Purchasing Vehicle with Financial Independence in Mind…Part II

Yes, this is a two part series.  As a matter of fact it may be a three part series. I hope you brought a snack.  We’re looking for a car over here; we can’t just do one part.

In Part 1 we went over what features we’re looking for.  We being mostly me, but I do appreciate your moral support. Part 1 was called 8 Ways We’re Purchasing a Vehicle with FI in Mind, in case you wanted to relive that post, share it again with your friends, or even feature it on Rockstar Finance. Any of those will do.

Point is, last post I went over what we’re looking for in a potential new-to-us vehicle.  We’re juggling price with reliability, MPG with AWD, roaring sexuality with frugalness, etc.  There’s a lot to consider.  In today’s post I’ll outline some of the vehicles we’re looking closely at and some of the pros and cons of each.

1) Toyota Sienna (Honda Odyssey)

The first vehicle we are considering is a sleek and sexy mini-van.  Sorry ladies, this maverick is taken.  The Toyota Sienna comes in an AWD option that would be more ideal for driving in the Montana winters. The Honda Odyssey only comes in fwd but it beats out the Sienna pretty much everywhere else.

Honda Odyssey has a few features that we like better than the Toyota Sienna:

1. Easy to unhook captain chairs.
2. Quieter
3. Nicer interior

Either one would be ideal for car camping and would provide ample space for as many offspring as we could sanely handle. You can get one for between $12-$16,000 depending on the year and mileage.

Pros:

1. Great for car camping
2. Great for child-rearing
3. Comes in AWD (Toyota only)
4. Toyota and Honda generally have great reliability

Cons:

1. Not great MPG
2. Possibly too sexy?
3. Kind of big
4. Expensive

2) Prius V

If you thought a mini-van would make all the fellas at the construction site jealous wait till I pull up in a Prius V.  Prius V’s are cool because they are longer than a typical Prius.  This makes them better for car camping.  You can also move the back seat forward or backwards which is handy if you have a kid, or are easily entertained.  Also my wife really wants a Prius V for some reason.  You can get one for between $12-$15,000 depending on the year and mileage.

Pros:

1. 40mpg give or take
2. Room to lay down
3. Toyota reliability
4. Happy wife

Cons:

1. Less fuel efficient and more expensive than a regular Prius
2. Still a Prius, so you better be confident AF otherwise you’ll get your ass kicked
3. Not available in AWD
4. Not as much head room as a Ford C-Max
5. Seats lay mostly flat, not completely flat

3) Ford C-Max

The Ford C-Max is a lesser known hybrid that has some cool features.  The interiors are fancier than those of a Prius and the ride is a little quieter, due to extra insulation.  The Ford C-Max also comes with a huge moon roof, depending on the model, and the back is way taller than that of a Prius.

The Ford C-Max hasn’t been around as long as the Toyota Prius so there are questions on how reliable it is, particularly once the miles start to add up. You can get a 2015 Ford C-Max with under 50,000 miles for less than $13,000.

Pros:

1. Nicer interior and quieter than the Prius V with more head room and comparable mpg
2. Overall more enjoyable to drive than a Prius
3. Slightly less expensive than a Prius V.
4. Backseats lay completely flat compared to the mostly flat backseats of a Prius V.

Cons:

1. Generally thought to be less reliable than the Toyota counterpart
2. Not available in AWD
3. Less room than a mini-van
4. Not super convenient for hauling kids.

4) VW Jetta Sportwagen TDI

This one wasn’t on our radar until we saw a real sweet one in person. The one we saw had a huge moonroof.  I love the idea of car camping under a big ass moonroof.  I feel like you could really do some star gazing that way. The VW Jetta Sportwagen TDI is long enough to lay down in and the back seats fold flat. The TDI provides great fuel efficiency and we wouldn’t have to worry about replacing the hybrid batteries.

VW has taken a hit in the consumer market over the last few years so you’re able to pick a used one up on the cheap because people are still avoiding them.  Overall the Jetta Sportwagen is a much nicer car than either the Prius V or the Ford C-Max for close to the same price.  For the luxury of the interior you’re potentially sacrificing some reliability.  A VW will also be more expensive to service and repair than our other options.

Pros:

1. Much nicer interior than C-Max or Prius
2. Room to car camp
3. Great fuel efficiency
4. Huge Moonroof depending on the model

Cons:

1. More expensive to service and repair than what we want to pay
2. Not available in AWD
3. Is this the most frugal choice or just the most fun choice?
4. Will we regret this purchase once we have to haul children in and out of it 47 times per day?

5) Subaru Forester

Another option that wasn’t really on our radar was the Subaru Forester.  We found a 2015 with 80,000 miles for $15,500.  A lot more than we want to pay but it comes in AWD which would be better once we move to Montana. It still gets decent mpg compared to most SUVs or trucks.

Pros:

1. Lots more room than any other car on the list (excluding mini-vans and SUVs).
2. AWD gives us peace of mind for when we move back to Montana.
3. 25 city/32 highway is much better mpg than most AWD options

Cons:

1. Limited mpg compared to a smaller car
2. Expensive
3. Is a small SUV really the most FI minded purchase?!

6) Honda Element

Honda Elements are cool, man. The backseats fold down flat and even split in the center and fold up against the side walls.  The interior is coated in rubber and can allegedly can be hosed out.  Although, I’ve heard you can ruin the electrical components doing that, so…🤷‍♂️.

Honda Elements were made for the young cool surfer crowd until they discontinued them because young cool surfers can’t afford to buy new cars. Ha, that’s actually pretty funny.  They made the perfect surfer car but then realized surfers can’t afford cars.

Still, for a young couple with AWD and car camping in mind they are pretty sweet. You can get a used Honda Element for around $8-12k depending on the year.  The mpg isn’t great but they come in AWD and have tons of room for car camping and are easier to clean out than a typical vehicle.

Pros:

1. AWD
2. Great for car camping
3. Easiest of the bunch to carry tools
4. Easiest to keep clean

Cons:

1. Not great mpg
2. Not a ton of room in back for a carseat
3. Honda Element’s were discontinued in 2011, so you have to buy at least 7 years old
4. Pretty expensive for the newer old ones
5.   You have to go to around 10 years or older to get a good deal.

7) Honda Fit

Last on the list is our old faithful Honda Fit.  It doesn’t get as good of gas mileage as any of the small cars on the list and it isn’t long enough to sleep in comfortably, but it’s ours and it’s paid for.  Is the most FI minded choice ever getting rid of a paid off, reliable car?

Pros:

1. Reliable
2. Paid for
3. Hauls my tools exceptionally well for it’s size due to how the seats fold.

Cons:

1. Can’t car camp
2. Can’t talk ad nauseam about owning a hybrid
3. Starting to fall apart cosmetically
4. Not AWD
5. Can’t Uber due to reconstructed title
6. Can’t haul all my tools and a car seat at the same time

What do you think about the cars on our list?!

Are there any other vehicles we should be considering?  Should we cross any of these off the list?  Let us know in the comments!

If you enjoyed this article please share it with your friends and enemies

You should read another article, while you’re here.

1. 8 Ways We’re Purchasing a Vehicle with Financial Independence in Mind
2. Hell Yea, Give me the Off Road Tires,” Mr. Burrito Bowl Almost Buys a Truck
3. How to Reduce Your Anxiety for Free- My Favorite Life Hack