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[Pottree@domain.elided]

In a message dated 02/22/2002 11:00:13 AM Pacific Standard Time, 
owner-alfa-digest@domain.elided writes:


> OTOH, you can't compare running costs with the average Camry driver because
> 
> 1. they don't care what oil goes into their engine; vegetable oil, suntan 
> oil, anything that says "oil" on the can (my 164 gets Syntec, $4.59/qt)
> 2. when their factory Goodyear tires run out, they bargain hunt for the 
> cheapest 80,000 mile tire from Pep Boys or Big O Tires, they'd buy 
> regroovables if they could
> 3. when it's time to change the timing belt, brakes, wiper blades etc ... 
> you get the picture

How long would the OEM tires on a Camry last a Camry-type driver?  My guess 
would be between 40 and 60K miles.  Probably a lot of the other items 
(including the oil, but that's another issue) would expire about the same 
time. Including the main one: the lease or loan.  IOW, by the time these 
items need replacing, it is likely the original buyer will replace the whole 
car, and thereby get a new crank of oil, setof tires, et al.

There used to be a gag about people "so rich" they would trade in the car 
when the ashtray was full.  These days as no one smokes (I have even heard 
that some Detroit cars now offer the ashtrays and lighters as optional 
equipment) that doesn't work so the modern equivalent is when the tires need 
to be replaced.  And that's no gag.

The next owner gets a car that was designed to be maintenance free for the 
first, say, 60k miles, and now has that plus -- and the car has basically 
never been maintained.  Still, as dug sez, they are ahead most of the time 
because of the magic of giant depreciation.

Charlie
LA, CA, USA

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