the new car

•••

We need to get a tiny car. This is because I put 60 - 100 miles on my minivan every day, mostly hauling overindulged children to various and sundry activities, and because $78 per tank is galling.

But what kind of tiny car should I get?

My first choices would be the new Fiat 500c or a Mini Cooper convertible or a Smart car. Okay, more realistically then - a Honda Fit or a Toyota Yaris. Or maybe a Toyota Prius. But hark, what's that cute car I saw in outer suburbia the other day? Oh, never mind... it was American, a Chevy. I can't have the only* American car in snoburbia.

•••

* Hulking SUVs notwithstanding

Comments

[Queen of the Weezils]

I hate to pull out the math card on an great post about the nature of snoburban cars, but it is actually pretty unlikely you'll make up the difference in cost between new car and paid-off car in gas mileage alone, even if you get the Prius. Run the numbers if you're serious.

A better option is to cancel some activities, bundle them with errands, arrange for carpooling, and look into public transportation.

I feel your pain, though! I just filled up my (tiny) car and paid nearly $80 it. Ouch!

[Doris]

According to my son-in-law, the Smart Car will soon be gone; I'd be afraid to drive one anyway! I would love to buy a new Saturn when my Aura gets old, but GM has stopped making them. So husband & I will NEVER buy another GM car.

[Charles D]

Obviously you should be the first on your cul-de-sac to own an Aston Martin Cygnet. At roughly $50,000, plus Gawd knows how much to have it customized to meet US safety and emission standards, you would be the envy of Snoburbia.

[Cavan]

Or you could move to Bethesda (doesn't get more snoburban than Bethesda!) and walk everywhere. Take the Metro, buses, and Zipcar for places that aren't in walking distance. No more gasoline bill. No need to buy a new car. And you'll be doing the environment a favor while saving money.

[nikki]

I don't know how old your kids are, obviously, but keeping them off Ride-on or Metrobus (or Metrorail if it's accessible) isn't doing them any favors. If they're 13+, give them a few bucks and a bus schedule. Better on your wallet, the environment and it teaches a little independence.

My husband grew up I'm Snoburban MoCo and his parents did that. We are a one car family because he actually prefers the bus or metro to driving.

[Justafed]

Nikki writes:
> I don't know how old your kids are, obviously, but keeping them off
> Ride-on or Metrobus (or Metrorail if it's accessible) isn't doing them
> any favors.

Actually if you have been reading this blog and the awesome Washington Post article about it you could triangulate the kids' ages with higher accuracy than Pakistani intelligence could manage for Bin Laden's hide-out, but I digress.

I actually agree with you up to a point, and put our 15-year old on the bus whenever that makes sense...which, alas, is not generally on any school night since even in the better served snoburban neighborhoods, the opportunity cost of bus over car when your kid has both orchestra and homework in her AP classes on the same night is just too great.

[Charlene]

Or three nights a week of soccer practice at the Maryland SoccerPlex - a series of buses would take at least an hour and a half to get there, each way. Plus other kids to get to music lessons, lacrosse and SAT prep...

[Christine]

An American car might be ok if it was a really really cool one, like the Chevy Volt...would plugging your car in make it cool enough for people to look over its nationality? :)

[mistah charley, ph.d.]

the youngsters may live to see the day that bicycles are transportation

[Brady Cartee]

You have great choices on your smart cars, huh. And because the consumption of gasoline these days can be really expensive, we must always think of ways to lessen our everyday expenses. Buying another car can be an option, really.