Another car question

[Mrs. Bradbury]

My paid-for 11 year old economy car that was fine mechanically was declared a total loss yesterday due to suspension damage of the front passenger side tire. It is pushed back compared to the other front tire, and the other damage adds up to almost equal the value of the car but the unknown variable for how much damage there actually is to the suspension/tire pushes it into total loss category.

A couple of weeks ago a guy made an illegal turn and we crashed, no injuries thank goodness. He was cited and his insurance is responsible, but I will get next to nothing for my car - I'm hoping for $1000. My husband's truck will be paid off in 3 months - we were so close to being able to really gain some ground financially. We used to have some financial security and savings but we've been through cancer, periods of unemployment, a move to FL that didn't work out, chronic illness of one of our children, trying to help our 3 children with higher education, unexpectedly having temporary custody of our grandson due to his parents being opiate addicts . . . you name it, it's happened to us.

Right now there are 3 of us at home - me with a 50 mile round trip commute Monday - Friday, my husband, who works 10 miles away in the opposite direction from me, my son who goes to school 2 days not in the direction of my work and works 3 days in a city on the way to the city where I work.

I am trying to come up with some ideas for not having to buy a car for 3 - 6 months to be able to save up a decent downpayment, or buy a cheap but reliable car or truck outright. On the table is: trying to find a carpool to work (slim), seeing if my son will drive me to the closest bus stop for the city I work in (not ideal and only available a few days a week at most). Right now I'm using my husband's truck and he's using his dad's truck, which can't continue indefinitely.

We live in Georgia, and there aren't mass transit options where we live.

I do not intend to keep the replacement car as long as I normally would, because we had already decided (in 2 years or so) I would get a bigger/safer/more comfortable car for my commute. I'm really tired of "feeling the road" in a small car for 45 minutes each way, 5 days a week. I have 10 more years of making this commute before I can retire, if our plans come to fruition.

We could retain title to our car and have it fixed, but the state of GA is surprisingly strict about cars being repaired after being declared a total loss and we don't have the money cushion to gamble with keeping it and a mechanic saying fixing the suspension will cost more, after taking it apart. Besides which, we don't know of any mechanics we could trust.

So DISers, if you had to buy the cheapest dependable car, what would that be? And any other ideas for our current situation would be welcome.

 

[FQLover]

I don't have enough car or budget savvy to give you good advice, @Mrs. Bradbury, but I wanted to tell you how very sorry I am that life has been so tough for you and your family in recent years. Goodness! That is a real "piling on." I will keep you in my good thoughts and hope that you and yours can get some luckier breaks in the coming year. Hugs!

 

[LJSquishy]

I'm sorry you've had to deal with so much. For now, I'd say a reliable vehicle trumps a comfortable ride. I'd be looking for an old Subaru or Toyota, possibly a Honda, in whatever budget range you have. They likely won't continue to depreciate much in value so whether you keep it for 6 months and then upgrade or drive it longer than intended it won't matter much either way. You just need something dependable.

If you can't find something that will work for your needs, drive your husband to work early and then drive yourself. It will make for a much longer day but it's only for a few months.

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

I don't have enough car or budget savvy to give you good advice, @Mrs. Bradbury, but I wanted to tell you how very sorry I am that life has been so tough for you and your family in recent years. Goodness! That is a real "piling on." I will keep you in my good thoughts and hope that you and yours can get some luckier breaks in the coming year. Hugs!

Thank you for your kind words. We keep thinking things are going to get better, and they don't. It's one thing when you can identify something you could change to have a better outcome, but almost all of these things have happened TO us instead of us causing them. Very discouraging.

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

I'm sorry you've had to deal with so much. For now, I'd say a reliable vehicle trumps a comfortable ride. I'd be looking for an old Subaru or Toyota, possibly a Honda, in whatever budget range you have. They likely won't continue to depreciate much in value so whether you keep it for 6 months and then upgrade or drive it longer than intended it won't matter much either way. You just need something dependable.

If you can't find something that will work for your needs, drive your husband to work early and then drive yourself. It will make for a much longer day but it's only for a few months.

I like the idea of taking my hubs to work, if we can figure it out. He goes to work by 6 AM at the latest, no options (he's a superintendent at a golf course) and is off work by 2 or so. I work until 5 PM and don't get home until 6 or after. Same with our son, he works or stays at school until 5:30.

 

[kymom99]

I also am sorry to hear about all these things happening to you. I would maybe see if you know someone with an old car they might sell you. I have a friend whose husband is a car buff and he's always looking for a great deal. Maybe you know someone like that?

 

[TwoMisfits]

If it were me...

Since you have the longest, worst commute, you should have the car. Then, you should be figuring out an option for your spouse and son to either share the other vehicle you seem to have, to use Uber or other driving services to cover the short distance, or to hang around and wait for the other to finish to get picked up/drive home.

If it were me, I also would not buy a "not really wanted" car to keep 2 years before I got what I wanted. You tend to lose out that way no matter what. If you truly only want a 2 year car, you may be one of the few people who could make out with a lease...but I would check the terms closely before I went that route (and again, I'd have your spouse get the leased car b/c mileage tends to matter on those plans)...or you bite the bullet and finance the car you really want (August is a great month to get "last year's" new cars really cheap)...and usually, you don't pay the 1st payment for 30-60 days, so you might be able to pay off the 1st car with the insurance payment from your wrecked car before you'd have to start paying on the new car...

I know what you mean with hating to junk old reliable. If my spouse's car gets wrecked, I know I have to plan to buy new...and I've still got a car payment for 6 months. Not my ideal, but I know that's the path I'd have to take pretty much no matter what with a 2004 car (even one with only 45000 miles) b/c it's not worth putting any money in on something so valueless (b/c if it gets hit again or has any big mechanical issue, you are even more screwed).

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

I also am sorry to hear about all these things happening to you. I would maybe see if you know someone with an old car they might sell you. I have a friend whose husband is a car buff and he's always looking for a great deal. Maybe you know someone like that?

Thanks for your kind words. Unfortunately, no, we don't know anyone like that.

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

If it were me...

Since you have the longest, worst commute, you should have the car. Then, you should be figuring out an option for your spouse and son to either share the other vehicle you seem to have, to use Uber or other driving services to cover the short distance, or to hang around and wait for the other to finish to get picked up/drive home.

If it were me, I also would not buy a "not really wanted" car to keep 2 years before I got what I wanted. You tend to lose out that way no matter what. If you truly only want a 2 year car, you may be one of the few people who could make out with a lease...but I would check the terms closely before I went that route (and again, I'd have your spouse get the leased car b/c mileage tends to matter on those plans)...or you bite the bullet and finance the car you really want (August is a great month to get "last year's" new cars really cheap)...and usually, you don't pay the 1st payment for 30-60 days, so you might be able to pay off the 1st car with the insurance payment from your wrecked car before you'd have to start paying on the new car...

I know what you mean with hating to junk old reliable. If my spouse's car gets wrecked, I know I have to plan to buy new...and I've still got a car payment for 6 months. Not my ideal, but I know that's the path I'd have to take pretty much no matter what with a 2004 car (even one with only 45000 miles) b/c it's not worth putting any money in on something so valueless (b/c if it gets hit again or has any big mechanical issue, you are even more screwed).

We don't have Uber where we live. Wish we did! We don't have pizza delivery, or Starbucks . . . we're supposed to be getting an urgent care soon, which is a big deal LOL.

The reason I was trying to figure out options for me, is because the closer you get to the city that I work in (Athens) there are more options. But not until you get into Clarke county.

I just checked the GA rideshare database - nothing. I even looked at Craigslist for a carpool - nothing.

 

[Klayfish]

Sorry to hear about the accident. If I can help, let me know, it's what I do for a living (insurance claims). If you don't mind me asking, what kind of car is yours? Mileage? I may be able to help give you a realistic ACV (actual cash value).

It would depend on what your budget is for the replacement car. If you're looking to spend only $1000 or so, you're really going to have a hard time. There are cars out there, but they're usually in pretty bad shape. Finding a good one is a needle in a haystack and you need someone who knows what they're looking at. I live in GA too, Atlanta suburbs. There are a ton of cars on Craigslist, but you have to wade through those waters REALLY carefully. I hunt through it all the time and some of the stuff is slimy and scary.

Beyond that, doesn't sound like a ton of great options. Potentially fix your car if you can find the right person. You may...just may...be able to get the carrier to pay you damages (not full) and not have to change the title to salvage. Or, sadly, just find a way to buy a reliable used car. As much as you don't want an economy car, you can get a 5-7 year old Nissan Versa, Hyundai Elantra, Kia Rio, etc...for around $5000 or less. That should get you around with no issues.

Good luck!!

 

[Dancind]

You kind of sound like a candidate for a car lease, a cheap one. Until you get on your feet, anyway. My car is 8 years old and running great right now, knock on wood. But we were doing really well financially and I screwed it up. Decided we should buy a house with a basement in the city we want to live in eventually. Fixed up the basement for our DD to live in and we rent the main floor for less than the mortgage. Of course, since we did this things have happened non stop. Sheesh.

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

Sorry to hear about the accident. If I can help, let me know, it's what I do for a living (insurance claims). If you don't mind me asking, what kind of car is yours? Mileage? I may be able to help give you a realistic ACV (actual cash value).

It would depend on what your budget is for the replacement car. If you're looking to spend only $1000 or so, you're really going to have a hard time. There are cars out there, but they're usually in pretty bad shape. Finding a good one is a needle in a haystack and you need someone who knows what they're looking at. I live in GA too, Atlanta suburbs. There are a ton of cars on Craigslist, but you have to wade through those waters REALLY carefully. I hunt through it all the time and some of the stuff is slimy and scary.

Beyond that, doesn't sound like a ton of great options. Potentially fix your car if you can find the right person. You may...just may...be able to get the carrier to pay you damages (not full) and not have to change the title to salvage. Or, sadly, just find a way to buy a reliable used car. As much as you don't want an economy car, you can get a 5-7 year old Nissan Versa, Hyundai Elantra, Kia Rio, etc...for around $5000 or less. That should get you around with no issues.

Good luck!!

Hi neighbor! I live east of Atlanta along I-20, and near Athens.

One bit of "good" news - the adjuster called and said they will pay me $3089 for the car.

It is a 2007 Nissan Versa S hatchback with 177,000+ miles on it that honestly, has run like a top with just changing the oil and buying new tires. It's not a luxurious ride, but it handles well and accelerates well. It got the job done.

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

You kind of sound like a candidate for a car lease, a cheap one. Until you get on your feet, anyway. My car is 8 years old and running great right now, knock on wood. But we were doing really well financially and I screwed it up. Decided we should buy a house with a basement in the city we want to live in eventually. Fixed up the basement for our DD to live in and we rent the main floor for less than the mortgage. Of course, since we did this things have happened non stop. Sheesh.

I'm not completely opposed to a car lease under certain circumstances, but I'm afraid I would put too many miles on it. I drive 250 miles per week at a minimum, just to work and back, no errands or trips.

And regarding your situation, UGH. Still, nothing ventured, nothing gained. I hope you can turn it around soon!

 

[Anthony1971]

Maybe not a big comfy car...but certainly drives well and comfortable enough.. My Father who is in his early 90's (still driving).. needed a car 2 years to the month.. I was able to get him a new base Corolla for a little under 16K out the door. I bought an Avalon from the same dealer and Manager a few months earlier so I had a relationship with them.. but I don't know if that made a huge difference or not. The car has more features than his mid line accord from 2001. It will also hold its value... My question would be if you are putting that many miles on a car why would you want a big car that will cost you more in gas and a much bigger loss because of the miles...your husband should get that as he drives a lot less miles and you can be comfortable on weekends. on a side note I also had the somewhat smaller Toyota can't remember the name for a rent a car once in Florida and it was comfortable and drove well.. I did drive it from Orlando to West Palm beach.

 

[kymom99]

I'm not surprised you got that much. My niece had one song when her husband totalled it a few years ago she got $7000. I'm happy you are getting more than you expected

 

[Klayfish]

Hi neighbor! I live east of Atlanta along I-20, and near Athens.

One bit of "good" news - the adjuster called and said they will pay me $3089 for the car.

It is a 2007 Nissan Versa S hatchback with 177,000+ miles on it that honestly, has run like a top with just changing the oil and buying new tires. It's not a luxurious ride, but it handles well and accelerates well. It got the job done.

I think $3100 is about on par for what that car is worth. I know it stinks, but if you shop carefully you can get another one with lower miles for probably around $5000, or a similar car.

Don't lease. They're financial money pits. If you've got plenty of disposable income and don't mind spending extra, then there's nothing wrong with it. But if finances are tight, leasing is a bad idea.

 

[descovy]

What is your price range? We're shopping for a car in the $5000-5900 price range and are strongly considering a Kia Soul. They are compact but sit up a little higher. They only started making them in 2010, so everything should be in reasonably good shape. Also a Honda accord (maybe 2005-2009) for a comfortable ride.

Stay away from Ford Focus 2012+ and Ford Fiesta. They are cheaper than you'd expect but are prone to poor transmissions.

 

[tvguy]

Do you have a Hertz Car Sales lot near you? They likely will have most of the reliable brands, most still under factory warranty, for below Blue Book.

 

[cvjw]

Another Georgian here (Marietta) and we love, love, love Athens! You are lucky to get to live there - it is such a great city! Our son just graduated from uga with his masters degree, and he hates to leave!

Our friends daughter bought a used Kia small suv from car max for $5000 a couple years back. She has been very pleased!

Good luck to you!

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

What is your price range? We're shopping for a car in the $5000-5900 price range and are strongly considering a Kia Soul. They are compact but sit up a little higher. They only started making them in 2010, so everything should be in reasonably good shape. Also a Honda accord (maybe 2005-2009) for a comfortable ride.

Stay away from Ford Focus 2012+ and Ford Fiesta. They are cheaper than you'd expect but are prone to poor transmissions.

My daughter has a 2012 or so Soul and loves it. She keeps it in eco-drive, therefore a snail has more pickup, but she does love it. US News & WR says it's the 2018 best basic car for the money.

I have fallen in internet-love with a pink Chevy Spark, but hooo weeee, that thing is small. Not quite as small as the Honda Fit, but near.

I have an irrational fear of Hondas because of some kind of chain that will need replacing, that costs $2K last time I heard. On other brands whatever it does is not a chain like on Hondas, is my understanding.