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Something completely different. Posted by Justin VanAbrahams [Email]  (#32) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Justin VanAbrahams) on Wed, 18 Dec 2013 23:42:46
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Decided to go a *really* different way today... I replaced my girl's A4q Avant 1.8t with a Fiat 500e. I rented a 500 Sport for a week a year ago and we both loved it, but just couldn't figure out how a 500 really fit into our lives. In the past six months we've had some largely cool developments and on a whim Tuesday night test drove an e. As it turns out, it's just a 500 with a lot more torque and a lot less range, but still a fun, interesting car. Oh, and one that in Sacramento gets 100 miles out of $2.61 worth of electricity.
Fiat has been running a lease special on the electric 500s, and while I'm normally not a lease guy (I'm not even a loan guy!), it was good enough to take a hard look at. So, after the drive I went home, fired up Excel, and crunched some numbers. She has been driving 800 miles a month reliably for three years, and averaging $167 of premium unleaded monthly since June, when she switched jobs. The 500e will do that same 800 miles a month for $26.10. That's $150/mo back in her pocket. The state kicks in $2,500 on purchases or leases, so that's $69/mo over the 36 month lease. The lease is $200/mo. That makes it free, according to my slightly special math.
Of course, it's not quite that perfect. There's a $1000 drive off (that's the total OOP, no security deposit, etc.), and we couldn't leave well enough alone and added bright orange paint and a sunroof, but that brings the tally to just over three grand out of pocket over three years versus continuing to roll the Audi... and I think it's fair to say the Audi will have some needs in that three years (it's getting long in the tooth...) the Fiat simply won't. Because it has no maintenance requirements in that three years beyond putting air in the tires. Heh.
She gave up AWD, but if push comes to shove we've got the Suburban, and our trips to the snow aren't what they used to be anyway. She gave up wagon, but she isn't using her car like she used to. She gave up range, but the Fiat covers all of her daily needs easily, and the 500e comes with 12 days of free Enterprise rentals a year which is a nice feature. It also of course gets access to HOV lanes, the free chargers littered around Sacramento (thank you taxpayers!), and the ability to sneak up on pedestrians before laying on the horn.
It's going to be an adventure living with a fully electric car, but we're both looking forward to it. Tooling around in it today brought up no concerns - it's *plenty* quick, utterly silent - save road noise - even at freeway speeds, and on Day 1 gave 60 miles with 39% of the battery remaining. It's asleep right now, dasblinkinlights indicating it's soaking up electrons for tomorrow's activities.
posted by 12.195.130...
, Wed, 18 Dec 2013 23:42:46 <-- Viewing This Message
, Mon, 30 Dec 2013 09:21:16
, Sun, 22 Dec 2013 03:07:42, Mon, 23 Dec 2013 12:51:55
, Thu, 19 Dec 2013 14:58:23, Thu, 19 Dec 2013 13:23:29, Thu, 19 Dec 2013 07:38:35
, Thu, 19 Dec 2013 05:54:08, Thu, 19 Dec 2013 13:03:17, Thu, 19 Dec 2013 15:05:20, Thu, 19 Dec 2013 16:13:18, Fri, 20 Dec 2013 10:34:43
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