8,000 Miles Later

It's not a monumental feat, but in a little more than 2 years, I now have 8,000 miles on that scooter I call Max. Being sort of a numbers guy, I decided to do a little math, just for fun.

To be somewhat accurate, I need to make a few assumptions.

Average gas price: $2.80

That's a guess. It has probably ranged from $2.55 to almost $4.55 per gallon.

Average miles per gallon:

Max: 70

Subaru: 22

I tracked the mileage pretty close on Max for the first 8 or 9 months. In town, where I do most of my riding, I consistently got 75 mpg. On a highway, if riding hard, I'll get about 60 mpg. For the Subaru I used what I get in town for comparison.

Max: Total gallons used: 8,000 miles / 70 mpg = 114 gallons

I recall that I used to have a pickup that had a 30 gal main tank and a 20 gal reserve tank.

Total cost for gas: 114 * $2.80 = $319

That seems pretty low, but then I remember that a fill up is usually only about $4.

Gallons used if I had driven the Subaru: 8,000 / 22 mpg = 364

Cost for gas: 364 * $2.80 = $1,019

Okay, I saved about $700 in gasoline over the last 2 1/2 years. Maybe not quite a boatload, but.....

Consider the difference if my car was only able to get 15 mpg, or 10 mpg. .

There are many other differences in cost. The initial purchase for Max was just a little more than half of what I paid for the Subaru. Max was brand new, the Subaru was well used. Taxes are less. Insurance is less.

. Lots of other differences as well. I can't carry as much with Max. The wagon holds a lot more. And the Subaru has heated seats. And I love the Subaru almost as much as Max.

. But do you want to know the real reason I prefer taking Max to work each day?

. It's a whole lot more fun!

. But I bet you already knew that.