Posted on 10/06/2025 1:07:19 PM PDT by Controlling Legal Authority
I did think about a hybrid, but the cost of a plug in hybrid, which I would have considered, was a little steep the last time I checked. And the maintenance needed on a hybrid, as with all ICE vehicles is something I’d like to not have to think about either. Electricity cost is more than offset by no gasoline purchases. My homeowners Insurance wasn’t affected. Like I said in an earlier post my only experience with a car spontaneously combusting was with a Pontiac.
Some Ford F-150 owners have successfully reached 300,000 miles with their transmissions by adhering to strict maintenance schedules and driving conservatively. However, this is not the norm and requires diligent care.
In summary, while it is possible for a Ford F-150 transmission to last 300,000 miles, it is more common for them to last between 150,000 and 200,000 miles without significant issues.
I had an f150 that I turned in for Obama's Cash for Clunkers. Bought a brand new bare bones Hyundai Accent for $5k.
Well, you can believe whatever you want. I am on my third new company vehicle I’ve ever owned in my life. I’ve driven them a combined total of more than 900,000 miles and I’ve never replaced or rebuilt an engine or transmission.
My insurance on it is $1300 a year. For comparison, the car it replaced, a 2019 Honda Accord, was $600.
???
Love to read a full report.
A plug in EV is a great option for SOME folks. You don’t want one, OK. But a local errand runner, a kid to local school, or a simple station car, it’s a great idea.
We’ve been using plug in electric for a very, very long time.
Cordless drills, Lawnmowers, even Forklifts.
But he tech for cars is really not there quite yet. And the price is still way too high.
Not for cold weather. Not for distance.
But a Tesla Model S can blow the doors off a 428 Cobra Jet.
Ask me how I know . . .
1. Get a trailer towing package even if you never tow a trailer.
2. If the trailer towing package doesn’t include it, make sure the vehicle has a separate cooling system for the transmission fluid.
3. Change the transmission fluid every 4-5 oil changes (this was for pre-2015 vehicles).
I’ve heard some of the older, non Tesla, EVs had extremely short ranges. And having a plug in outlet at home is a big deal. If I couldn’t charge at home I wouldn’t have gotten it. So those issues that your friend had don’t exist for me. I can drive longer on a single charge than my bladder can wait.
Well, you sure didn’t do it for the environment :)
The mining of material for that battery is criminal. And what happens to it when it can’t be charged anymore?
Not a fan, but wouldn’t disparage anyone who has made the purchase. I hope you have fun and good luck with it.
Personally, I’m looking for an old Bronco.
I just picked up a 2019 Grand Sport with 4900 miles on it. I prefer loud and fast and it gets 30.1mpg on the highway with 460hp.
Gas is where it’s at.
On the price, I’ve been a Honda Accord guy for a long time. I’ve had 4 of them. The price of my Model Y was about the same as a top of the line Accord. Distance hasn’t been an issue so far. It will go around 350 miles on a full charge I think. I will have to wait and see about winter. I’m sure it will lose more range than an ICE car will. But 350 is way more than what I typically need anyway.
The real issue with electric cars is that, despite their futuristic image, they rely on surprisingly basic technology. The electric motor itself is low tech — simple, very efficient, but hardly innovative. If electric vehicles fully replace traditional ones, we risk losing the deep mechanical expertise and engineering sophistication behind internal combustion engines. That would be a real technological loss in know-how.
The only genuinely advanced component in an electric car is the battery system. Achieving long driving ranges with compact, lightweight batteries that are both reliable and safe... (not exploding) that’s the real technological feat.
It’s worth noting that a conventional car uses only about 30% of the energy from a gallon of gasoline to actually move the vehicle forward — the remaining 70% is lost as heat and other inefficiencies. In contrast, more than 90% of the energy from a fully charged electric vehicle battery is used to propel the car, with only about 10% lost as waste energy.
Not necessarily stupid - it all depends on circumstance. For me, living in the country with a lower level electrical connection, EVs are a foolish arrogance. For someone living in a city/town that has some infrastructure, they may be great.
But when the government decides I should be denied my choice of vehicle because it doesn’t fit into their global warming hysteria, I strenuously object.
Which model Tesla did you purchase?
Thank you for sharing your experience.
We've got one in our apartment complex owned by a doctor who loves to just sit in it and listen to the radio, etc. Apparently the price ranges from $69,990 to $117,235. Whew. Yeah for that that price, might as will live in it.
It's the ugliest truck/car I think I've ever seen. Even worse that the infamous Edsel.
She had a plug at home, but she was seemingly aware of every charging station out there. Planned her trips with that in mind. No driving long distances. She was pretty freaked out when she had taken us on a day trip of about 230 miles (round trip), whether or not we would make it back to her house without needing to stop for a charge. You can’t just find another gas station. Her freaking out made my mind up for me. No thanks. Cool car, but no thanks.
I got the model Y.
Why live in a Tesla, when you can live in an equally attractive apartment?
...on my way to Moscow right now...
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