Do what I don't want to do

tarazkp in #thoughts • 6 years ago

Tomorrow I have to do something I really, really don't want to do, but looks like I must. Buy a new car.

The plan was not to have to get a car until I could get the car I want, which would be an all-electric. However, I am having my hand forced as my Honda's relative value and cost of repair is making it too costly. There is very little wrong with it from a driving perspective, but there are some electrical issues, cracked windscreen and a broken fog light that will mean it won't pass inspection, forcing repairs that'll cost 20% of its worth.

1_10_16_Night_Ylöjärvi_hiedanranta11.jpg

I am still undecided if I will actually follow through and change, but tomorrow I will make the move to go to some car yards and see what they offer for a trade. If I don't do it soon, I will lose the motivation to check.

I don't really care what car I drive, but I am looking at perhaps a hybrid, since I can't afford a suitably sized electric. I am looking for a used car, but not too used. Probably a Toyota of some kind, as they are pretty reliable and boring. As a not-a-car-guy, it doesn't bother me much what I drive as long as it does what I need it to do with some comfort and safety.

The hybrids I have checked consume about 50% less fuel than my Civic does, and in a country where fuel prices are around 1.55€ a liter, that is significant for both pocket and environment as I cover about 15 - 20,000 kilometers a year. That is about 40 tanks a year which cost about 70€ each for a total of 2800. Not cheap.

We are definitely not in the position that a car should be bought, but we would be completely screwed if our current one keeps having issues or gets taken off the road, as I have to drive for my work to way out locations where there is no public transport. It is a weighing up of risk and liability at the moment and I am getting the feeling that the risk of the status quo is getting to the point I am uncomfortable with.

While I would love to one day have something like a Tesla3, it is just not on the cards at this time (unless Steem sees ATHs and then some more past that) unfortunately. I do not want to change to something that just replaces what I have though, as I would like it to offer me some kind of different life experience. While a hybrid is not a massive difference, it does at least give me a changed perspective of some kind and is a step in the right direction in my opinion. Not perfect, but it is opting into personal change rather than supporting the processes that need to change.

Still, I am not committed to the change-over yet, so this is more of an exploratory mission to see if I am willing. I don't get attached to cars, but I have been happy driving the Honda and it still drives well other than the niggling problems that seem to be getting more consistent.

Well change or no, tomorrow I will know more than today. One thing I do know now is, cars are stupid.

Taraz
[ a Steem original ]

#lifestyle #technology #cars #oc #palnet #neoxian

6 years ago in #thoughts by tarazkp

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markkujantunen 6 years ago

Boring small petrol Toyo.

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tarazkp 6 years ago

Has to also hold 4 adults, a baby chair and suitcases relatively often.
I am still considering it though.

My wife had a 1 litre Aygo a couple years ago. It was pretty decent considering the siz and price, but not the kind of thing to go where I go for work. Great for a city driver.

I don't mind boring :)

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markkujantunen 6 years ago

I have a Toyota Verso S.

Source

Fulfills your criteria. Devoid of sex appeal. Reliable. Has a 1.3 litre engine that has a max power of 125 hp. Good for the city. But is good enough on the highway. Not a guzzler.

I hate guzzlers but considered a larger car. Thought long about buying a 10-yo Lexus RX 400h because it's an SUV and even more reliable than Toyotas. Because it's a hybrid, the kilometreage is great for a large vehicle. But came to my senses because there was no objective need for a large vehicle like that. The maintenance costs would've been not too high but changing the alternator would've cost €10,000 and it could've broken with very, very bad luck. Replacing the air suspension if necessary would've been bitch, too. There is a reason why a €85,000 car becomes a €15,000 car at 10 years of age.

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tarazkp 6 years ago

I was looking at a Lexus hybrid sedan ronight, but it was still a bit out of price range.

Is the verso a hybrid?

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markkujantunen 6 years ago

No. But the engine is small enough not to need much fuel.

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edicted 6 years ago (edited)

I only have one question.
What is a liter?

JK

After running the conversions it looks like you pay $6.5 dollars a gallon.
Funny how the gluttons here complain about $3.

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tarazkp 6 years ago

What is a liter?

Not only that, I have to write it in fake English, otherwise I would need to add subtitles. It should be Litre.

Yep, I think it is about that cost here. There are more expensive places, but not many I think. From my understanding, it is 75% tax on fuel in Finland.

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edicted 6 years ago

I keep thinking I'm going to use this as the basis of a blog post but it's far too rooted in genocide and racism.

Didn't stop me from laughing when i saw it.

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tarazkp 6 years ago

:D
besides the indivisibility by 3 issue... we do have 10 fingers to learn to count on, so it makes sense.

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edicted 6 years ago

Yeah I need a new car as well. Unfortunately mine is getting like 17 miles per gallon. Fortunately I have a five mile commute.

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tarazkp 6 years ago

You might find this interesting. I am sure there are better examples than this page though.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/bdm.1961

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edicted 6 years ago (edited)

Weird, however, like you, I'd rather have a vehicle with infinite MPG.
Looking for more of a miles per kilowatt hour situation.

Electric is the future, and as time goes on gas can only get more expensive and power can only get cheaper (hopefully). I think Bitcoin will actually have a lot to do with that. As it allows power to be consumed at the source, allowing more innovative energy startups to arise that have a fallback when they don't have any buyers. The Bitcoin network offers a fair price for all power consumption globally and without reservation.

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tarazkp 6 years ago

I think Bitcoin will play a part, but blockchain in general as self-driving cars increase in popularity and micropay rental becomes commonplace across multiple areas. Screw Uber when there are driverless cars available all over the place that do not need a central hub to organize them.

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edicted 6 years ago

If I had the money I'd def buy a driverless car and add it to some bad ass decentralized passive income network.

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tarazkp 6 years ago

That 's my plan. Imagine the savings on the environment considering most people will not need a car they can have pretty much all of them on call anytime. Apartment buildings, shopping centers won't need massive carparks, the congestion of large event won't happen as cars will order themselves to stagger arrival, traffic lights and signs aren't needed, roads can be built about 30% narrower as the sensors and AI will outperform all other drivers (in time)... technology should work to improve life.

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bashadow 6 years ago

A used hybrid might be a good way to test the waters. I am not sure that electric cars are any cheaper on the fuel front to use. In Alaska I don't think there are many charging stations, but one thing is at most work places they do have outdoor plugs for engine heaters, (they get turned off in the summer in most places), so recharging while at work is possible and free. Otherwise it is plug it in at home to charge, and that could put a serious dent in the electric bill over a month. So the hybrid choice will let you know a little bit about the operating cost before going full on electric.

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tarazkp 6 years ago

I would like a plug in, as here we do have engine warmer posts in the car parks everywhere (including my apartment building), plus at least for now, a lot of the shopping centers offer free charging points. The home ones definitely won't charge it quickly though.

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bashadow 6 years ago

If there are a lot of plug-ins then free power is always more fun. I wish more businesses had plug ins for the winter months and keeping the car engines warm, but pretty much only some for the employees. Sounds like a winning combo for where you are at with all the free plugins available.

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planetauto 6 years ago

The ZS EV is remarkably good value for a new electric SUV, failing that you can get a decent sized SUV with NCAP5 for very little money.

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tarazkp 6 years ago

When it comes to cars in Finland, nothing is good value. The prices in comparison to the UK are around 30% higher, but the salaries definitely aren't :D

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planetauto 6 years ago

yeesh, even a bargain SUV becomes a significant investment.

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tarazkp 6 years ago

Yep, it sucks. then there are the running costs that are ludicrous on top. I have no idea how people afford cars here - but then, the personal debt has been mounting for the last 2 decades.

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planetauto 6 years ago

That's it, people in the UK think they pay through the nose, it'll be interesting to see what happens after BREXIT.

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tarazkp 6 years ago

The price changes based on what type of car it is too. I know a guy who years ago bought a Nissan GT-R. In the UK it was around 50k pounds (if I remember rightly) and in Finland he ended up paying 230k euros.

Brexit is going to be an interesting thing to watch. It might work out economically well for England if there is war in the middle east however. Can't walk in as a refugee - but, that is the conspiracy theorist in me ;)

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planetauto 6 years ago

That's ludicrous, absolute madness, yes it's going to be interesting either way, IOM seem to do fine not being in the EU, and i'm part Manx as an interesting fact:)

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tarazkp 6 years ago

and i'm part Manx as an interesting fact

Does that mean that you get upset when losing the football to the Aussie Rules players? :D

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scholaris 6 years ago

Thank you for your post. I have a honda hybrid, and I'm in a similar position to you. I bought the car about five years ago and with two kids, two in-laws and a dog I had to get something more accommodating. I use the hybrid for commuting to work and had to purchase a minivan.

When I tried to trade in my Honda for something bigger, the dealership only quoted a value 1/5 of the original cost. It sucks, but what could I do? I don't have celeb money.

Best of luck!

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tarazkp 6 years ago

Cars are one of the worst possible purchases, other than junk food :)

I just hope that one day I will be able to get something that will be suitable for decades. I bought the civic at a different stage of life.

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por500bolos 6 years ago

The plan was not to have to get a car until I could get the car I want, which would be an all-electric.

Ah! Come on @tarazkp. Don't quit your dreams of possess an all electric car so fast?

Just purchase a LINDO from an Aussie countryman and you are done. };)

I don't really care what car I drive, but I am looking at perhaps a hybrid, since I can't afford a suitably sized electric.

Ditto!!

I do not want to change to something that just replaces what I have though, as I would like it to offer me some kind of different life experience.

So, what else of a "different life experience" you could get. Huh? :)

As for it has to also hold 4 adults, a baby chair and suitcases relatively often. Don't worry, you can take them on the roof or drag them on a small trailer behind.

On a serious note... bah! never mind. :)

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tarazkp 6 years ago

That would be perfect for the minus 25 degree days!

Well, in the hybrids and electrics there are a lot more readouts making them gamified in some way. Pretty much everyone I know who has one ends up changing their driving behavior to tweak the numbers in some way. For example, one guy drives a slower road rather than the highway as it saves fuel, which means he has to leave a little earlier than normal.

On a side note: Steem needs analytics.

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por500bolos 6 years ago

That would be perfect for the minus 25 degree days!

Yeah! I reckon for those cold days the astronaut suit would mean an additional nuisance. :)

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tarazkp 6 years ago

My daughter looks like an astronaut every day in the winter

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haikubot 6 years ago

My daughter looks like
An astronaut every
Day in the winter

^{- tarazkp}

^{^{I'm a bot. I detect haiku.}}

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por500bolos 6 years ago

No doubt she will be more than happy to be the driver of your brandnew Tuk-Tuk.

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tarazkp 6 years ago

She knows she is too young to drive. She has said that, once she turns four though.

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haikubot 6 years ago

She knows she is too
Young to drive. She has said that,
Once she turns four though.

^{- tarazkp}

^{^{I'm a bot. I detect haiku.}}

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por500bolos 6 years ago (edited)

Children also lie from time to time just to please.

Just leave your Tuk-Tuk keys misplaced out there at her reach and you'll see.

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niallon11 6 years ago

Love buying new cars. It's one of the most fun things to spend money on. Go mad and and buy something big and sexy.

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tarazkp 6 years ago

Fun for the initial purchase, everything past that sucks. I am a bad consumer though these days unless I am buying for my wife and daughter. f I am going to spend money on something at the moment (other than more Hue lights :D ), it would be a house.

buy something big and sexy

Sounds like what my wife married.

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niallon11 6 years ago

Fun for the initial purchase, everything past that sucks.

Nope. My car is my one big unnecessary thing in life. Everything else is practical but i still love going out the front door and seeing it waiting for me. Still get a thrill driving it down the road.

Sounds like what my wife married.

Unfortunately you might be the honda...... 🤣

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tarazkp 6 years ago

I used to be more into cars once upon a time as all my brothers are in some way. I just can't justify it now. However, if Steem ever does really do something special one day ever, maybe - then I would buy something much more comfortable, but still not ludicrous.

one big unnecessary thing in life.

This is what she found out once she got married.

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niallon11 6 years ago

one big unnecessary thing in life.

This is what she found out once she got married.

Great answer.

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ryivhnn 6 years ago

I'm looking forward to the technology in my project where there's autonomous pods that replace public transport and most car ownership (you use an app or something to summon a nearby available one to your location and have it drop you off wherever you want to go) and only people who particularly like driving own pods, much like horse ownership now I guess XD

Hope you're able to get a decent new-to-you car without too much drama :S

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tarazkp 6 years ago

This is pretty much what self-driving cars are going to do over the next 2 decades. Tie it in with blockchain micropay and very few people need a car. Most apartment buildings for example will collectively own a few for tenants and those who do want to own a car, can rent it out when not in use. Cars are silly, we pay for them 24 hours a day, use them a fraction of that.

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ryivhnn 6 years ago

Right?! Mine is mostly used as a taxi and if I didn't hate driving so much I'd probably use it a hell of a lot more than I do. J's car is literally little more than work commute. He drives it to work and back, does the shopping on the weekend and maybe it will get drives around outside of that sometimes, otherwise it spends most of its time parked. But we have to keep it (and all the associated costs of refuelling, servicing, licensing etc) because there isn't public transport to his work >_<

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adetorrent 6 years ago (edited)

I had to buy one last year out of necessity too, even though I was holding out until an all electric car I could afford + didn't look like a toy car came out. I settled for another petrol car because I could find non of the above.

However since then, there have been some interesting teases by VW and Mini. The eGolf seems to be competitively priced (I'm not sure if it's actually selling yet), AND it just looks like any other Golf - which is one of my favourite cars.

The Mini isn't a family car though, so not sure if that's for you.

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tarazkp 6 years ago

Couldn't find a suitable hybrid and due to some other issues, made the decision faster than expected. A 1.4 Passat. Drives nicely and is quiet, which was very high on the list :)

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edje 6 years ago

I can recommend you the Honda Insight. I drive the first generation of this type, for the last 9 years. Never had a problem with the car and done 150k kilometers. Drive not fast and mostly a long-ish track, hence I use about 1 liter gas per 20 kilometers in average (actually it can go to 1 to 25 when in the highway and driving 100km/hr).

Success with the car hunt!

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tarazkp 6 years ago

I have heard good things about them, but there are none available used in the area.

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edje 6 years ago

Thats unfortunate. Any luck today with the hunt?

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tarazkp 6 years ago

Yep. Ended up with a 1.4 VW Passat. it is not a hybrid, but is efficient enough and has the space I need in it.

Drove a Kia Niro first (hybrid) which was great in nearly every way, but the road noise was worse than the Civic and it was too important to have a quieter ride. I drive with colleagues relatively often and talking with the back seat is a must, as are in-car calls.

I am hoping that this will see us through until a decent and affordable (in Finland) all-electric will be available.

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edje 6 years ago

passat is a good car for sure; njoy it! :)

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