Dylan Smith wrote
The Toyota (a small one providing only somewhat better comfort than a
C-150, rather than a larger one providing dramatically better comfort)
is going to get 40+ mpg. The C-150 will be lucky to get 15, and the
gas costs more.

But the Toyota doesn't fly.

A friend of mine had a Toyota whose max level speed was higher than a
C-140. It also cost less. And a car is a necessity - a plane is not.

We bought the C140 for $20K, and it's currently being sold for $22K
despite a few hundred extra hours on the airframe. A $20K Toyota would
have depreciated by at least $6K over 4 years. The delta is $8K. We've
nowhere near paid $8K on maintaining the beast.

Really? Does that include the annual inspections? How about your
time spent working on it?

BTW - a $20K Toyota is a pretty high-end car. I've never paid that
much for a car, new or used.

I don't know how long you kept your C-140, but I kept my first Honda
just over 6 years. It was only a two-seater, but it held two in MUCH
greater comfort than your C-140. It was also way faster, and got
better gas mileage. My TOTAL cost of maintenance for the entire time
I owned it, including all required inspections and all routine
maintenance (none of which I ever did myself) was well under $1000.
Not per year, but total. I paid just over $11K for it new, and when
some idiot rear-ended me on the shoulder, the insurance company wrote
me a check for well over $7K.

I don't know anyone who has ever done that well with an airplane.

Michael