So my brother bought another car. He’s already got a Mazda Miata roadster, and now has a Toyota Mirai to go along with it. Not sure where exactly where he’s getting the money from. The reason for the second car is to save mileage on the Miata. I find that absurd because cars are meant to be driven! Brother claims the long commute with a manual transmission is wrecking havoc on his left knee. I contend he instead needs to exercise and lose some weight.
The uniquely hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai does come with a $15,000 fuel card, which is definitely substantial in this era of super high gas prices. However, you can’t discount the fact my brother has already spent $25,000 to buy the car in the first place! I call this spending money to save money. The price of the Mirai can buy an enormous amount of gas for the Miata.
The move just doesn’t make sense to me, and I’m all for spending frivolously on cars! This is both of our primary hobby, after all. My brother’s Miata recently got some spendy upgrades to its suspension and exhaust. New wheels are coming soon as well. And he wants to drive this car less in favor of a second car? Then there’s the secondary ownership costs: licensing, insurance, and maintenance. He’s now paying that for two cars.
Perhaps I will be shown a hypocrite in the future when I do buy a Honda Civic Type R to supplement my BMW M2. I would say at least I’m buying something interesting that’s worth keeping long term. A hydrogen car in the world of rapid EV adoption? The Toyota Mirai is definitely not a long term play. Alas, what’s a guy in his mid 20s to do but spend non-disposable income, disposably?
There’s also parking to worry about for the second car.