Fly vs Drive: Break even point

[deadheadskier]

I agree for the most part. But if you want an AWD(good AWD) vehicle with manual transmission and superior driving dynamics there's not a lot of competitive options unless you want to pay 4x the price for marginally better performance and less reliability. Especially if we're talking sedans rather than truck-like vehicles. I'm thinking of adding a Nissan Xterra 4.0L manual to my driveway but we'll see.

But 220k miles any Subaru will easily do if you don't abuse it badly. They do go the distance if you maintain them. I'm kind of a car nerd and a cheapskate to maintenance is something I'm into anyway.

5k mileage is fine if you have a stock NA Subie and use good oil. It's not that drastic on maintenance unless you're turbo'd.

I'll take my VW Alltrack over a Subaru thank you. Pretty much the perfect car IMO. I'll eventually deal with VWs own unique reliability issues, but I don't view their issues as badly as Subaru.

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[KustyTheKlown]

i dunno if this is true, but a friend just told me CO has its first coronavirus case, and its in the town of VAIL.

i LOL'd

 

[bdfreetuna]

those were the days. i'd love to take a time machine back to 2009, just for a couple weeks of summer tour.

I made that joke @ you because listening to Phish all day and cranking it. Just the mention of 2009 brings back rediculous memories.

I'll take my VW Alltrack over a Subaru thank you. Pretty much the perfect car IMO. I'll eventually deal with VWs own unique reliability issues, but I don't view their issues as badly as Subaru.

no worriers I'm not a Subaru supremacist. I assume that's an AWD wagon which is my favorite kind of vehicle. I just want people to help their cars go the distance by using correct oil and changing it.

 

[deadheadskier]

Yes, AWD wagon with 6spd MT. It's basically what the Outback used to be prior to Subaru SUVing it and eliminating MT. Only more balls and better handling. Thing is a beast with snow tires. Sadly it's being discontinued after this model year. Honestly considering buying a second one and basically garaging it to replace the existing one when we wear it out in 7-8 years. The Alltrack is the last true wagon available with AWD and MT in the States. Might not see one sold here again. And no, the Crosstrek doesn't count.

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[deadheadskier]

And my time machine year would be 94. 12 Phish and 14 GD shows between summer and fall tours. Crazy to think how my 19 year old self pulled it off, but I basically just fell into a lucrative Fungi business and ran with it.

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[ScottySkis]

If absolutley nobody is getting on airplanes, you're probably more likely to get the virus in your local grocery store or Costco than on Delta.

Many reasons I have for not wanting to fly out west most people on here don't know
.
How much plane ticket ABC?

 

[KustyTheKlown]

And my time machine year would be 94. 12 Phish and 14 GD shows between summer and fall tours. Crazy to think how my 19 year old self pulled it off, but I basically just fell into a lucrative Fungi business and ran with it.

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My time machine is def not to see 2009 phish. Biscuits were slaying 09 and I was in grad school with no responsibility at all. phish was embarrassing in 09

I started seeing phish in 99. I was 14. Best phish I saw was all in 03-04 (IT, spac04). 09 made me dislike them and I’ve been sporadic for all of 3.0. bakers dozen was cool.

 

[x10003q]

Idk I've had a 1995 Subaru Legacy go up to 330,000+ miles with only a couple rust spots. Parked outside and driven on dirt roads most it's life.

other Subies went into the 200,000's easily but I decided to switch it up -- one time I did have a head gasket failure on a Forester and being almost 200,000 I decided to throw in the towel at that point. Otherwise it was totally fine.

Some cars are notorious for early rust but I've got an 08 Legacy GT now. 150k on the clock and no rust. Could use a paint touch up mostly from highway chips up front. 349whp/329wtq on the dyno. I consider it a modern classic so even if I break a ring land or throw a rod I'll do a rebuild or swap on the engine. I think the body should be good for another 100k miles before it starts to look possibly embarrassing.

What I take skiing 90% of the time, and on some days it's more fun than the skiing itself

View attachment 26510

If I was pulling that HP and TQ out of that engine, I might be changing the oil every fill up.:razz:

 

[bdfreetuna]

Yes, AWD wagon with 6spd MT. It's basically what the Outback used to be prior to Subaru SUVing it and eliminating MT. Only more balls and better handling.

Not counting Outback XT 05-09

I think if my car kicked the bucket I'd do a 2010 Forester XT, give it sport springs+struts and a tune, 6spd manual, you'll do 6 second 0-60s no problem.

What you lose in agility you make up for in a little added durability.

If I was pulling that HP and TQ out of that engine, I might be changing the oil every fill up.

It's pretty mellow like a normal Subie until you floor it and make a pass or merge on the highway. Bigger turbo gives you more top end power but also less punch on the low end. That's more than made up for with other bolt ons + tune though. One thing about modding it a lot is that it's been ultra maintained and I know exactly what to expect with the vehicle.

 

[deadheadskier]

My time machine is def not to see 2009 phish. Biscuits were slaying 09 and I was in grad school with no responsibility at all. phish was embarrassing in 09

I started seeing phish in 99. I was 14. Best phish I saw was all in 03-04 (IT, spac04). 09 made me dislike them and I’ve been sporadic for all of 3.0. bakers dozen was cool.

My time machine Biscuits is probably 98-99 Phish after parties. lol.

As for Phish

1.0 - 75 shows
2.0 - 0
3.0 - 12ish

I peaced out on Phish Fall 99' because of the Opioid explosion. The scene went from, "What's an Oxy?" in 98 to kids stabbing needles in the stairwells by 99 Fall tour. I never partook. Saw, friends go down hard with it all. More than a few dead today because of it. Trey was doing the same thing, which made for some fantastically creative jams, but a gross scene.

I'm glad their still at it. Baker's was great

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[mister moose]

If absolutley nobody is getting on airplanes, you're probably more likely to get the virus in your local grocery store or Costco than on Delta.

In case anyone buys a cheap airline ticket and wants to improve the odds, the outflow valves are in the rear of the cabin. That means the overall airflow is front to back. Recirc fans mix it up some, but the fresher air is towards the front.

 

[bdfreetuna]

Trey was doing the same thing, which made for some fantastically creative jams

I was at Coventry, which was everyone's last 2.0 show I guess and basically it was Trey nodding out the whole time... total disaster musically. I'm a guitar player and Trey was my main influence for a decade or so, I always considered opiates to be a destructive force insofar as his energy goes....

Spac 2004 was another disaster musically

But then next show I saw in 2009 (Fenway 3.0 show) and then Albany 2 night run + UMASS much better. Then I kind of had to leave the scene and lost interest.

There is some creativity at the onset of a depressive downfall, just like not all songs on Round Room sucked, but it's short lived.

 

[abc]

yea im prob more at risk commuting to work on the subway>path every day than i would be on a commercial flight. its asses to elbows on those trains at 8 AM and 5:30 PM

Totally!

 

[abc]

There's a reality behind the hypothetical question.

Having canned the Tahoe trip due to lack of snow, I had been busy putting together a 10 day trip to Colorado. Flying of course.

Then 2 days ago, my office had asked all staff to "work from home if practical", without specified for how long. At first, I didn't take it seriously. I thought it's just panic speaking. I'll enjoy a day or two of not having to come into the office. But now it looks like this thing is for real. (I couldn't leave before this anyway, other obligation, which is now discharged)

So, where's "home" for a skier?

I could just fly out for 10 days. Hopefully by then, the virus scare will be over. And I got 10 days free vacation. (my work is fairly independent. I can do 80% of it after the lift closes).

But I don't think it'll be over that soon. It can last anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks. Hence the happy dilemma of driving vs flying. It could potentially last for more than 4 weeks. In which case, driving would be far more economical. But most importantly, driving will give me the flexibility to come back when this thing is over, without having to guess when to fly back.

My 2nd worry is flight options will be limited as fewer and fewer people travel. If I fly, I would only buy outbound ticket. I'm pretty sure the return leg will be cheap. Instead of gambling on a round trip ticket and hoping the return leg will still be operating in 10 days or 2 week time.

If I have to come back in 2 weeks, I lose a bit of money and quite a lot of time. 3 weeks, break even in cost and still lose time. But by then, I'm not sure I even care about the 4 days I lose on the road. The freedom of having a mini-vacation without taking vacation time is worth it.

Oh yes, I have to bring my work computer with me to work efficiently. Though that's a very light weight laptop. So not a burden even if I have to lug it onto a plane.

 

[BenedictGomez]

In case anyone buys a cheap airline ticket and wants to improve the odds, the outflow valves are in the rear of the cabin. That means the overall airflow is front to back. Recirc fans mix it up some, but the fresher air is towards the front.

Dont planes have pretty solid HVAC to begin with? I would think the biggest contagion is your chair handles & seatback table.

 

[Cornhead]

Check again. Flight cost plummeted due to coronavirus scare.

Denver & Vancouver $300 for tomorrow, multiple airlines. Haven’t checked other destinations. I wouldn’t be surprised they’ll be reasonable too.

Shit, wish I would've waited to book. Booked a flight 4/4 to Denver leaving Scranton, an hour from home, for $480, it is now $200! Oh well, at least I'm using rewards points, so it isn't out of pocket. Now I just hope my trip isn't scrubbed due to the outbreak. Just checked prices for flying out of Binghamton, and for some reason it is $1,000. Hard to believe the difference is $800 from flying out of Scranton.

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[MEtoVTSkier]

I'm fascinated by these comments on oil...

So my old truck (07 Chevy Avalanche) had GM's "oil life system" which told you when to change your oil based on your driving habits. My driving (including commuting) is 95% highway. It ended up "calculating" that I should change my oil pretty much every 9-10K miles (and this was conventional oil). Kind of nuts, but the truck did have 230K miles on it when I sold it (to my mechanic who still drives it today). Really wasn't until the end that I had major engine related problems (valve lifter collapsed and we ended up replacing them all while the engine was open to be safe). Having said that, knowing what I know now would I ever do that again? No way. I ultimately decided manufacturers are not to be trusted with their recommendations and that I was lucky.

On my new truck I use synthetic and change it every 5-6K miles. (The "oil life" system still tells me I can go longer...but why push it?)

I do the same thing, with pretty much the same results, except I use Mobil 1 engine oil, and Gear Lube in the front and rears. GM Auto-Trac II in the transfer, and Dexron 6 for the trans.

 

[kingslug]

Interesting thread evolution.
motor oil
coronavirus
flying and driving
and...Phish

Our Outback has proven very reliable and with snow tires unstoppable
Flying to SLC tomorrow..hopefully coming back in the same condition...no plague..
Never listened to Phish
that about covers it for me.

 

[MEtoVTSkier]

More people have died from the flu this year but no state of emergency for the flu.

Yeah, noboday says a thing about the common flu/Influenza

The CDC estimates that as many as 56,000 people die from the flu or flu-like illness each year.

 

[kingslug]

True but this virus has spread faster..much faster. Once it made it out of China is went wild. Remember..its a "new" thing..common flu is an old thing.