how is it not covered by insurance? i wasnt there nor seen the car so it could be different but i know that the DOT could and most likely would pay some money. ive heard of people hitting the chunks of semitires or getting hit my them and causign broken windshields, or severed lines. those were reparied and paid for by the state...


id say a newish car would be better. new cars are so overrated. they always have some kind of fault where it has to be in the shop. id look for a an 06-04 car with around 20k miles. it slogn enough that the factory bugs have been worked out, its broken in yet still new, and you pay almost half!

Keep an eye on craigslist.com for something. never know what could turn up there. suck about the car but at least was just the ride and not the driver. where did this happen??

WOOHOOO! Thanks! I just jumped up another spot on the top ten list!

uh, I mean, ummm sorry to hear about the accident. :)
Seriously, I kept watching the top ten list as we traded spots over the last 6 months. You were one of the carrots dangling in front of me, just out of reach, it kept me motivated to try harder. I hope you make a comeback with whatever car you choose. It'll be interesting to see how quickly your next cars FE jumps up once you start hypermiling it. Keep us informed!

The only good thing about factory warranty is if something big happens that i can't fix, or don't want to. I do all other repairs on my car granted the only repair as of yet is scratch removal on the paint. haven't taken it to a shop since i had to rotate the tires. now my two past used cars needed serious work not covered under warranty and i don't have twin post lifts to take a tranny out of a front wheel drive car to replace the main rear seal. was easy in the tbird, but it threw a rod ... but im rambling, i hope you find the car you want and also suits your needs. nothing sucks more than having a sedan when you want a coupe:mad:

theclencher: what new car did you buy sounds like either a lemon or a domestic, but i am curious as to the specific model

I had an excellent experience with for but just too gas thirsty. the Taurus' only problem was the main seal and a bad first owner. the T-bird on the other hand had the horrible Canadian made(no offense to any Canadians) Essex engine which was a head gasket eater. It went through four sets of head gaskets in under 350,000miles, 3 power steering pumps also. It was a nasty engine. But had a BROAD power range. Could spin the tires well into second gear, who says old school pushrods can't burn rubber is crazy, but despite its massive weight and engine it got good mileage lifetime for me was around 22mpg mixed.

thecleancher, I did a total about face on Aerostars... went from thinking they were the most godawful horrid things to a breakdown when I lost a mint '97 this summer that had recently replaced a '91 that was off its rockers due to salt...

lol dont get me started on thos ehings... we haev one, rust free 100K miles BUT had to take it to the shop to change plugs(couldnt reach em) broke parking brake cable, oil pan rusted thru, power steering lines rusted thru, tranny cooler line rusted thru. oodles of lost interior pannel screws (dunno how those things rattle loose) battery hold down bolt decided to snap, keeps blowing CHMSL lights (not the fuse the bulbs?!?!??)

yet still starts and runs and drives perfectly....

seems like all the fords my dads owned theres always been some weird mysterious problem with them. or they break the unthinkable breakable stuff...all the while my 2 chevys are doin just fine (nothign too major). i dunno from my experiences im kinda partial to GM (i know what to expect to go out and when, parts are cheap, plenty of em in junkyards for body parts, kidn aknow how GM engineers think so logic is applied (ie: the wiper motor control board is ON THE WIPER MOTOR, unlike fords that hide it under the dash along with 5 other black boxes)

That's so sad to hear! Sometimes we get really personal with our vehicles and it's sad to see them go. Do you know how much money it would be to repair? I think spending $1,000 on a repair is better than spending $15,000+ on a new car (unless, of course if you hated the vehicle).

Sad to see the accord go. That was the car i grew up driving--a 1990 5 speed. Was awesome to see you hypermiling one.

I'd say no point in buying a yaris when you can get an echo for much less money. If you find one with less than 100k, i think it would not be likely to leave you stranded, especially if you give it the occasional look over. the price would be less than 4,000, much less than a yaris. Also honda civics are good for economy and reliability, but I am sure you know that. The 03 corolla manual is also a really good car both for reliability and gas milage, that would be a lot larger than the echo/yaris, and a little more expensive.

DITTO!!! Though I'm liking the MK2's and all their quirks, electrical - cough-cough. Can't beat an old VeeDub. I overpaid a few hundred bucks for my latest one though I don't regret it. Still under $2500. If I drove more efficiently I'd bust 45+ easy with it.

I suppose a Geo won't fit your stuff. :( Honestly, a late model Escort wagon (standard tranny) is a good little bulletproof car that is roomy and can deliver stellar numbers in mileage. Can you say cheeeep & easy to maintain.