I bought my Xterra as a UTILITY vehicle, not as my basic transportation. It's just not practical.

I have a utility trailer, a trailered boat and I like to off-road on the beaches and have a nicer car for some road trips.

My other car is a 1985 honda coupe beater that gets 33mpg. I pay minimal insurance, repairs on it and drive it to get from point a to point b.

If people would drive utility vehicles for utility and not basic transportation, we'd be a lot better off.

When you factor in the cost per mile on my newer xterra, not just for gasoline but for everything else like depreciation, full insurance, I actually SAVE a lot of money by having the beater car. I've been using this strategy for about 4 years now (2nd beater car) and the numbers are great.

Plus, instead of having 100K on my X I have 55K. I'll have the car for at least another 10-15 years because I don't throw it away on commuting to work etc. That means while most people are shelling out 30K for a new SUV every 5 years, I'll still be driving mine in good condition.

Something to ponder...