The Quest for the Ideal Piano Technician Automobile

[John Formsma]

I have a 1999 Honda Accord that has done well, except it's not all
that convenient for action transport. It works, but you have to put
the back seat down and rearrange tools.  It has almost 252,000 miles
on it, and is still going strong. I'm looking to replace it in a
couple of years or whenever it breaks down.

My thinking is to get a vehicle that gets decent gas mileage, yet
allows flexibility for tools and transport. I'm looking at some small
SUV's:

Toyota RAV4
Honda CR-V
Subaru
etc.

Both of those get around 22/29 mpg, which is good for their size.
There are certainly smaller cars that do better on gas, but I also
have a couple of kids I'm blessed to carry around.

One thing that has helped me as I look is to figure how much EXTRA gas
I'd be buying with a bigger vehicle. That way I know what the real
costs/benefits will be. Like, is it really worth it to cram myself and
family into a smaller car to save $800 annually on fuel?

Now if (when - it's a matter of time) the cost of a gallon goes up to
$5.00, it will make quite a significant difference, and it's also
something to consider. That's anyone's gamble, I suppose.

JF

On 5/4/07, kurt baxter <fortefile at gmail.com> wrote:
> My beloved VW hatchback (with back seat removed for bountiful action cradle
> space)
> is starting to feel its age and 188,000 miles and I am pondering what I will
> do when it
> finally goes to the great big salvage yard in the sky...
>
> In your opinions, what is the all time best suited car for piano work?
> Including, most vitally:
>
> ---Easy transport of grand and upright actions
> ---Room for needed tools
> ---Decent gas mileage
>
>
>
> (Also, I was eying a Honda Insight the other day, and was wondering if
> any ambitious tech out there has tried to fit an action in one of those
> gasoline sippers... Maybe in the back hatch with the passenger seat
> all the way forward? Am I totally deluding myself?)
>
>
>
> Highly subjective opinions welcome.
>
>
>  [k]urt
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