much in stop and go. If that normal 50-70 miles a day use includes any regular stop for an hour or more, buy and install a second charger at that location to top off. That's damn near a perfect scenario to make the most of the Fit EV lease deal with renting other cars for the occasional trips.

This involves parking in NYC parking lots and garages. We need to use the closest garage to where we're going due to the size / weight of the stuff we schelp around. So there's no way to get chargers installed at the (minimum) 4 or 5 parking garages we use regularly.

And I think the excess mileage charges would make any lease a non-starter.

Originally Posted by JST

If you think more room would be useful, a Transit Connect?

Hmmm. Over 2' longer than the Fit, has to pay van/truck surcharges in garages and on the Block Island Ferry, and low girlfriend acceptance factor.

It's hard to argue with the Fit in that category, but the Fiesta would be something else to look at.

Fiesta Hatch might work. I'll add it to the possibilities.

Prius C?

Groan. I don't want to be seen in a Pious.

Thanks!

[ZBB]

The Fit EV lease also has no mileage cap -- pretty unique...

Many NYC garages are putting in EV chargers or outlets (although many times just 120V)... Might be worth a little checking with the garages he uses -- an hour or so extra charge per day would remove the range anxiety.

Then just get a rental for the vacation house drives...

[Plaz]

Terry's right, EV is a non-starter. You guys don't understand NYC garages. Even if one or two do have a charger, actually relying on NYC garage jockeys to remember to plug it in, or risk ruining your business or after-hours plans, is a very bad idea. Not worth any potential savings, IMO.

[Nick M3]

Originally Posted by Plaz

Terry's right, EV is a non-starter. You guys don't understand NYC garages. Even if one or two do have a charger, actually relying on NYC garage jockeys to remember to plug it in, or risk ruining your business or after-hours plans, is a very bad idea. Not worth any potential savings, IMO.

Yeah. It's not like *you* get to see the thing parked.

[kognito]

Hyundai Veloster turbo?? 100K drivetrain warranty doesn't suck

https://www.hyundaiusa.com/veloster/

[clyde]

Originally Posted by Terry Kennedy

And I think the excess mileage charges would make any lease a non-starter.

As ZBB said, the Fit EV has unlimited miles. Even if it didn't, 60 miles a day, 20 days a month makes for 14,400 a year. Even at Honda's $0.20/mile overage for cars with MSRP over $30k, that would have been under $1500.

Originally Posted by Plaz

You guys don't understand NYC garages.

I understand them well enough. What I didn't know was where the car spends its time. If their business had a spot accessible and exclusive to them where the car sat for an hour or two during the day between trips, it could have made sense. We now know that's not the case.

Even so, knowing what we do about Terry and his outside the lines projects, finding a way to make it work seems like something that would have been right up his alley. That he's not interested in trying to find a solution there speaks volumes.

[Terri Kennedy]

Originally Posted by clyde

As ZBB said, the Fit EV has unlimited miles. Even if it didn't, 60 miles a day, 20 days a month makes for 14,400 a year. Even at Honda's $0.20/mile overage for cars with MSRP over $30k, that would have been under $1500.

The 40-70 miles is the value for most days. Looking at the purchase dates and mileage on the cars, I see 25K-40K/year. That can get expensive.

I understand them well enough. What I didn't know was where the car spends its time. If their business had a spot accessible and exclusive to them where the car sat for an hour or two during the day between trips, it could have made sense. We now know that's not the case.

It's a rare person who has a dedicated spot. Even the nearly $1M place on 5th Avenue didn't have a parking garage. OTOH, I was friends with a guy who lived on the Upper East side who had three spots. But he owned a half-full-floor overlooking Gracie Mansion.

Even so, knowing what we do about Terry and his outside the lines projects, finding a way to make it work seems like something that would have been right up his alley. That he's not interested in trying to find a solution there speaks volumes.

My business partner treats the car as a utility. There's no point in getting him into an expensive / unusual car, because the attendants are just going to play bumper cars with it, it'll never be inside a private garage, etc.