Saving money on commuting

At the end of the month I will be transferred to a new work location.  At first my wife and I looked at moving closer to my work but with the upcoming birth of our next child, we decided to stay in our current house.  However, we started looking for another vehicle which would work for commuting and be decent for our growing family.  We want to get a new vehicle without a loan.  With me commuting, a van and/or SUV would be out of the question.  But I wanted something with more room.

A few years ago, before the debt busting, I bought a new Scion TC and loved it.  I've really loved the Scion brand.  The TC was a two door sedan but they have a four door vehicle that looks like a toaster on wheels, the Scion XB.  To me, it is like a smaller suv without the 4x4 and a powerful engine.

After talking to the wife (I had to do a lot of convincing), she agreed that we could get a Scion XB .  I hope to be able to get one in the next few months.

My wife and I reviewed how much we could save in fuel costs by getting the Scion XB.  Currently I drive this type of car:

  It is a 2001 VW Jetta 1.9t Wolfsburg. It gets roughly 29 mpg and requires premium fuel.  It has a turbo engine and I love the power.

This is what we are looking to get:

It gets roughly 35 mpg and requires regular fuel.

I would be commuting 126 miles a day.

We estimated that I would save $3.83 per day which would save us roughly $1000 a year.

Wow!  That is great savings.