Tank 376 - 30 January 2014. Everything is Meaningless

So I refueled the Mighty Corolla yeaterday on my way home. It had been 10 days since the last fill-up. I didn't post about that, either.

My little notebook I keep this information in is getting worn out. The flip-open cover is now completely torn off of the spiral wire binding. It's being held on by a few layers of tape. This little notepad has the record of every tank of gas since the first one, pumped on December 1, 2004.

So this means that in about ten months, I will have had this car for ten years. That will be about 24% of my life, and about 38% of my driving career. Easily the longest time I've ever owned a single car.

For a long time I wondered why survey responders would say they'd buy the same car over again. Surely they'd have complaints with their current cars, either cosmetic, convenience, or performance related. I have thought for years that I'd like a smaller/zippier/better fuel economy car. But close to ten years into ownership of the Mighty Corolla, it's done fine. It's not the peppiest or most luxurious, and one of the speakers buzzes when the bass it turned up, but it does the job and it's been paid for.

So I guess, sure, I'd buy another Corolla. It does what a car is supposed to do. It can go as fast as the other cars on the interstate, and it can be stuck in traffic congestion just like those fancier cars. So I don't see much of a point now to seek a faster/fancier/plusher car. The car is a way to get me places. I don't see it as a destination in itself. What's the point in getting a car that's nicer than your house? You spend more time at home or work, usually, than you do in your car. Why spend more than you have to on a car that takes you places?

After you're done with the car, it's not worth that much to anyone else, and I'd rather use my money on something else. A $14,000 Corolla over 10 years is (MATH!) $1,400 a year, or about $117 a month. A $35,000 fancypantsmobile over the same time frame is (MORE MATH!) about $292 a month. For the difference of $175 a month, that's a lot of pizza and beer. Or shoes. Or pants.

Oh, and I'm averaging 35.02 mpg so far this year...

Tanks 373 and 374 - Welcome to 2014

So I refueled twice so far in 2014, and the mileage is merely mediocre, averaging 34.22 mpg for the two tanks.

Over the break I had the front struts replaced. The Mighty Corolla just turned 149,000 miles. Nothing much else to report.

Tank 372 - 17 Dec 2K13 - End of Year Wrap Up

Tomorrow is the last day I'm driving to work for the year, so it's probable that the mighty Corolla will be parked in the garage until 2014. Except that the check engine light is on and probably I'll drive it to the car shop to get that fixed.

So the other day I refueled at the Sheetz. Since the check engine light was on, I put in super unleaded for the very first time.

The check engine light is still on.

Last winter, the check engine light came on, but then it turned to spring and the light turned off. Now it's back and still on, even in the warm-ish days. I replaced the gas cap but still nothing. The car has over 148,000 miles on it. So that's a pretty good track record without much time getting fixed.

So this last tank of the year, the 34th tank of the year, gave me 36.4 mpg. For the year my fuel economy is 35.85 mpg, which is the worst ever.

I spent $1226.11 on gas this year, which was about $200 less than last year. Gas averaged $3.278/gallon, about 20 cents cheaper than last year, but otherwise is the second most expensive average for gas since we bought the car in 2005.

At 34 tanks for the year, this is the fewest trips to the gas station since the one month we had it in 2005. I am averaging 40.77 tanks per year, so that's good news.

Happy Christmas to all.

Tank 370 - 24 November 2K13 - It's Been a Lonely, Lonely, Lonely, Lonely, Lonely Time

So I added more gas to the Mighty Corolla last Sunday. It was 30 degrees in Virginia, and was the coldest temperature in which I refueled the car this year, and the coldest since it was 28 degrees on 3 January 2011.

So I had driven 393.4 miles and put in 10.455 gallons of gas, making for a fuel economy of 37.91 miles per gallon, also this was my best mileage for the year as well.

That is all. Enjoy the attached picture...

Tank 361 - 12 September 2013

402.6 miles, 11.316 gallons, 35.58 mpg, $3.279/gallon, Wawa near the office on Garrisonville Road.

Tank 360 - 5 September 2K13

I bought 11.303 gallons of gas at the Shell station near my office. It was $3.309/gallon, and I had gone 419.2 miles on the tank, so my mileage was a pretty good 39.09 mpg. Of course, this may be due to the different shut-off point for the different and rarely used Shell gas pump.

It's been a lovely week this week at work, with nice sunny days and not too hot temperatures. Happily, today I brought my bicycle to the office and plan on a long-ish "healty wellness" bike ride this afternoon. So I am looking forward to that.