WTB - Airport Car

[KLRDMD]

It looks like I'll be flying from Tucson (KAVQ) to Las Vegas (KHND) about once a week for work. These will be day trips, up and back the same day, a couple hour flight, 3-5 hours of work and fly home. I'll need to bring some supplies and equipment with me. Not a tremendous amount, but some. I plan to leave what I can in the car and only bring things I can't leave. The trunk of my ES330 is plenty big but I do need to have about that volume of storage. If a hatchback or SUV, the ability to cover the stuff in the vehicle is important.

This will be sitting outside in the parking lot of the Henderson airport and while the weather isn't harsh as in rain, sleet and snow, it does get pretty brutal in the summer. I'll also be working within 15-20 minutes of the airport so this is a car that will get driven weekly but only for a few minutes and will sit outside - a lot.

I want as reliable as possible but given the circumstances of the life it will lead, I don't want to put a bunch of money into this.

As a point of reference, the local VW dealer has a brand new 2017 Jetta advertised for $15,959 so probably $17,500 or so out the door.

Anyone have anything available in the sub $10,000 range ? I can go higher but if I go much higher I may as well buy the new Jetta with warranty, essentially zero miles, etc. The closer to Las Vegas, the better, obviously.

[Mooneymite]

Hey, after you find one, can I borrow it?  

[Wakeup]

I have a 1999 Toyota Rav 4 sitting at 9A5. I purchased it for $1,500 on Craigslist.   I drove it from Roanoke, VA to LaFayette, GA to pick up my plane a few months ago. I plan on moving it to Dayton, Tn at some point.  If anyone ever needs to use it let me know. 

[carusoam]

The dentist I knew had a Ford F-150.  It moved everything.  House to boat to house...

ran steady for 100+k miles.  Nobody took interest in it while it sat.

You may benefit from one of those solar battery maintainers....

Get the manual trans.  A good rolling start will get you going the day the battery is dead....

Get one of those emergency portable batteries.  

Always get to work early.  You don't want anyone to see you arrive in a clapped out paintless F150.  

really short drives can be tough on batteries.  They never get charged fully.

ideas that come to mind...

Best regards,

-a-

[N201MKTurbo]

I kept a car in Tucson for 15 years. 

You have to wash it once in a while. Change the oil every few years. Smog tests were a real PITA the car was registered in Maricopa CO but the car was in Pima. The emission stations in Tucson don't count for Maricopa vehicals. I had to drive it back to Phoenix every year ot two. I finally convinced the state to let me register it to my cube at work. That took a lot of fast talking. When it was parked at LaCholla the pack rats kept eating the wireing. 

A beautiful 1984 ford tempo. $800

[thinwing]

Mice eating the wiring..happened to me at Sac Exec...on  chev truck

[rbridges]

Don't laugh, but we bought a Chevy Spark to haul the dogs and carry stuff.  It's a tiny 4 door econobox car, but I got a "loaded" LT model for 12K which was 14K out the door.  If you don't need fancy stuff like power windows and locks, the LS model is a few grand cheaper.  Zero miles and 3/36 and 5/60 warranty.

 

You may want to consider a used full size truck or SUV since you can use Section 179 as a tax write off if you're a business owner.

[M20F]

Nothing to sell but highly recommend a Subaru Outback, I have 500k combined miles on my two.  Tires, brakes, and every so often I change the oil.  Both have original spark plugs.  Hauls a ton inside, on the roof, and will pull a reasonable trailer.  Gets great gas mileage if you get the small engine.  

[KLRDMD]

Thanks, I'm not in a great hurry so will see what comes up on the used market.

[Schinderhannes]

You might want to consider using ride sharing services instead of buying a car. Uber works perfect for me for similar uses and often has cost benefits. For example in San Diego parking Downtown is more expensive than an Uber ride. 

[KLRDMD]

Just now, N9495V said:

You might want to consider using ride sharing services instead of buying a car. Uber works perfect for me for similar uses and often has cost benefits. For example in San Diego parking Downtown is more expensive than an Uber ride. 

I have considered Uber, have used them since they started with hundreds if rides with them. I'm not sure the equipment I need to take with me would always fit. I guess I can get the XL but then I'm concerned about availability of that type.

[laytonl]

A solar battery charger works great for an airport car.  Ive had the same battery in my airport car for 5 years with no issues.  Lee

[KLRDMD]

In AZ/NV car batteries last two years under the best of conditions. The heat just kills them.

[kmyfm20s]

I just sold my Honda 2012 Civic with 130K miles for $9K. The only thing I ever had to do to it was put a set of brakes and tires along with the oil changes. I would recommend it for sure. I was always in the desert with it. I would also recommend tinting the side windows and back windows with 35% and the front windshield with 50%. The % is backwards to what people think, it's the amount of light not the amount of dark. It is amazing how much less cabin heat is in the car and the A/C is way more effective. You can see perfectly out the front window and well worth the money.

[Hank]

What's it like driving that heavily of a tinted car at night? Rather like having a bucket over your head???

[kmyfm20s]

22 minutes ago, Hank said:

What's it like driving that heavily of a tinted car at night? Rather like having a bucket over your head???

I thought the same thing at first but a friend showed me his and I will do it on every car from now on! I take a few photos on my ride home tonight and post them.

[Hank]

I had a pickup once, tinted heavily on three sides and across just the top of the windshield. I used to roll the windows down at stop signs at night to see if anyone was coming. I just don't remember what the tint level was, other than much deeper than the state eventually allowed, and I removed it to be legal.