Omni Automotive Advertising Blog

In May of 2004 I traded in a 2000 Toyota Celica for a Dodge Ram 1500. In hindsight I have to admit, it was probably not the best decision. in 2004 gas was selling for around $1.75 a gallon. The first time I filled up the tank on the truck it cost me almost $40. The Celica cost about $25 to fill up. I remember the feeling of dread as I watched the gas pump counting up that first time and thinking “Thank God gas is only $1.75!”

As the price of gas has continued to rise over the past four years I’ve often thought about that first fill up. Don’t get me wrong. I love my truck. I always wanted a big powerful truck and my Dodge Ram fit the bill. I also do a lot of home repair and woodworking projects which require me to haul large sheets of plywood, 2x4s, dirt, flowers and such. Try to fit a sheet of plywood in a Celica.

I could go on and on about why I need the truck. But every time I fill the tank I wonder If I really need the truck. Better yet, can I continue to afford the truck. Last week gas was $3.91. A full tank, 26 gallons, will now cost me over $101.66! OUCH! I don’t know about you but that puts a big dent in my wallet. Luckily for me I no longer make the daily commute to work. In 2004 I drove 34 mile to work, which took me over an hour in rush hour traffic. I was filling the truck every four days. If I had to do that today I would be spending at least $500 a month on gas.

When I read this Sun-Sentinel article about trading in for a fuel-efficient car, I once again found myself wondering about how much I really need that big truck. I use to lease my vehicles, but decided to buy this truck with the thought that I really didn’t need a new car every four years. I was going to keep this truck forever! So it made sense to buy, not lease. With only a year left to pay off the car, would it really be cost effective to trade it in for a more fuel-efficient vehicle? Lets do the math. One year of payments is roughly $5500. Right now, since I don’t commute and only use the truck when I have to, I only spend about $75 a month to put gas into the truck. That’s about $900 a year. Total so far, $6400. Add $700 for insurance and we’re up to $7100. The Sun-Sentinel article estimated a cost of about $9,000 for a new Toyota. Based on that I’m saving almost $2000 a year keeping the truck.

However, if I was commuting to work I would be spending an additional $4820 a year on gas. If that were the case, I would definitely need to think about trading in or, at least, getting another vehicle to get to work every day.

So for me, trading in the truck is probably not the best choice. Even if I wanted to trade in the truck, I doubt if I would get a decent trade-in amount. With the rising cost of oil, people just are beginning to move towards smaller cars resulting in less truck sales. GM just announced four truck and suv plant closures. And the Hummer brand may be discontinued. Imagine that!

I suspect that the cost of gas will continue to rise. And, while we might change our driving habits or trade-in for smaller fuel-efficient cars, Americans will continue to drive. We are a nation that depends on our vehicles to get us to work every day. For many people cars give us independence. The automakers are finally taking the steps to develop more hybrids. Alternative fuels are being developed. The future of the automobile is safe.

In the meantime my big honking yellow truck will sit in the driveway.