My wifes car was $20,000 used back in 2019. Now after basically 10 years it gets hit. The insurance declares it totalled. So the car can’t be legally driven. The insurance will only pay us $9000. But now we’re trying to buy a replacement and for the same model year they are asking 16000!
WTF! What’s insurance for? Its just a tax. I much rather save to pay for my own car and have some sort of insurance that really actually covers the other driver.
Farmer this and state farm that and whatever General lizard, all are total bullshit regardless if you caused the accident or if you’re are the victim.
They should call it “pay slightly less than full price if you fucked up your car”
One thing to keep in mind is that the used car market is fucked right now because of the tariffs. You’re going to pay a premium for any used car from a dealership for the next long while.
My advice? Get a gray title on the car and sell it to someone who will fix it up. I hit a deer with my old 99 contour, and the insurance adjuster totaled it because my back seat was messy (I wouldn’t have believed it if he hadn’t said it to my face; the whole story is a trip). They gave us $2400 for it, we kept the car, and sold it to a family friend for $1200 because it just needed new headlight assemblies. We only paid $1200 for it in the first place, but my step dad knew the dealer and got it for what he paid.
I bought a 98 Contour for $275 about 15 years ago (tweaker really needed pills) and immediately drove it 900 miles one way. Once I was at my destination I heard coolant boiling in the head. Drove it another year until the tensioner broke on my way home from work. Kept driving cuz I had funds for my next vehicle already saved. Engine no longer had compression by the time I was about a mile from home. RIP little shitbox. Best $275 ever. Scrap yard gave me $200.
That thing was a Ford fluke. I drove mine 20k miles after I got it without charging the oil, and it never complained. The fucker actually got more fuel efficient the longer I drove it. Ended up somewhere like 32 city.
I miss it
LOL my first car was really old. I bought it for 2k and I sold it for 2k like seven years later. But that only works if you know how to work on cars and have a good grip on maintenance. It was my first car and I did a lot of stupid things on it. Fixing it was a fun time. But I’m old now. I can’t have my wife not have a car. Specially I wouldn’t want to have car problems here in the PNW during a rainy or cold winter. In winter time you can walk a few blocks without freezing. But the grocery store is a good hour and a half downhill walk. Another 2 hours walking uphill with heavy shopping bags, that’s a nope. One day there will be a tram nearby to help us. But not today.
One time I was talking with an online friend from the general region and I got to experience freezing his ass off while waiting for a bus…from the comfort of my home. Worse 30 minutes ever for him. Winters are no joke here. I don’t understand how homeless people even survive over winter…you known, people who used to have a home, buy then one day they lost their car and got fired for not showing up to work. It hits home like that.
I got a plan ready last week to order a bunch of stuff from china. I was so happy to put it all to work on Monday. But nah! Friday tariff boy had to 120% my purchase. WTF! To the max.
Well, yeah, but in this case you’d be selling it to someone who will fix it.