It seems that I may be offered a position as a DM (the good) it will require driving 160-180 miles round trip per day (the not so good) currently my only vehicle is an 02 ford explorer with 135k on the clock. I love it (my three dogs need something with room inside to move around, plus I live in the sticks and a 4 wheel drive is needed). The cost to operate is about 18 mph on the highway but it isnt comfy, the seat is like a rock and well...it does smell like dog. Should I ever have to take someone from one store to the next, they would never stop bitching about the smell. As most dog owners you become immune to your dogs smell but to others it can be somewhat offensive.

Taking all this into consideration what would be the best USED car to purchase that can be driven 40k a year, gets decent mph, is comfy and safe???

Thanks in advance

Way too many unknowns in the equasion.

For a good used car, a Buick LeSabre would be great. I put over 200,000 miles on one I got for $3000 when it was 7 yrs old. Never a problem with it. The car was fully loaded and I got 31 mpg on the road.

Now would be a good time to mention I drive about 60-80,000 miles each yr in work since I have to cover about 12,000 sq mile area doing accident & crime scene reconstruction and am repaid my vehicle use at thirty eight cents per mile.

If you need 4WD, then go for a late model Chevy 1/2 ton four door with the Duramax-Alison drive train. While mine is a one ton and 2WD, the milage is a lot different but friends that have them say they get close to 20mpg with them and well over 200,000 miles before any major expense takes place.

what year buick lesabre do you have, engine size?

Ford Taurus (or 500), Impala, etc are available as program cars. They are roomy enough for passengers.
I really like the Outbacks if you want four wheel drive.
I personally used up two Taurus' and a Buick Century before going to a 1997 Dodge van two year ago. Estate sale with 73000 miles on it for $4000. It is roomy and more comfortable than a car, but lower gas mileage.

The cheapest, newest (under warranty) highest MPG car you can exist with. Your exposure to rock chipped windshields, accidents are greater. Saving 5 MPG really starts to pay off (do the math). A Ford Escape Front WD will get around well in the outback. It has room for your dogs. Put snow tires on the front in the winter.

For a car I know I’m going to kill I bought a 02 Honda Civic EX for the same reasons you listed. I have put 30K miles on it per year for the last two years. I just had new struts put in all the way around, new tires, and everything aligned. It rides like it’s brand new again. No it’s never going to ride like a Buick, but unless you like stopping every other day for a complete fill up from the “E” you might want to think about the same thing. I don’t like that there wasn’t an American car that I could think of that I would put this much trust in as the cheap-o Honda but that is part of why I think we are slowly losing the car war. If I keep my foot from being like a lead weight I can average in the high thirties to even low low forties if I keep the cruise set at 65. I know that’s not everyone’s bag but if you are looking for a reliable, efficient, non-wallet breaker until you figure out your living set up with a possible move then a Civic may be your best bet.

my explorer will be kept and used for my dog hauler, the potential car to purchased will be used as the high mile daily driver to work

A 2003 Buick with the 3800 engine. There are some really nice ones out there that have been taken good care of by adult drivers.

Ford Focus, and I'll tell you why, my wife did put over 40,000 miles a year on that car. When we got married she would drive to see her father in a nursing home 2 hours each direction twice a week. That car is an 03 with 146,000 miles on it right now (for the last two years she hasn't worked so it is only driven sparingly). Never a hitch, an issue, or a problem. That car right now with its 4 cylinder gets 30 mpg at highway speeds. When we eventually get another car with AWD (a must here in the Adirondacks) she is thinking of a Subaru Outback (another excellent choice) and I will drive the Focus as an everyday beater car again. If you can find one used in decent shape with low mileage, get a Jeep Cherokee, they tend to be bulletproof and its one of the few vehicles Chrylser didn't screw up too much. Mine has 150,000 and gets a good 20 mpg with a 2 -inch lift and a Cherry Bomb exhaust.

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Vaya con Dios

You are talking over $20,000 a year in vehicle expense. Are you able to deduct this amount on your tax return? If not, it doesn't matter what you drive, it will be a losing proposition every time your tires hit the street.

As far as a used car, Honda Accords do well to about 200,000 miles and hold value well.

As a w-2 I dont see how you would be able to deduct auto expense from your taxes.

As a person who has traveled 50K per year for the last 5 years I can tell you that I have had good luck with used Lexus'. I have purchased a used LS400 and LS430. I get them with 80,000 miles for about $13K and drive them to 250,000 - 300,000 miles. Apart from scheduled maintenance they have not needed any repairs.
It's an "old school" car - V8, rear wheel drive.
I get 25 mpg. on the highway.

Jeff

A friend of mine who drives 70 to 80 miles each way for work just bought a used hatchback VW with a diesel,I think it was a Jetta.Nice car and good milage but not cheap to purchass.This guy does his research and rarely makes a bad decision.

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Chad

C-Class Mercedes 4-door. Bought one for $3500 with 90K on the clock. Got 35 MPG and went over 300K with only belts, brake pads, tires, and fluids. Was tighter than a new GM car and still going strong when my girlfriend totaled it. She walked away.

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JR, the 500 Specialist

When my job transferred me, my daily commute became 204 miles daily. Since I had 4 years to retirement I was not going to sell my home and move.

I went the other way, I bought a new Toyota Land Cruiser, V8, 4X4, a/c, etc.

This vehicle averaged 17mpg as 90% of this commute was expressway. I ran the land crusher till I retired and sold it for $18,000 with 192,000 miles on the clock. I looked like new both in and out and with the majority of the mileage being highway the motor wasn't leaking or using oil and was running strong.

I'd do the same thing over again in that situation. I had no major repairs.

Check with your accountant, but if you itemize, it would be an unreimbursed business expense. IIRC, it's a little over $.50/mile now, but you have to keep track of mileage used for business vs. personal.

As to the car, I would get either a two year old, high mileage Taurus/Sable or a 10 year old low mileage Accord. FWIW, I drove a 2010 Kia Optima 2700 miles a few weeks ago. It wasn't comfortable, but it got 30 mpg at 75 mph. They are pretty good cars if you just do the proper maintenance. BTW, if you get a Taurus/Sable, service the transmission at the intervals recommended in the book, but use ONLY synthetic transmission fluid. Ford recommends a mix, but the trans gets too hot and burns the mineral fluid. The synthetic can take a much higher temp before scorching.

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Insert short witty words here

I'd get a ZO6 Vette,505 HP, 25 mpg hway, and tons of fun.

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I’m your Boogie Man, uh huh.

Uh no it is commuting expense which ain't deductible. Once he gets to the job site, any driving amongst stores is business mileage, but the daily commute is NOT.

Me, I would clean the snot out of the car I already own to get the dog odor out and use it. Get one of those dividers so the dogs can stay in the rear. Cars/trucks should be viewed as expense items, not assets-period. As far as mileage do the math. You're getting 17mpg now on a car that's paid for. You buy a used roadworthy car for , lets say, $10,000 that has no doggie smell but gets 20 mpg. You got to drive a LOT to make up that extra 10k at 3 extra mpg. I'm one of those guys that car delearships hate to deal with
Plus the money I save allows me to buy essentials.....like firearms, fishing tackle, boats and whisky!

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Forum consigliere

Caj, if he's a district manager (that's what I understood), then he could claim his house as an office and any travel to stores would be deductible. If his office is somewhere else, you are absolutely correct, only mileage between that office and other locations would be deductible. That's the tax law as I understand it, but I'm not a CPA and I've not read all 70,000 pages of it, either.

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Insert short witty words here

Ditto on the buick lesabre,we have had 1993,2000,2004 all we great cars with good MPG,s for there size.Our last used 2000 had 105,000 miles on the OD when bought($3000)in 2009 we now are pushing 145,000 runs like a top.coobie

I had a lingenfelter made 532/472 at the rear

I've never been a diesel guy, but last fall I was test driving new cars, one of them was a diesel BMW 3 series, I think a 330d. I was actually very impressed - stats are something like 260 hp, over 400 lb-ft torque, 36 mpg, and it was really fast. I didn't buy it, and I have no idea what kind of reliability it has, but it might be worth a look.

I have a Taurus that I bought new; I put in the neighborhood of 35-40K per year on it. With over 200K, it's still going strong, and averages 25-26 mpg in the city, 28-30 mpg on the highway.

Ideally, a car that gets 40,000 miles to the gallon.

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Thirty characters. Exactly...

I would think a Bigshot would have a company car...

If I wasn't getting reimbursed for mileage I would definitely be thinking hybrid.

And the 80+ mile trip to work will take half an hour...

A hybrid won’t do so well with highway miles. The battery will run out and it will be gas all the rest of the way. Hybrids excel in city driving where the brake systems charge the batteries. I guess this is going to boil down to what you are comfortable with spending in gas. Keep in mind that it will only go up in price. We are at an average of three or more dollars right now. A vehicle that averages 20 to 25 mpg vs. less comfortable smaller one that gets 30 to 35 could be worth its less graceful ride. Jump that three dollars to four and then you might really wish you had bought something smaller. I despise paying for gas at this point already. I’m looking a Zero Motorcycles and trying to figure out a solar recharging station for while I’m at work during the day. Charge it at night for the ride in the next morning and that would be gas free commuting. I feel like the gasoline Ho being slapped by the gas station Pimp every time I fill up.

No hybrid for highway.

I'm guessing you took the job for more money and you're getting a car allowance? If it were me I would sacrifice comfort for economy to compliment the main objective-- more money. A used Corolla under 100k can be bought pretty cheap and driven another 200k mi with little relative maintenance costs while getting 40mpg on the highway. That said, I hate driving in anything but a pickup.

I don't think I'd try to clean up your car...

40k mi/yr

Corolla - 1000 gal per year X $3 = $3,000
Yours - 2200 gal per year X $3 = $6,600

That's a difference of $300/mo. You can buy a new compact car for less than the difference in gas and not suffer the high maintenance costs of your older vehicle.

If you can find one, and being "stylish" isn't a concern...

Get a good used low mileage Volvo 240 sedan- if you need the room, a station wagon. Parts are extra affordable, the 4-cylinder engine is very fuel efficient and you can't kill it even at 500K miles with any amount of decent maintenance. The best part is, they are very affordable for these cars. The stick shift version will be more efficient on the highway and more indestructible unless you have a habit of grinding the gears. However, stick shift is not as convenient if you drive in stop-and-go traffic, or have to have a phone in one hand, and a burger in the other! (What does that leave to drive with? )

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Lost it all in a boat accident

From one who has driven a personal car for business. Look up IRS form 2106. You can use it in conjunction with or without itemizing deductions. You'll have to establish a starting point. As in where you report to first thing. As a district mgr. pick out the closest point in your district to your home. Try out the job. If it proves to look promising and long term you should buy a new gas saver with a 100,000 mile drive train warranty. Chevy Cruze looks good. Gas is going to be $4 a gal..

My wife has a Prius. We figure the mileage every tank, and except in the coldest weeks it gets 44-46 on the highway. She drives 35K a year, I put another 40K on trucks. We spend a fortune on fuel for the trucks. I would not recommend a Prius for everyone. But I was in the hybrid repair business when we bought it, and I needed first hand knowledge. We have had two, both excellent and trouble free.

I don't think Chevy puts the Duramax in a 1/2 ton truck.

Plus, as one who owns a diesel car (VW) and a diesel truck (Dodge Cummins), I would NOT recommend them to anyone now. Diesel fuel hovers at anywhere from 25 to 50 cents per gallon (40 cents today) above regular unleaded, thanks to our wonderful EPA and their ridiculous mandates. I paid $3.42 tonight when unleaded was $3.02. Diesel fuel will hit $4 per gallon before gas does.

When I bought them, (prior to ULSD) it made sense. Prior to the advent of Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel, diesel fuel was about 15 cents per gallon cheaper than gasoline.

The engines, especially the newer ones are far more complicated than gas engines and if something breaks, get ready.

Having a diesel truck only makes sense if you are pulling heavy loads a lot. I can't see any sense in diesel cars now, with the current fuel situation. There are gas cars that get 35+ now.

Adding my 2 cents: IMHO, you should test drive a Honda Civic and a Honda Accord. Look for ones a little more than one year old. As stated, gas fuel is headed for $4/gal and diesel is headed for $5/gal. Stick with gas and non hybrid. If you are use to stick shift try to get one. Buy high mileage rated Michelin tires and keep them up to max pressure. Exchange the 'donut' spare for a full sized spare. Keep meticulous records of all automotive expenses and miles, etc. If you live far back on an unimproved road try to find a parking place for the highway car so as to avoid driving it on that unimproved road.

And last but not least; find a really good engine tuner to tune the engine for regular fuel, run the lightest weight oil the engine mfgr. will allow and get an "air dam" installed under the front bumper. Drive as much as possible while using 'cruise control'. Do all that with a two-door Honda Civic and IMHO you will be knocking at 48 to 50 mpg average. .............. Good Luck! ......... Big Cholla

Something from Japan.

If you need/want 4 wheel drive then lookat a toyots or a Nissan

I have a 1987 Nissan Pathfinder, It has over 350,000 miles on it. I have never been into the engine [except to replace the timing chain at the proper time], or the transmission/4x4 drive train...

It has had 2 clutches, 3 brake jobs...

Diesel Jetta. My 03 gets 49-50 MPG's on the highway. Well built, comfortable and no mechanical issues.

I would recommend a used GM with the 3800 engine. They get 30 mpg and are comfortable to drive.

My one way drive was over an hour. When I started the job I had a Chevy 1500 Silverado with a 350 and 5 speed manual trans. I felt like I was giving most of my pay check to gas stations.
So I bought a Honda CRX Si. FUN car, great gas mileage - BUT after sitting in it for an hour I was in misery for like 4 hours - Then I got to drive home and suffer some more.
Next car was a Grand Marquis - WOW! 25 mpg on the highway and super comfortable. It lived for 200k.

Before you plunk down your hard earned $$$ - I would highly recommend either driving the vehicle at least as far as you would to get to work and back, or at least sit in it for about the same amount of time and then see if you can walk when you get out.

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In dog years I'm dead.

A Taurus, not the new $35K one but the previous models. My 03 looks new, the A/C will run you out, has lots of room and a large trunk, gets about 21MPG in the city and about 28MPG on the highway. I put about 600 to 800miles a week on it and it has 155K miles. Runs like new with the usual upkeep. That's why so many over the road salesmen drove one. A buddy of mine has an 05 with 240K on it and it still looks and runs good.

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LIVE FROM THE DAWGHOUSE

My work car is a police package Crown Victoria. This is the last year they are making them. It averages around 18-20 MPG on company gas. We drive them for at least 200,000 miles, some for as much as 300,000 miles. They get regular maintainence and very few major repairs. I recently bought a 2010 Mercury Marquis without the package. It had 7,500 miles on it and even though it originally stickered for over $30,000 I drove it off the lot for $16,000. My first highway trip got 25.8 MPG. I've put 3,00 miles on it since I got it and it's never averaged under 22 mpg. I know this car will last because the last one I had (a Crown Vic cousin) had over 200,000 miles with no major repairs. It's like driving a recliner down the highway. Get one soon. They're almost extinct.

We've been using Suburbans for quite some time now.
Personally put 125k on one, that had 111k on it when it was
signed out to me. Uses lower octane fuel. The bulk of our runs is on
the "open road". They were switched to synthetic oil right after purchase.
Approx. 20mpg/hhwy. I cannot think of any drawbacks. They all
had Vortec v-8"s, which had all the muscle needed.
TACC1