I need opinions, please - regarding vehicles - ARGH!

Problem: We all know how much fuel is... criminey sakes alive!

Trent has the 1/2 ton 4x4 Dodge... he has oh, about 14 months left to pay on it, and he's done, plus I'm going to stick some in there.

He starts college (can you believe it) this summer/Fall. The college is oh, about 30-35 minutes from us, good roads, straight shot, no hills, etc. His truck probably gets about 12 miles to the gallon, if that - blows my freaking mind. And we're going to help him with fuel when he starts college, but not all of it, because he's going to work, too.

Problem - Dillon is 17 now, and he'll have his license, GAWD HELP US ALL, next month... well, he has nothing to drive.

So I thought, well, I'll get a small car for Trent to drive to work and college. Let Dillon drive Trent's truck, because no way in the world am I going to let Dillon drive in a small car, and me have the freaking heebies when he gets in the seat!!!!! Plus, he can't drive no where as well as Trent does... and that he could make semi-payments on Trent's truck, although it'll always be Trent's truck.

Well, a friend of mine suggested, buying a car for cash - let both of them make a payment of $100 each (Trent's truck payment is $261), and they pay their own fuel. If you run a quarter of a tank out, you replace it with a quarter of tank - period. Of course, come date time, I guess Trent would have to take my truck, and Dillon take his - well, Trent's NOT real keen on this idea...last thing he said was he wasn't sure if he wants Dillon driving his truck....

So I'm stuck here... do I go and get Dillon like a half ton Dodge V6 (looking at one, can you tell), so I'll know he's at least safe, in something bigger, and hopefully get around 18-20 MPG or what?

I'm totally stuck here, and can't make up my freaking mind!!!!!!!!!!!

Or I could just get Dillon a V6 half ton and then be on the look-out for a cheap car, that will run, is safe for $1,200 for Trent to go to school, and let him park his truck....

GAWD, if it's not one thing it's another! Between my work, prom coming up, graduation, senior week thingy (with a mud football thingy over here one night), making Trent's girlfriend's prom dress, remembering to order a gosh-darned corsage, getting Trent's tux, getting Dillon's stuff for prom, I'm about ready to have a freaking nervous breakdown!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SO GIVE ME SOME IDEAS, PLEASE!!!!! And then we'll have a family meeting! HA!

I have a stick shift Saturn.. 36 miles to the gallon. Id own another one. Can beat on the sucker with a ball bat and wont dent it!

OMG Lol 7C dont even get me started here. My '03 3/4 ton Chevy Silverado Crewcab is gettin... oh lets say 12 miles to the gallon--On a good day... Yea Lol...

Since Trent is going to be driving more, maybe its better to get something with a little better gas mileage. But it sounds like Trent doesnt really want Dillon in his truck and I cant blame him !

Or possibly get it chipped. My dad has a huge '08 4x4 Dodge extended cab and he got it chipped and it went from 12 to 18 or 19 miles off the gallon. Its a beter investment. And since its a straight-shot, Trent may get even a lil better then that. I heard someone mention chips gettin put in for around $250-300. IF I remember correctly, but Im not entirely sure. Anywho that makes me think I should put one in my truck.

That's a good thought, Kate and Paint - somebody was talking about that yesterday - I'm going to check into that.

I guess I'll have a family meeting at some point, and listen to everybody's yapping, then decide...

Not to mention, I need another paid off vehicle to put Dillon on for insurance purposes - or that thing will shoot of the map!

K&P, See what information you can find on the chip,,, Id be interested too!

Only one thing to say here. Those boys do not need a truck. They can drive a lil dive bomb cheap car to drive.. LORDY.. Stop spoiling them. To many other important things they needs. Wheels is wheels..

I LOVE my car - it was expensive though :-( BUT - I'm ALL about cars!

Chips do work - and they should be in the 250-300 range...

They do a great job with fuel economy - you just have to make sure you don't have a lead foot

Bluejay wrote:

Only one thing to say here. Those boys do not need a truck. They can drive a lil dive bomb cheap car to drive.. LORDY.. Stop spoiling them. To many other important things they needs. Wheels is wheels..

lol very true... if I didnt have horses, I'd drive a car. However I did buy my truck on my own, pay for all the fuel... and MAN its killing me. We're currently paying $1.20 a litre, and its supposed to go up... A tank don't get me too far, however adding a car onto things would be expensive in insurance.

However personally, I'd say Unless you're hauling something, Absolutely no need for a truck! Sell the truck, and buy 2 decent cars!

Mine cost me 12K, I just bought it last October, and I have it over 1/2 paid off (Line of credit). LOL put its pimped hahaha. However, especially being in school, need something reliable, and dang good on gas! Its expected to rise in price throughout the year... so a truck's gas will put a dent in his and your wallet.

Should've probably put this on earlier, as far as Dillon. You mothers will understand this.

When I was pregnant with Dillon, I had about 4 nightmares that at some point, while he was still young, that he died. Now, you also remember, he's my youngest, he's my little Pookie. Because of my dreams, I've probably watched him a lot closer than I have Trent - Trent's so much more mature than other young men his age, and Trent's been driving since he was in junior high, since he had his first job.

So here I am thinking of the protection of Dillon if he gets in a wreck - I'm sure you mothers can understand. Dillon won't go too far until college. He'll only work and go to school all within 15 minutes of the house; however, Bluejay, remember these curvey roads? If something was to happen to him because he was in a small car, I'd never forgive myself.

Trent said this morning, that he may be thinking about buying a motorcycle - well, okay, uh, I need to think about that one - granted, it'd save him a huge amount of money, and he'd still keep his truck, during bad weather, rain, etc. I told him if he did, that he'd have to have 2 helmets and wear leathers, I didn't care how blooming hot it was outside, but that we'd need to talk about it.

Trent's truck will be paid off next February, so that'll save him/us $261 a month.

ARGH - this is driving me batso... I think we need to have about a 4-hour family meeting to get this worked out, because I'm having the devil trying to decide what to do!!!!! I've got to think of the safety of my sons, plus fuel, insurance, and vehicle costs! My sons' safety is utmost, though!

7C - I know alot of people love their motorcycles, but having worked in a hospital ER where everyone refers to them as murdercycles, I'd say think long and hard about that one. Small cars are even better protection than motorcycles.

can you say dorms? come visit on the weekend it would be way cheaper all the way around work closer to school and experience college life. Pluse eating at school in the dorms save lots of money.

Quote :

Trent said this morning, that he may be thinking about buying a motorcycle

This is simple NO!

Like HECK NO!

Take him on tour of a Head Trama ward. That should do it.

I drive a Toyota Prius which is a very small hybrid car and I've never felt the least unsafe in it. We prefer to drive it in the snow over our 4x4 truck ,because it hes great traction and handling, plus way better gas mileage. We get between 42-50 mpg.
With gas the way it is, I don't think the safety factor of a truck, if there is one, is enough to make me buy one for my son. Although we did recently buy a new truck he is driving, and he loves it! He was previously driving our old minivan, so it is a huge upgrade. He will be going to school this fall as well though and we are definitely not having him take that! We will probably end up buying him a cheap compact car to take to school. He will be staying there in a dorm.

I know how we all feel about safety. However, a bigger vehicle does not prolong your life.. There are many other ways to mess yourself up or get killed then in a car. Besides that, when your time comes it's here and there is nothing you can do about it. Time to be sensible and get what is affordable. You can get run over just waiting to cross the street.. Happens all the time.. I do not live in fear.. Cannot go down that road or I will go NUTS...

I have two full size pickups and just went out last week and bought a car. When its costing me over a hundred bucks to fill my tank that wasnt even on empty yet its time for a car. I got a Chev. Cobalt 07 for 7,500 so it was a good deal. Only had 1800 miles on it. But my hubby will be driving it back and forth to work in UT,CO,WY. I'm going to get a Japanese mini truck. They get 50 mpg and I dont care how ugly thy are. For me to bomb around in and I'm gonna have a dump box on it.
I would say by them both cars.

I totally agree on the motorcycle deal - kinda gives me the creeps, and I don't even like riding 'em - never have.

As far as a dorm, the college isn't but oh, 30-35 minutes from us. The welding teacher gets all the guys jobs at either Priefert (where the panels are made) and there's 3 or 4 trailer places in the same town.

I'm still thinking, though...Dillon got a job yesterday and starts next week - won't get his driver's license until June...thank GAWD my dually gets 21 MPG, and it's only 10-15 minutes from the house. As soon as I can get Trent home long enough to have a family meeting, we'll go from there.

My Dodge gets alot better mileage than that. Of course, it's a 2 wheel drive and only a 318 engine, but I get close to the 18-20 mpg range.
The other option if you are worried about safety is something like my old car. It was a Ford Crown Vic. I got fairly good mileage and you'd have to get run over by a tank to do any damage. I got run off the road onto a 2' high concrete divider and all I got was a wide scratch and the little metal strip over my wheel well pulled off. The other driver pulled her bumper right off and ruined her quarter panel. I hit a deer with it and it didn't do any damage whatsoever. And that sucker was great in winter and on gravel.

I was trying to find an old Ford for him, but I'm having the dickens trying to find a halfway decent one.

I've got to take Trent up to the college this next week, so I'm going to wait a bit before I decide exactly what to do here... I've just about decided it's going to be a car for Trent; Dillon can drive Trent's truck to school and make the majority of the truck payment, and if they both need to go somewhere, Trent will need to take my truck, Dillon take his, and I'm afoot...I don't hardly ever go anywhere anyway, so....

But not for sure yet...I'm procrastinating for a reason here!

I use to have a little nissan pickup that was awesome. Four wheel drive and it had 300,000 plus on it when we sold it and I still see it on the street. The only major thing I had to do to it was put a starter in it once.

Those little things are tanks too. A guy friend in high school had one, we put it through hell and it still went. And good on fuel to boot.