Keep My Car?

[PhDerp]

I love driving. I have a 2000 Subaru Impreza RS that I love. Unfortunately, she has 207,000 miles on her.

I currently live in Massachusetts and got into school in Los Angeles. I'd love to make this move a road trip and travel across the country! I can afford the time. But I don't know if it's worth the risk if my car won't survive the trip.

This trip might be safe enough if I'm going to get an engine and drivetrain swap done before I leave anyway. But I don't know if I could afford both that and the additional costs I might accrue traveling cross-country.

I'm scared of breakdowns, especially in the middle of America where my kind of car is much more rare. I know to plan on budgeting more for this than I would for a trip along the east coast, for example.

Are there any other car-related major costs I should consider besides gas and wear and tear? Is there anything anyone wish they knew before making a similar trip, and want to share with me now? And is there any graceful backup plan in case something does happen on the road? Right now, I'm thinking drive between cities with airports, just in case!

Also, I plan on going with a friend. If something comes up and they won't be able to join me, I will not make the drive. I refuse to go alone!

EDIT: The alternative is, of course, to sell my car! I'd like to start working on her now and get her on the market ASAP if this is what I decide to do.

Edited February 15, 2014 by PhDerp

[rising_star]

Are you sure that you would actually need a new engine and a new drivetrain to make the trip? Before making any sort of decision, I would go to one or maybe even two trustworthy mechanics and ask them what they think would need to be done to drive 4000 miles on a roadtrip safely. The answer may surprise you. I've driven my car (a 2001 though with under 100K miles on it) across the country 4 times thus far and never needed much work to get it road-ready for driving 500+ miles a day through the August heat in Texas (because yes, that will tax your engine because of the heat, your speed, and your need for a/c). Also, I think you'd be surprised at how much fun the trip can be alone. I did 3 of my drives alone, stopping in to see friends along the way, catching up on podcasts (or you could do audiobooks), singing along to old favorites, and just generally relaxing and thinking. I thought it was going to be awful the first time but I actually really enjoyed it.

[iphi]

Depends on how devoted you are to your car, I guess. It might actually be cheaper to use a moving company and buy a car once you're out there!

[PhDerp]

Thanks, both of you, for your answers! You're right, rising_star, I should definitely consider going it alone! I love driving and I might really enjoy it. I guess it depends how dependable my car is, based on mechanics' assessment? I might like driving alone, but probably not being stranded alone.

And as iphi brought up, I'm actually VERY attached to this car. I saved up for an Impreza of some sort and picked this one out! The RS is not a common car. That's why I'm considering an engine and drivetrain swap. It's for the sake of keeping my car and upgrading her the way I want to (I want a 6-speed,and my plan is to drop in an STi engine). It's not just for the trip!

Though that brings to mind another question: having a car in LA... Haha. My SO just bought a car, and we plan on living together, but a lot of apartments only have one parking space! I think I'd still take mine, though, and maybe sell it in LA before he moves out with me if it turns out we don't really need two and there's no way to get a second space.

[TakeruK]

My wife and I drove about the same distance (4000 miles) across Canada (including detours) for our move to my MSc program. We had a 2002 car and we made the trip in 2010. At the very end (30 km = about 20 miles left), the car gave up! We got it towed to our final destination though with AAA and the repair was about $2000 (still was worth it than to try to find another car though). Driving instead of flying was way more expensive but we took it easy (3 weeks to drive) and made it into a vacation. Definitely a good experience though--we would have never seen all those parts of Canada if not for the trip!

 

I think driving between places where there are airports is a good idea! I think you should get all of the roadside assistance type stuff (AAA etc.) and carry extra oil, windshield wipers, etc. for your car (but it sounds like you would know this!). During a rainstorm near Toronto, our windshield wiper broke off completely while we were on the highway!

 

We also installed an iPod hookup to our car's sound system so it would play directly through the speakers (instead of those very static-like radio transmitters). It was $100 but well worth it for our sanity (and relationship) during the long drive days!

 

Finally, with AAA membership (well CAA for us in Canada), we were able to request road maps for all of the major cities and highway maps of all the provinces we were driving through. Back in those days, we didn't have smart phones with GPS so those were pretty handy for finding ways to random small places off the main highway that we wanted to see. 

[rising_star]

Good points, TakeruK. I don't/didn't have AAA but I do have roadside assistance through my auto insurance. And honestly, while it may be a good idea to drive between places with airports, if you're driving through middle America, the airports are so small that any flight you could get one-way will likely be as much as repairs to your car (plus, you know, you'd still have to do something with the car at some point). My own experience is that the airports I was near were tiny (like 3-5 flights out per day) and that changing my route to drive closer to more major cities would've seriously added on the mileage. I just did a quick mapping of your route and it looks more doable than it would be on mine... Western MA/Upstate NY, Lincoln to Denver, Denver to Las Vegas would be tricky though, if you're trying to stay near a reasonably sized airport.

[PhDerp]

My car broke down on the way to school this morning. Well, that answers my question!

(The timing belt slipped... It's not pretty in there.)

Guess I'll just try to sell her to an enthusiast as a project car. My poor bebe... ;;

[rising_star]

Eep! Timing belt troubles are a fear of mind. I am all about just getting that looked at at specific mileage points! Good luck!

[pears]

At least Subarus have a pretty good reputation! Especially in MA; I did my undergrad there, and we always relied on friends with Suburas for weekend trips up to NH, VA, and ME in the wintertime. I've also made trips in CA (north Sierras) in the winter, and they handle nicely in the black ice over there, too. I imagine you'll get more money out of selling it now, even at 207k miles, than fixing it again… and again… and again… although you may want to get quoted on the current fix, at least. Also, AAA is totally worth the investments. Discounts on all the things! And the reliable car help is nice, too, I guess.