What would you do?

[MailGuy!]

I will try to make this story as short as possible.Facts:Grew up in New England moved to AZ at age 20 always hated it here now am 32got a good job in 1999 put in for a transfer 2 years ago to anywhere in New England.A position opened....I GOT THE JOB!! YAY! I've got to be in New Hampshire next month.My question is,I have owned my Vibe for 3 years. I Love this car. It suits my needs and desires better than I think any other car could. With this new job comes a company car. Yay! Chevy Impala I am the sole bread winner. We have an 8 yr old Beetle, wife's car, loves it. My Vibe and now the co car. Everyone tells me that I should sell one of my cars so I don't have to pay to ship both across the US, added ins, still owe 2 more years on the Vibe, yadda, yadda. This move will just about bankrupt me. But I think it is best for my new family(11month old son) to grow up there.I Love my Vibe. I could do without it but I don't want to. The beetle is fun and is paid for. The Vibe is the perfect fam wagon. I think it is the smartest vehicle choice I have ever made. What would you do?

[VforVIBE]

drive em to New England, and haul your valuable stuff

[kostby]

Will you incur the wrath of your spouse if you sell 'her' Beetle and use the money to pay off the Vibe?If not, that's what I'd do.

[nygiantzz1]

If your finances will allow it, try to ship one and drive the other. If that wasn't possible, I would ask my wife which one to keep. She would be the primary driver since you have the company car. I'm assuming that both are mechanically sound. Where are you moving to in NH? I worked in Nashua for a couple years, nice place to live. Congrats on the new job

[GrayFox]

Congrats on the job I agree with Kotsby if you decide to sell. Ask your wife which one she would rather have. You could have the Beetle with some cash left over from the Vibe. Or possibly a Paid for Vibe Could you drive one and your wife drive the other to New England? Or get a u-haul with a trailer and tow one of them?Good luck with whatever happens

[MailGuy!]

The beetle has a few little issues but pretty trusty otherwise. Financially it will be hard. One income over $30k. I'm thinking of moving to the rochester and Milton area. I have to travel to Portsmouth, Manchester, and into Maine on a daily basis.I'm thinking of getting a Uhaul & dolly for the Vibe. Shipping the beetle by big rig. Fly my wife and baby. All with funds I don't have.

[joatmon]

FIrst off make sure you understand the conditions of the company car. Is it provided for your unlimited use, or are you supposed to only use it for work related activities? The outfit I work for doesn't provide company cars, but they are pretty (removed) about using company owned things for anything otherr than clear company business. If there are usage limitations, then that reduces the value of the Impala as a direct rerplacement for one of your two personally owned vehicles.What is the best vehicle for long term? Right now you have one child, an 11 moth old son, but will the beetle meet your family needs if/when your son becomes a brother? Tavelling with infants/toddlers seems to require a lot of baggage, I'd have to assume the Vibe has more capacity than the Beetle.I don't know much about the NBs, but it seems like the Vibe does a good job protecting people in an accident. The NB might be as good or better, or maybe worse. Wrap your loved ones in good protection.

[kevera]

Congrats man, I would put both cars up for sale and see which one sell first.The vibe might be harder to sell,seeing you still have a balance left on it.I was in the same boat a few years ago,I lived in montreal and got transfered to Toronto,I made the girlfriend at the time sell her cavalier.We are now married and she drives the vibe and loves it.So,do what you think is best for your family and it will all work out.

[GrayFox]

Why not have your wife and little bit take the vibe and haul the VW since the Vibe is probably the more reliable car and just have a road trip I have a 2 year old so I know why you are wanting to fly them I guess gas and everything could outweigh the cost of plane tickets & shipping the VW but I have no experience with flying so I wouldn't know...

[AKLGT]

as a military brat, we moved a lot... 27 times to be exact. cross country and overseas 5 times. growing up, i remember our "roadtrips" aka moves. my parents made a point to make it fun and enjoyable, more like a family vacation we got to spend together. i know having a small child will make it difficult, but honestly, with funds being low at the moment, the worst thing you can do it overspend during your move. remember: finances, new jobs, moves are the 3 big leading factors for divorce. just last year, Phil and I moved all his belongings up from Ontario to AK. it'll be about the same length of drive.... LONG! but we planned it out, made sure we had a few fun stops to take breaks and just drove. there were times that sucked, but most of the time we enjoyed the scenery and the areas we drove through. It's not too often you get the chance to drive through the entire US seeing as many states and cities as possible. A Uhaul towing the Vibe (imo better to keep it and pay it off from the Bug) or have one of you follow in the Vibe and bring FRS 2 way radios to talk to each other while you caravan. Don't look at it like a huge stress, but look at it as an opportunity to see the country in a different realm, spend more time with your family, and when all is said and done, you'll have a new opportunity! it's like a new beginning and the roadtrip would be the journey to make it all happen!

[808 Vibes]

CONGRATS on the new job and the move! And I agree...keep the Vibe!

[illusion]

Personally, I'd keep the Vibe over the Beetle. But I have a not-so-pleasant history with Beetles (though of the air-cooled variety). Seriously, though, I would think the Vibe would be easier to deal with, having the little one around. more room, easier to deal with the back seat, etc. Ultimately, I think you and your wife should make the decision together. Congrats on the new job, and good luck with your decision. Things like this just aren't ever easy.

[zionzr2]

could you store one of the vehicles temporarly with a friend or family member till you get moved then come back to get it. We did that when we moved from Missouri to Wisconsin.

[4azdmunky]

Congrats on the new job! Are we to assume that they are not paying relocation charges?Option1: Keep both cars, because if the company is not paying relocation, then they are not going to let you use the company car for personal use.Option2:Put the least valuable car up for sale, or the one that has the least maintenance problems. Not personal attachment, but solid maintenance and costs associated. Option3:Get yourself a PODS, park one in the container, have them ship it with your stuff.Option4:Drive one, ship one. The cost to get from West to East coast is around $300. The vibe has more storage space, and better gas mileage than the VW.

[mcgusto82]

when i left the military. I had 2 cars to ship. The vibe and an CL. I am fortunate enought to have family that cares so much. My father, and brother in law rented a car, drove down and helped me move. I drove the Huge Budget truck, my brother in law drove the vibe, my father the CL. my wife was more concerned with our 3 month old son in the back of the CL.maybe someone in your family wants to drive cross country. lola flight cross country one way is cheaper than shipping a car.if the vibe has had good history in maintenace, then i'd keep that. VW parts are a tap more expensive than the vibes'. plus is a lot older and is bound to show it's VW reliability at one point.Joatman makes a great point. make sure you are allowed to use your company car for personal usage before you sell off your car.

[djb383]

The Vibe needs to be sold. You guys need cash, not car payments, sell the Vibe and get out of debt. Once at your new location, start saving the amount that was your insurance/car payment in a growth mutual fund. Good jobs and good companys come and go and so do company cars. Save your money, it might be worth something someday. Good luck to you and yours.

[Tubaryan12]

Quote, originally posted by djb383 »The Vibe needs to be sold. You guys need cash, not car payments, sell the Vibe and get out of debt. Once at your new location, start saving the amount that was your insurance/car payment in a growth mutual fund. Good jobs and good companys come and go and so do company cars. Save your money, it might be worth something someday. Good luck to you and yours. yeah, what he said.

[mikey00]

Even if you can ship the car for free, it is not good economic sense to keep all of them. Sell either the Vibe or VW.

[CAN-AWD-VIBE]

your employer should be paying for you to be transfered... cars and belongings.That has been my familys experience... job pays to move our family, from the moving company to the vehilces going on the train to the hotel while we wait for a house to become vacant.

[joatmon]

Quote, originally posted by MailGuy! » The Vibe is the perfect fam wagon. I think it is the smartest vehicle choice I have ever made. Now if you can only convince the Mrs. of that ....I bumped your NH advice thread http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=25824 but NH genvibers appear to be few and shy.

[djb383]

That may be the case if the company had asked MailGuy to transfer for their benefit but obviously not the case since MailGuy asked to be transferred for his benefit.

[jimincalif]

Congratulations on the new job. Probably best to keep whichever car will be most reliable over the next few years. Presumably that would be the Vibe.But, before you sell either, one other point. New jobs don't always work out. If it does not, could you survive with just one car until you got a new job? I knew someone once with a company car. Lost his job, then he had the problem of trying to buy a car while unemployed. You've already suffered the biggest hit owning the Vibe, the first 3 years of depreciation. The second 3 years are a lot cheaper.Good luck.

[MailGuy!]

Thanks for all the kind words and advice guys. To answer Joat's q the company car is available to me for personal use as long as I pay like .23 a mile for the usage. CAN-AWD-VIBE, I am too low on the food chain to get the transfer paid for, so all expenses are up to me. I have almost no savings so I think this move will make visa happy for years to come. The Vibe is def. the more reliable car but the Beetle is my wife's baby. It is totally impractical but it is a joy to drive. If it was a cavalier or a neon or something it would have been gone in a heartbeat. The other factor is my wife can't drive stick. The Vibe is a 5 speed. jimincalif, you make a helluva good point. What if the job doesn't work out. I got such a good deal on the vibe I can't imagine having to replace it down the road.The way I'm planning it right now is uhual w/dolly for the vibe and belongings, tractor trailer ship the beetle and my wife and baby fly. He's still in the feed me every 2 hours stage so driving across country with him is almost out of the question.These are the times that try mens' souls...If I get through this without worrying myself to death it will be a miracal.The good thing is, schools are far better there and housing is way more affordable in NH. I can actually think about buying a house now instead of just dismissing it.

[auntiedonna]

Is it possible to get the company to give you more pay instead of a company car?

[LUVROK]

Keep them all. W/o the company car you'd be paying for two vehicles anyway right? I love my Vibe GT but on the other hand I can't stand to drive only it for evena week straight to work each day. I don't have another car though, just big Jeeps. If the cars are all paid for and you're only paying insurance, well, you don't need insurance in NH. If I lived there I would probably have it as everyone is sue happy these days.

[2007SafeVibe]

Does your company offer you any options? Can you decline the company car and get a mileage reimbursment instead?

[AKLGT]

so wait. you have to pay THEM $.23/mile for personal use??? what kinda cheap (removed) company is this?? i have use of a company vehicle here and i drive it all the time, both personal and work. in fact, it's come quite handy with having to move this last weekend. i get a vehicle allowance of $250/mo on top of having useage. my old job, paid me $.38/mile and work expenses. I usually got about $300-400/mo because I drove so much. they are not paying for your move, nor is the company car really useable... remember, $.23/mile adds up very very quickly. it may end up being a car payment in itself! i'd keep both cars for now, and see how it all goes once you get there, make sure your job is secure and you're not stranded before selling a vehicle.

[mcgusto82]

personal usage of a company vehicle is a taxable income. Most companies are required to keep track of business miles and personal. Reason being is that anything after 15-17% of the miles put are a taxablebenefit. so that money he pays is going towards paying that 15% monthly usage. this way, it isn't taxable. i pay 60$ a month for personal usage. That includes unlimeted gas and mileage. (under 15%personal)remember, nothing is ever free. If you don't pay up front for a company vehicle personal usgae, you pay for it at tax time.

[AKLGT]

interesting... before i had the trailblazer to use, i'd always had my own personal car and they just paid me per mile.

[MailGuy!]

Thanks guys for the responses. I actually was able to breath a little better about the company car thing when I found they charge just for tax reasons like mcgusto82 said. So basically if I put 400 personal miles on the car it will show up on my check as income. Out of pocket will actually be between $40-$50. Not the $200 or so I thought it would be. The Impala should be ok. I took one of the company's Impala's out yesterday and it should get the job done for me. The front end is so heavy with that iron block 3800 that it should be really good in the snow. Also the stock stereo is better than the Vibe's. It's pretty huge and has a lot of safety built in which should make my wife happy. There is just no fun to be had in that thing. Now, if only they offered Mini Coopers as company cars..... dream sequence comences..... I'm really optimistic about the job now. It's nice but kinda frightening to do something new.I've always said, the only way to truly feel alive is to take risks.

[drunkenmaxx]

if i'm not mistaken, the new impalas have the aluminum 3.5....