Did you delay buying a car?

mark1qhorsey · 08-20-2008, 09:49 PM

Folks,
One cost savings associated with use of a Segway is not buying that new car. If you delayed buying the car for about 3 - 5 years, the segway may more than doubly pay for itself in savings. That said, have any of us done it?

BillPaxton · 08-20-2008, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark1qhorsey

Folks,
One cost savings associated with use of a Segway is not buying that new car. If you delayed buying the car for about 3 - 5 years, the segway may more than doubly pay for itself in savings. That said, have any of us done it?

No, but already owning two segs and two cars, I sold my mercedes and my wife's bmw x5 and bought a civic hybrid for me and a ford escape hybrid for her. If we could afford tesla's I'd have done so without a second thought! In South Florida, a segway can't provide relief of car ownership, we both commute 30+ miles in the same direction but can't even carpool due to our job responsibilities. BUT, we live in a town where outside of work, our segs are our sole means of transportation; we use our segs to go to restaurants, drop clothes at the cleaners, go for haircuts, and etc.
That said, we think our segs have paid for themselves doubly already from the savings not only in gas, but in parking fees over two years.

SegwayDan · 08-21-2008, 01:07 AM

We got rid of our second car four years ago when we got our first gen1 Segway. We've never missed the car. The Segway has been short range transportation ever since. Very reliable and so much more fun. Each errand run has been a unique pleasure.

Sal · 08-21-2008, 07:38 AM

Nora and I are planning to downsize to one car (hopefully we can get a Prius without much of a wait) later this year.

We'll probably end up having two Segs and one car. All three in one Garage!

-Sal

wwhopper · 08-21-2008, 08:16 AM

We have several members of our local SEG that combine Segway ownership with membership in a car sharing service like ZipCar.

They use the seg to get around town, the ZipCar when they need to run to the suburbs and then a normal rental car if they need anything long distance.

They report that it is a much more cost savings way to use an automobile. Only to pay for the part of it that you really need.

KSagal · 08-21-2008, 08:58 AM

Quite the opposite...

I had one segway, my e-167. I had a Bonny SSE Pontiac, 4 door sedan...

I also have a tendency to eat cars, and change them every 2 or 3 years.

I bought another segway, my i2.

I bought a Buick Rendezvous, so I could carry them both with more comfort.

I sold my e-167.

I sold the Buick, and bought a Volvo C-70 convertible. (and then built a carrier for the segway)...

Segways caused me to go bigger, then smaller.

Actually, the segways were a factor in the purchase of the Buick, but the ragtop was the primary factor in the Volvo. I knew I would find a way to make it accommodate my seg...

Edit: Regardless of the fact that segways have never been able to replace primary cars in my life, I do use them all the time for local errands in town. Because of this, my segways have saved many miles and many short car trips from the road. Also, my 3rd car, the 68 mopar with the 440 cid engine has gone away during the span of the segways, so I guess you could count that one, if you like. It was a definate fair weather friend in it's last few years, and eventually the technology wars overwhelmed it...

Lastly, although I am sure this will be controversial, is that my segs have also replaced some bike trips... I suspect that 90% of the errands I have taken on the seg would have otherwize been done by car. Maybe 95%. The rest would have been by bike or walking.

However, the casual play time that I spend on the segway, the percentages might be closer to the area of 50% of those trips may have been by bike. (instead of some other sort of conveyance)

Lastly, as my 8 year old son gets larger, he is more able to bike than he was, so the cross town trips to his soccer games are now starting to go by bike (I have a tandem mountain bike with an extension bike for my 5 year old). I was waiting for his legs to be long enough to be able to reach the pedals on a full sized bike...

So... with me, there is a real mixed bag...

sfrantz · 08-21-2008, 09:20 AM

My Segway replaced a car three years ago. I love it.

Stephen

Sal · 08-21-2008, 09:43 AM

If Indy had ZipCar we'd be all over that.

At FesT, I saw Karl's SegCarrier... Wonderfully built and sturdy!

-Sal

Bob.Kerns · 08-21-2008, 10:04 AM

I have an early-model Prius. Actually, we have two. The one I drive is from the first model year (2001, purchased in 2000), with 90,000 miles on it.

I need to get a carrier. So I'm either going to:

Get a new Prius, attach a trailer hitch & Segvator, or
Attach a trailer hitch & Segvator to my existing one, and delay replacing it (in part, due to making fewer car trips!).

So I don't yet know whether it will lead me to delay or accelerate my car replacement, but it will certainly affect it one way or the other.

mark1qhorsey · 08-21-2008, 01:44 PM

Folks,
An incredible and thoughtful diversity of responses. Thanks, for some great ideas!

08-20-2008, 09:49 PM	#1
mark1qhorsey Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Los Alamos, NM Posts: 203	Did you delay buying a car? Folks, One cost savings associated with use of a Segway is not buying that new car. If you delayed buying the car for about 3 - 5 years, the segway may more than doubly pay for itself in savings. That said, have any of us done it?

08-21-2008, 01:07 AM	#3
SegwayDan Advanced Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Clearwater, FL, USA. Posts: 2,666	We got rid of our second car four years ago when we got our first gen1 Segway. We've never missed the car. The Segway has been short range transportation ever since. Very reliable and so much more fun. Each errand run has been a unique pleasure. __________________ "Never stop looking for what isn't there." --Monty Wildhorn Dan Swanson To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. 727-403-2628

08-21-2008, 07:38 AM	#4
Sal Enjoys a well balanced glide Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Indianapolis, IN Posts: 3,422	Downsizing... Nora and I are planning to downsize to one car (hopefully we can get a Prius without much of a wait) later this year. We'll probably end up having two Segs and one car. All three in one Garage! -Sal __________________ If every value is negotiable upon circumstance, we have no true values. (Anon?)

08-21-2008, 08:16 AM	#5
wwhopper Advanced Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Washington, DC, USA. Posts: 4,894	Here in DC We have several members of our local SEG that combine Segway ownership with membership in a car sharing service like ZipCar. They use the seg to get around town, the ZipCar when they need to run to the suburbs and then a normal rental car if they need anything long distance. They report that it is a much more cost savings way to use an automobile. Only to pay for the part of it that you really need. __________________ Will W Hopper DCSEG Washington, DC, U.S.A.

08-21-2008, 08:58 AM	#6
KSagal Glides a lot, talks more... Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Pelham, NH, USA. Posts: 10,356	Quite the opposite... I had one segway, my e-167. I had a Bonny SSE Pontiac, 4 door sedan... I also have a tendency to eat cars, and change them every 2 or 3 years. I bought another segway, my i2. I bought a Buick Rendezvous, so I could carry them both with more comfort. I sold my e-167. I sold the Buick, and bought a Volvo C-70 convertible. (and then built a carrier for the segway)... Segways caused me to go bigger, then smaller. Actually, the segways were a factor in the purchase of the Buick, but the ragtop was the primary factor in the Volvo. I knew I would find a way to make it accommodate my seg... Edit: Regardless of the fact that segways have never been able to replace primary cars in my life, I do use them all the time for local errands in town. Because of this, my segways have saved many miles and many short car trips from the road. Also, my 3rd car, the 68 mopar with the 440 cid engine has gone away during the span of the segways, so I guess you could count that one, if you like. It was a definate fair weather friend in it's last few years, and eventually the technology wars overwhelmed it... Lastly, although I am sure this will be controversial, is that my segs have also replaced some bike trips... I suspect that 90% of the errands I have taken on the seg would have otherwize been done by car. Maybe 95%. The rest would have been by bike or walking. However, the casual play time that I spend on the segway, the percentages might be closer to the area of 50% of those trips may have been by bike. (instead of some other sort of conveyance) Lastly, as my 8 year old son gets larger, he is more able to bike than he was, so the cross town trips to his soccer games are now starting to go by bike (I have a tandem mountain bike with an extension bike for my 5 year old). I was waiting for his legs to be long enough to be able to reach the pedals on a full sized bike... So... with me, there is a real mixed bag... __________________ Karl Ian Sagal To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. "Well done is better than well said." (Ben Franklin) Bene factum melior bene dictum Proud past President of SEG America and member of the First Premier Segway Enthusiasts Group and subsequent ones as well. Last edited by KSagal; 08-21-2008 at 10:39 AM..

08-21-2008, 09:20 AM	#7
sfrantz Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Portland, OR, USA. Posts: 60	One less car on the road... My Segway replaced a car three years ago. I love it. Stephen

08-21-2008, 09:43 AM	#8
Sal Enjoys a well balanced glide Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Indianapolis, IN Posts: 3,422	If Indy had ZipCar we'd be all over that. At FesT, I saw Karl's SegCarrier... Wonderfully built and sturdy! -Sal __________________ If every value is negotiable upon circumstance, we have no true values. (Anon?)

08-21-2008, 10:04 AM	#9
Bob.Kerns Advanced Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Marin County, CA Posts: 3,783	I have an early-model Prius. Actually, we have two. The one I drive is from the first model year (2001, purchased in 2000), with 90,000 miles on it. I need to get a carrier. So I'm either going to: Get a new Prius, attach a trailer hitch & Segvator, or Attach a trailer hitch & Segvator to my existing one, and delay replacing it (in part, due to making fewer car trips!). So I don't yet know whether it will lead me to delay or accelerate my car replacement, but it will certainly affect it one way or the other.

08-21-2008, 01:44 PM	#10
mark1qhorsey Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Los Alamos, NM Posts: 203	Folks, An incredible and thoughtful diversity of responses. Thanks, for some great ideas!

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