Nice ride.....

[+ Charlie]

Back in the "old" days, Chrysler had a car with swivel seats to help you get in or out. Check out Google for the 1960 Chrysler Imperial.

Ah, that's a car I remember well.

[+ purplekow]

Thank you for the well wishes. I was lucky that the airbag didn't deploy.

 

I'll be down your way-ish looking at another 2003 Hyundai Sonata later on today. This will be the first car I've looked at other than the 2006 and 2009 Sonatas the local Hyundai dealer has in stock. By 2006, Hyundai had changed the body, so they're actually somewhat different cars, but the salesman I spoke to didn't know that. I'm hoping to have a new car by next week.

I drive an Elantra and it is a great relatively inexpensive care.

[+ quoththeraven]

I drive an Elantra and it is a great relatively inexpensive care.

 

I think I bought a car. I at least put a deposit down on one. 2003 Sonata like mine, 85,000 miles, great shape for its age. Driving it felt like driving my now-totaled car.

[bigvalboy]

I think I bought a car. I at least put a deposit down on one. 2003 Sonata like mine, 85,000 miles, great shape for its age. Driving it felt like driving my now-totaled car.

 

 

YAY!!!

[+ quoththeraven]

YAY!!!

 

Did some due diligence shopping yesterday. I could get a 2004 (same vehicle, essentially) with 120,000 miles and somewhat poorer cosmetic and running condition for less, but it doesn't have a clean Carfax and they didn't have the facility to print it for me so I could see the detail. A Twitter discussion of my driving and buying habits (I keep things until they wear out or have to be discarded) resulted in unanimous advice to go for the car with the lower mileage, clean Carfax, and higher price.

 

Best news ever: the adjuster for the other insurance company called and said they're accepting 100% liability and my insurer's evaluation. I asked her to give me a minute, held the phone away from me, and yelled "Yay!" at the top of my voice. So double yay!

[+ Truereview]

Did some due diligence shopping yesterday. I could get a 2004 (same vehicle, essentially) with 120,000 miles and somewhat poorer cosmetic and running condition for less, but it doesn't have a clean Carfax and they didn't have the facility to print it for me so I could see the detail. A Twitter discussion of my driving and buying habits (I keep things until they wear out or have to be discarded) resulted in unanimous advice to go for the car with the lower mileage, clean Carfax, and higher price.

 

Best news ever: the adjuster for the other insurance company called and said they're accepting 100% liability and my insurer's evaluation. I asked her to give me a minute, held the phone away from me, and yelled "Yay!" at the top of my voice. So double yay!

Would it also be fair to utter: "kaching!" ???

[bigvalboy]

Best news ever: the adjuster for the other insurance company called and said they're accepting 100% liability and my insurer's evaluation. I asked her to give me a minute, held the phone away from me, and yelled "Yay!" at the top of my voice. So double yay!

 

http://ms-surface.ru/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/citizen_kane_clapping_2.gif

 

...per our conversation, I couldn't resist the image.

[+ quoththeraven]

Would it also be fair to utter: "kaching!" ???

 

Not really. I'm still spending more than I'm getting even after you add the deductible back in. That was the Twitter debate: $1000 more than net cash settlement vs. $2500 less. 2nd car has higher mileage (34,000 mileage), somewhat (although not ridiculously) poorer condition cosmetically and in the way it runs, and their version of Carfax (not Carfax but I don't remember the name) shows one event (essentially, a negative) but without a full report, which they didn't have the facility to print, I'd be taking a shot in the dark. (Although it's true it couldn't be a bad accident, as that would be a salvage situation.) Same body, same package, same interior even though 2nd car is a year newer, so it's an apples-to-apples comparison. All the Twitter friends who chimed in said buy car #1 (the certain thing) despite the higher price. It could cost less in the long run, and I keep cars forever and do mostly low-mileage local driving.

 

Same used car place had a 2004 just like my wrecked 2003, but it had almost 150,000 miles and ran rough. I don't care, one owner, clean Carfax (though not taken to dealership for service, so that's a crapshoot) and trade-in through local Hyundai dealership not enough for me to want to consider that one. But between looking at and test-driving the two cars and shooting the breeze with some good ol' boys, I was there close to two hours and wound up on one of America's most annoying toll roads during rush hour. Then I went grocery shopping... I was glad when I got everything inside, including the plastic snow shovel I bought to dig my rental car out with.

[+ Truereview]

Not really. I'm still spending more than I'm getting even after you add the deductible back in. That was the Twitter debate: $1000 more than net cash settlement vs. $2500 less. 2nd car has higher mileage (34,000 mileage), somewhat (although not ridiculously) poorer condition cosmetically and in the way it runs, and their version of Carfax (not Carfax but I don't remember the name) shows one event (essentially, a negative) but without a full report, which they didn't have the facility to print, I'd be taking a shot in the dark. (Although it's true it couldn't be a bad accident, as that would be a salvage situation.) Same body, same package, same interior even though 2nd car is a year newer, so it's an apples-to-apples comparison. All the Twitter friends who chimed in said buy car #1 (the certain thing) despite the higher price. It could cost less in the long run, and I keep cars forever and do mostly low-mileage local driving.

 

Same used car place had a 2004 just like my wrecked 2003, but it had almost 150,000 miles and ran rough. I don't care, one owner, clean Carfax (though not taken to dealership for service, so that's a crapshoot) and trade-in through local Hyundai dealership not enough for me to want to consider that one. But between looking at and test-driving the two cars and shooting the breeze with some good ol' boys, I was there close to two hours and wound up on one of America's most annoying toll roads during rush hour. Then I went grocery shopping... I was glad when I got everything inside, including the plastic snow shovel I bought to dig my rental car out with.

i agree with Twitter friends. So I will give you a "yea!" And hold my "Kaching!" Until you hit the lotto

[+ quoththeraven]

In for a penny, in for a pound... This is what the "new" car (aka car #1) looks like.

[+ Truereview]

In for a penny, in for a pound... This is what the "new" car (aka car #1) looks like.

In all honesty, I think Hyundais have such a nice luxury car look and feel. Plus they are pretty reliable! i also love white for a car color. And the price...damn!

[bigvalboy]

In for a penny, in for a pound... This is what the "new" car (aka car #1) looks like.

 

I'm a little confused at this point. Is this the 03 with 84k on it? It's very clean, and from this side anyway the body looks straight.

[+ bashful]

I have it in for people in SUVs period now. I've had too many piloted by men roar away from me in snow thinking 4wd/AWD will save them when their brakes are no better in the snow than anyone else's.

 

Agree. My current car is a sedan with all-wheel drive (live in the Midwest), and other than being able to get going from a stop without any problem, I know turning and breaking are not better simply because I have all-wheel drive. I am constantly frustrated by younger drivers in big SUVs that think size is simply all that matters.

[+ quoththeraven]

I'm a little confused at this point. Is this the 03 with 84k on it? It's very clean, and from this side anyway the body looks straight.

 

Yes. Now you see why I'm willing to pay more for it. There's a teensy bit of damage to the rear bumper (reflected on Carfax as an accident), but my car had more damage than that pre-accident. It runs great. It's cosmetically better than my car other than the lack of leather seats. The brakes are better. (My brakeline rusted and I had a hard time with brakes losing the "give' they should have; I had to mash mine to the floor.) The steering might be a touch worse, but in the amount of time I have and desire not to have to drive an hour or more away, this is the closest I'll come to my car in terms of mileage (42,000 on mine) and condition (1 year old tires, most of interior in better than normal condition).

 

I sobbed while taking the owner's manual out of my car when I cleared it out yesterday. Essentially, it had two owners: my mother-in-law and her second husband (he bought it new); my ex inherited it, but he had a minivan already and it was the perfect car for me. That the original owners were retired and didn't drive a lot (it had 24,000 miles when we got it) and I didn't either other than an annual trip to DC three years in a row and driving to upstate NY a few times explains the low mileage.

[+ quoththeraven]

Agree. My current car is a sedan with all-wheel drive (live in the Midwest), and other than being able to get going from a stop without any problem, I know turning and breaking are not better simply because I have all-wheel drive. I am constantly frustrated by younger drivers in big SUVs that think size is simply all that matters.

 

And they act so exasperated that you're driving a reasonable speed. It's hard to tell who's more of a menace in the snow: them or the people barely creeping up or stopping on inclines where it's easy to get stuck or spin wheels.

 

A heavier vehicle has a longer braking distance, and SUVs are at risk for rolling over or flipping.

[mike carey]

Hey QTR, it's been interesting reading about the hoops you have had to jump through to replace your car. In OZ, (unless your car is less than 12 months old and has been insured since you bought it in which case they will generally replace it with a new one off the show-room floor), insurance companies tend to give you the insured value of the car and let you buy whatever you want rather than work with you to replace like with like. Thankfully I haven't had to find out about it from first hand experience.

[+ quoththeraven]

Hey QTR, it's been interesting reading about the hoops you have had to jump through to replace your car. In OZ, (unless your car is less than 12 months old and has been insured since you bought it in which case they will generally replace it with a new one off the show-room floor), insurance companies tend to give you the insured value of the car and let you buy whatever you want rather than work with you to replace like with like. Thankfully I haven't had to find out about it from first hand experience.

 

Oh, that's what's happening here. Replacing like with like simplified the hunt for another car considerably and means I'm getting a more known quantity than I would otherwise.

[+ quoththeraven]

Amidst the news about the Rentboy indictment and twitter storms over breeding romances (pretty much what you expect, except they feature barely legal girls and alpha males who want to impregnate them rather than men who bareback) and what constitutes diversity in the world of publishing, I didn't have a chance to let everyone know that I picked up my new (to me) car yesterday afternoon and returned the rental. Woohoo!

 

The only drawback, besides a nearly empty bank account, is that one of the warning lights came on partway home, nearly giving me a heart attack in the process, but it turns out it's meant to warn of excessive emissions. (Not that kind.) It's guaranteed to pass inspection; if it doesn't, I go back to the dealership and they fix it for free.

 

*throws confetti*

[bigvalboy]

Amidst the news about the Rentboy indictment and twitter storms over breeding romances (pretty much what you expect, except they feature barely legal girls and alpha males who want to impregnate them rather than men who bareback) and what constitutes diversity in the world of publishing, I didn't have a chance to let everyone know that I picked up my new (to me) car yesterday afternoon and returned the rental. Woohoo!

 

The only drawback, besides a nearly empty bank account, is that one of the warning lights came on partway home, nearly giving me a heart attack in the process, but it turns out it's meant to warn of excessive emissions. (Not that kind.) It's guaranteed to pass inspection; if it doesn't, I go back to the dealership and they fix it for free.

 

*throws confetti*

 

Well then drinks all around...but please tell me that the "Guarantee to pass inspection" is in writing. The excessive emission warning light is of some concern.

 

http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/champagne-explosion-ribbon-confetti-illustration-40442369.jpg

[+ Charlie]

In CA we have something called a "smog check," a set of tests to determine whether the emissions control system is working at the proper level. After a certain age, the car has to be tested regularly at an official station, which sends the results to the DMV, before it can receive its annual registration. I had my 12 year old Honda "smogged" this morning, and it passed all the tests, as it always has, but the test costs $60, and if it fails, the car has to be fixed and tested (and paid for) again.

[bigvalboy]

In CA we have something called a "smog check," a set of tests to determine whether the emissions control system is working at the proper level. After a certain age, the car has to be tested regularly at an official station, which sends the results to the DMV, before it can receive its annual registration. I had my 12 year old Honda "smogged" this morning, and it passed all the tests, as it always has, but the test costs $60, and if it fails, the car has to be fixed and tested (and paid for) again.

Well that's my concern. Remembering CA... all emission lights have to be off and proved to be operating properly. Even if a car physically passes smog, it also has to visually pass as well, which means any emission lights have to be off, and the entire emission system has to be to manufacture specs. There are ways around that, but both the car owner and the owner of the test facility would be skirting the law, and it's a dicey game to play.

 

Not sure where QTR resides, but I hope there is a guarantee.

[+ quoththeraven]

Well then drinks all around...but please tell me that the "Guarantee to pass inspection" is in writing. The excessive emission warning light is of some concern.

 

http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/champagne-explosion-ribbon-confetti-illustration-40442369.jpg

 

Yes, plus it is apparently a state law. Also, we're talking a highly rated new car (Honda) dealership here.

 

My profile states my state of residence. Suffice it to say I live in the state that's on the opposite side of the Hudson from Manhattan.

[bigvalboy]

Yes, plus it is apparently a state law. Also, we're talking a highly rated new car (Honda) dealership here.

 

My profile states my state of residence. Suffice it to say I live in the state that's on the opposite side of the Hudson from Manhattan.

 

You're a Jersey girl!! Lots of friends in NJ, so that's cool. At any rate, glad to know that the car is from a reputable dealership, that's important. I don't get this whole Craigslist thing.

[+ quoththeraven]

You're a Jersey girl!! Lots of friends in NJ, so that's cool. At any rate, glad to know that the car is from a reputable dealership, that's important. I don't get this whole Craigs List thing.

 

I grew up in upstate New York, but yes, technically I'm a Jersey girl. Part of the reason I was willing to pay a premium above the value of my lower mileage but somewhat less pristine car (pre-accident, of course) was because I was dealing with a dealership and knew they'd checked the car out after they took it as a trade-in and had given it an alignment.

 

Also, it's been my experience that sometimes warning lights come on because of a faulty sensor, not an actual problem.

[+ Charlie]

Does NJ still have inspection stations, as they did in my youth?