About 3 monthes ago my position at work was eliminated and I lived off of my severance package for 11 weeks. In that time I looked high and low for a job, but nothing real good came around, trust me, if it had been half way decent I would've taken it. Then, about a month ago, I got the call for this job doing legal courier work so I took it. It was literally a week before I was going to have to collect "unenjoyment" Here's the thing with this job though, I've got to use my own car and yes, my MINI is my only car, well right now it is. The miles to work for a week is about 200, no biggie to me, but the actual mileage for using the car for work related things could vary from 400-600+ miles, like two weeks ago I drove 645 miles and last week netted me 377 miles. I get a base pay and then get 37.5 cents per mile, so I make out pretty well. Now enough of the driving is highway or roads that have a 50 mph speed limit w/o alot of lights, so the car is not getting beat up with alot of stop and go really. Now my question to you guys is this, what would you do, continue to use the MINI as my work car and the joys that nets me really, or get a $2000 beater (Civic or Tercell or even GEO Metro or Prizm) and use that the majority of the time. I know its a gamble with any used car, even one of those quality made rides, but I'm listening to everthing and will make a decision in a couple monthes when I get my income tax check.


BTW, this may be irrelevent as I'm interviewing for a job with Discount Tire as assistant manager and if I get that job I will not need to get another car, so wish me luck on that one. Although noone here really knows me I'm really into cars in general, especially the MINI, and combined with my "gift of gab", my natrual selling abilities and being a generally easy to get along with guy who really cares about someone puts at all four corners of their car, this job is made for someone like me, again, wish me luck

 

use the mini...the beater will need work anyway. the irs reimbursement rate is 48.5cents i believe...

 

My wife and I aren't rich, but she said we make too much $$$$ to claim the difference, but thanks anyways. I'm really thinking about the potential money I'd have to put into the car (beater) down the road, even if I did get a good Honda or Toyota something or another. The MINI gets 29 w/ the A/C on with more city, but when you mix in some freeway the mileage goes up to about 32 and I've seen as high as 34.5 w/mixed driving, so its awesome there. I've gotten a best of 38 mpg on a long freeway trip too on day at work (190 miles round trip) I don't go by the OBC either, but that thing was up to 40.6 mpg on that particular trip, that's when I did it the old fashioned way and got 38 mpg. I feel 40 mpg is going to happen and I'm actually go down to the Dragon this weekend, so I'll really get to see the real highway mileage, I predict between 38 and 40 mpg, even though I've been told no way by people here, we'll see

 

38 and 40 MPG on the highway is very possible. I've gotten 37 MPG on the highway (275 mile round trip) in my MCSa and the MCS should be at least 2 MGP better. It all depends on how you drive it, even on the highway. I had the cruise set the whole time.

 

If your job is basically driving around all day, would you rather do that in a MINI or a hunk of junk ? Yes, the miles are using up your car, but that's what you bought it for. This just means that the fun is coming at you faster than you originally anticipated.

It seems to me that, with a MINI, you can think of the car as a fun-haver , that is capable of delivering an unknown-as-yet, but nevertheless finite amount of fun. It doesn't bother me to be putting miles on my car (26K+ in 16+ months) because, in my way of thinking, it just means my fun is occurring at a greater-than-average intensity. How's that for rationalization?

Another plug for the MINI: when you get where you are going, would you rather be seen getting out of, or back into, a MINI or a hunk of junk? What does each of these say about you?

 

I have to say, I purchase the cars to drive them, not to sell them again. I am not you, but if I were, I would keep driving the mini. It may be proven a foolish choice when things start to break at 150K, but I would have enjoyed the expirement.

 

Klasse - best of luck in securing the Discount Tire job. If you take the courier job, drive the MINI and bank the 37.5 cents per mile as savings for your next MINI.

 

Drive the MINI. At least work will be more fun.

Good luck with Discount Tire. Fingers crossed for you.

 

Sound advice. Also, depending on how long you're in this position you may want to consider the extended warranty and service contracts and put some cash towards those expenses.

 

Thanks for all the input guys and BTW I've been doing this job for well over a month now and I really do like driving the car and still feel its special every time I get into it. I did lease the car w/ the intentions of buying it when the lease is up if not sooner, so again, the amount of miles isn't an issue. I will look into the extended warranty though, I believe it was $450.00 for the extra year...or was that for the extended maintence package

 

Klasse-

Drive the MINI and do not spend the money on a beater car, wait untl things settle in a bit for you. I sense that you will probably be looking for a different job anyway, the legal courier gig maybe temporary. If this is where you wanted to stay, then that is a different story.

Hope the Discount job works out for you.....

 

Klasse,

I can relate to your situation, I'm a service repair technician and while I don't drive quite as many miles as you do, I really appreciate being able to use the mini for service calls and with the mileage reimbersement, I feel it's worth it for not having to drive something I hate, verses a car I absolutely love. Stick with your mini, you won't regret it. I drove my Dodge van for the 3 months I waited for delivery on my car, that was brutal by comparison to driving Isobel on a daily basis now.