Should I Drive It or Look At It ?

[Trrbo]

Ok Guys, here's my question - I'v got an 04. In the last month and a half I've put 700 miles on it - roughly 500 miles the first month. At this rate, I will put at least 6000 on it the first year, and if the trend continues, 12,000 the second year, 18,000 the third year, etc.. If not more. I only drive it on the weekends and sometimes during the week.

I've read all the ads for low mileage Vipers, some that have barely been driven at all, yet they are taking a hit on resale. How do I sell my Viper 3 or 4 years from now "if not sooner" with 18,000+ miles on it and get any kind of resale value ? Do I drive the damn thing and just have fun and not worry about mileage, or do I control myself and limit myself to just a few hundred miles a year ?

What do most Viper owners do ? Surely this question has come up before but I could not find anything on it. How many miles a year is practical? I really want to drive my car and not just look at it and be afraid that every time I drive it I am losing money.

 

[SylvanSRT]

Dont worry about it. It's a car and meant to be driven mine has 10k on it and is a year and a half old. Drive it like it was designed to be driven

 

[djemcee]

It's not a rare vintage one off car. It's a Dodge! Yes it's a bitchen car, that's why I say drive it and get all the attention possible. I wouldn't take it to Home Depot to get fertalizer, but take it out to dinner etc...

If the car were to GAIN value from not driving, then possible let it sit. But it will lose value either way. DRIVE it.....!!!

I put 1400 miles on mine in 2 days driving it home from Dallas to Cali. I bought it there. It was a nice drive though.

 

[Casey]

See if you can hit 100,000 miles! Don't worry about 500 miles!

I wish I could drive my GTS 6000 miles a year!! Enjoy it!!

 

[Steve-Indy]

DRIVE IT, and enjoy it...just take good care of it !

Casey: drive it to Dean's and put some more miles on it !!!

 

[Supercharged Vipermad]

Drive it, or sell it!
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Coming from KING POSER himself! LOL!!!!

 

[g3173]

Dude you've got to drive it bro! Don't worry about value and depreciation! It's a car not a house....

Gene

 

[jdavis]

You need to decide if the car was purchased as an investment or a transporation/enjoyment item. As an investment it ranks pretty low for short term captial gains and fairly good for captial loss for the immediate future. No one likes to see capital desolve but, that is generally the way with newer cars. You will find much better investments than your viper. As a means of transportation while providing exhilaration,pleasure,and pride of ownership,.. it delivers by the ton. Your choice is simple!
Enjoy the miles!

 

[Paul Hawker]

The MORE you drive it the less it will cost per MILE. If you just park it, you will pay the most per MILE.
Your car will depreciate no matter what you do. Vipers tend to have high % residuals. Much better than run of the mill cars.
The best return on investment is the enjoyment you receive from the total ownership experience.
Get involved with your local club, and enjoy the heck out of the friendship.
PRICELESS.

 

[Sam 01 RT10]

Why buy one if you aren't going to drive it?
Just my .0000012 after tax.

Almost 10k miles in a year here.

 

[Hisserman]

I bought mine because I wanted a unique driving experience, not a trophy that I keep hidden away and only bring out to show at selected times. It's a car, enjoy it!

 

[Kai SRT10]

Drive it.
Drive it lots.

When something wears out, and it's past the warranty period, be happy. That's your cue to start modding the car.

 

[RavenFan_94]

One more vote for DRIVE IT. My SRT has 1600 miles on it and I think about the same long term equation. When you go to sell the car in a few years, a lower mileage car may garner 4-5k, maybe 8-10k more than your average mileage viper.

What is 4-5k when you are talking about an 80k car. Drive it and enjoy it. Or, I'll pay you 5k and ENJOY IT FOR YOU for the next few years.

Have fun!

 

[Bad_Byte]

I say DON'T drive it.

Why???? you ask.

Because I'll be in Dallas the end of September and need a car, LET ME DRIVE IT.

VCA Members don't let fellow VCA Members drive rental cars.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

hahaha!

 

[Trrbo]

Ok, I think a few people started to answer my question, but a few are holding back. Everyone agrees to drive it, and that's what I want to do. But I know some people in our local club that seldom drive their Vipers. Or when the get to a certain mileage, they don't drive it as much.

I know Vipers aren't like Vets, most are not driven daily. Most sit in the garage until the Weekend.

How many miles do you have on your 03 or 04 Viper ? How often do you drive it ?

 

[Viperfreak2]

Every freakin day! I haven't had it a full year yet and am closing in on 13000 miles. Can anyone say I would have enjoyed my time more with the SRT if I only had 2000 miles on it? That would be like 11,000 miles worth of sitting in the garage acting like it's a painting. Nice to look at, but useless. The Viper has a good use.

By the way, I do go to Home Depot and have put fertilizer in the trunk and Leyland Cypress trees in the front seat. BFHD! It's a car (A NICE car!)

 

[unclgreggy]

I agree drive the car. I'm selling and one big reason is I dont drive it much.

 

[NatRT10]

Leave it parked and make sure it's nice for the next guy.

 

[N CHARG]

Drive it... I have a 00 and has 30K on it. I live in Dallas where we get 11 months of good driving... I have never had the problem I hear about in the clubs.. my battery was dead... drive it and enjoy it.

 

[SylvanSRT]

If i had 11 months to drive a year to drive my SRT it WOULD have 25,000 now instead of 10,000 miles(in a year and a half)!!