I was never a car guy, but EV's of course really captured my imagination and interest. When we leased that Nissan Leaf in 2014, then bought a Model S the next year (fiscally irresponsible as it was), it was pretty clear we would never go back. But in many ways, I kind of loathe needing to have cars at all, but it's what we get for living in the suburbs. Having two cars totaled by shitty drivers (2020, 2024) doesn't ease my disdain for having to have cars.
But we're on the edge of a confluence of factors that I need to think about them again. First off, Simon will be legal next year. I'm not going to let him not have a car for the purpose of exploring work and social situations. High school sucks enough without having that constraint. I'm also still deeply uncomfortable with the interest rate on our newer car, at 6.5%. It's not a huge loan, but it's still awfully high. I'd like to pay it off.
The big thing that has changed, and I imagine will change even more in the next year, is that there are so many more options than before. Even last year, when we bought the second Model Y, there were no viable economic choices. We ended up getting that one for a little under $40k, which is pretty great for a range that large. Fortunately, the build quality was much better than the earlier car, too. But now, there are so many great options from most of the manufacturers.
Next year could go a few different ways. We could get Simon a cheap, used first-generation Leaf. I've seen them for like $3k, but the batteries aren't in great shape because it's very old battery tech (not lithium-ion). He couldn't go very far, but it would work. Newer, second-generation cars are around for about $10k with range over 100, and that would last him longer, though it wouldn't be ideal for the long term, whatever that might involve. I could also gift him my car, which at five years still has less than 30k miles on it, and the range is around 300 miles still.
In that last scenario, I'd have to buy a new car, with an eye on keeping it for six years or more, per our broader financial goals. Tariffs are going to make cars more expensive, domestic or not. I really like the VW ID.Buzz, but despite it not selling that well in the US, it isn't being discounted. $60k is a lot even for a novelty car. I really like the idea of having a normal sedan again. The Hyundai group cars aren't bad, but not significantly cheaper than their counterparts from others. The BMW i4, for example, is only a little more but the materials and quality from BMW are likely better. Audi is in that category too, but those are the crossover/SUV profile. Nissan is returning with the third-generation Leaf starting at $40k, but if you get the better trims, you're back in BMW territory. Model 3 would be the best deal if the idiots in Congress weren't hell bent on killing the tax credit, but politics aside, I'm still turned off by the quality problems I had.
I keep coming back to whatever the cheapest possible solution is and actually trying to keep cars for as long as possible. EV's just don't require replacement or maintenance like gas cars. If that Model 3 hadn't been crashed, it could have gone on for years. There was no meaningful battery degradation and the brakes were basically new. And yes, after having three cars totaled in my life, all because of others at fault, it doesn't feel logical to spend money on cars if you don't have to.
I've got a year to think about it.
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