THE CAR COACH REPORTS: WEEK IN REVIEW
AUTOMOTIVE MISERY EDITION
Let’s gather around the kitchen counter for a moment. You’ve got a calculator in one hand (or, if you’re a technophile like me, your iPad) and a stack of bills in the other. Gas prices are up, you’re due for an inspection, Junior backed into a shopping cart last week, and your auto insurance is suffering. American motorists know that the true cost of car ownership goes beyond the sticker price in a dealer’s lot.
CarInsurance.com describes this phenomenon of juggling gas prices, daily commutes, insurance, and routine maintenance as “automotive misery.” Because, while we may love our cars and the freedom they afford us, we’re also aware that America’s four-wheeled romance demands a lot out of our pocketbooks.
But not all love affairs are created equal. According to a recent study by CarInurance.com, costs of gasoline and insurance vary dramatically depending upon where in America you live. The result? Drivers in some states pay up to $2,000 a year more than their fellow citizens:
http://www.carinsurance.com/press/automotive-misery-index-insurance-gas.aspx
The study culminates in an “Automotive Misery Index” that rates states’ average household incomes, insurance rates, miles of driving and gas prices, then ranks them by “misery” of total costs, from Alabama to Wyoming. The numbers are based on the same presumed car: a 2012 Honda Accord EX four-door sedan with an EPA combined fuel economy rating of 27 miles per gallon.
Take a look and see how your state ranks. There are some no-brainers but also plenty of surprises. For instance, gas is pretty cheap in Wyoming at an average of only $3.65 a gallon. But living out in “The Cowboy State” also means a heck of a lot more driving to get to the nearest...well, anything. So at the year’s end, you’d be better off paying $4.16 a gallon in California.
The moral of the story may be that while we’re ready and willing to do our share for economy and environment, the green we’re really worried about at the end of the month is the dwindling stack in our wallet. Ultimately, the automakers that can help us punch lower numbers into our calculators (or IPads) and help save both kinds of green will earn our hard-earned dollars.
What do you think?
My Final Thought:
Okay, admit it. You love your car. And you spend way too long in Photoshop trying to make it look sweet.
If you’re an amateur car photographer, Nissan’s new short video is for you. Let Nissan teach you tips for getting that perfect shot of your car.
(Spoiler Alert—it involves getting up early. Oh, and the subliminal message is—step number one: buy a Nissan Sentra)
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/09/16/let-nissan-teach-you-how-to-shoot-your-car/
Love your car! See you next week!
--Lauren Fix
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