Hyundai – Car Purchase Calculation

 

(Winner…. The 2001 Hyundai Elantra GT)

 As many of my friends know, I’m pretty frugal. I will admit that I am 95% value driven in 90% of my purchases. This is why it is a big surprise that I bought something I thought I’d never buy… a NEW car.

We needed to get a car to replace my tired old Mustang, and something that would be good for our upcoming family-to-be. So began the search for the best car value.

Basically I used the prices of four comparable cars and weighed them against the features that were included at that price. After hours of calculations, I determined what car would provide me (and this is a very personal calculation) with the most “utility” or personal satisfaction per dollar spent.

The first thing I did in my spreadsheet was to determine which features were important to me on a scale of 1 – 10. For example, alloy wheels aren’t as important to me as air conditioning, so alloy gets a 2 while A/C gets a 7. The next step was to list if the feature comes standard, is an option, or cannot be added at all. I gave a numeric value to these variables and multiplied it by my personal utility. Finally I took all these calculations and calculated how much satisfaction each dollar I spent gave me with each car in my list.

The results… the Hyundai Elantra Gt!

This spreadsheet is an example of my Excel addition. I love Excel, numbers, value, economics, and a nice new car. This spreadsheet pulls all of these things together. Keep in mind this spreadsheet and the calculations therein are NOT perfect. Looking over it now (three years later) I realize there are a few corrections that I need to make prior to my next vehicle purchase.

Even if it isn’t perfect, it should give you an idea of what I was trying to accomplish. If you would like a copy of the spreadsheet you may download it here:
car-purchase.xls

My 2001 Elantra GT features: (my cool features in RED)

EXTERIOR

• Power mirrors w/ heat timer
• Front fog lights
• Intermittent rear window wiper / washer
• Rear window defogger w/ timer
• Remote keyless entry system with alarm
• 15×6″ 5-spoke aluminum alloy wheels with Michelin® tires

INTERIOR

• Driver’s multi-adjustable seat w/ lumbar support
• Dual front and side airbags, with front passenger detection system
• Front seat belt pre-tensioners w/ force limiters
• Leather seating surfaces and door panel inserts
• Leather wrapped steering wheel and gear shift knob
• Tilt steering column
• Air conditioning
• Purple-illuminated instrument cluster including tachometer
• Trip computer
• Cruise control
• Power windows and locks with 30 sec. retained power
• 100-watt Clarion AM / FM / CD player with 6 speakers
• Bi-level center storage console with armrest
• 60/40 split-folding rear seat
• 3-Point seatbelts in all positions

ENGINE & DRIVETRAIN

• Aluminum-alloy head, cast iron block DOHC in-line 4 cylinder displacing 2.0 litres
• 135 hp @ 6000 rpm / 133 lb.ft @ 4800 rpm
• Electronic ignition
• Multi-port fuel injection
• Platinum-tipped spark plugs
• 5-Speed manual transmission with 3.65 final drive ratio

SUSPENSION / CHASSIS

• Fully independent sport-tuned suspension
• Sport-tuned variable-assist power steering
• Stiffer front and rear stabilizer bars
• Power assisted rack and pinion steering
• P195/60R-15 Michelin® tires
• Four wheel power disc brakes

DIMENSIONS

• Wheelbase 102.7 in / Overall Length 177.1 in
• Width 67.7 in
• Track 58.5 in / 58.1 in (front / rear)
• Curb weight 2635 lb
• 14.5 gal. fuel tank
• EPA mileage estimates 25/33 (city/highway, mpg)