haha
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Some may remember that my car was totaled about a month ago. Well, I was hit about a month ago; it took the insurance company a while to see reality and total it. The criminals/car thieves/hit and run drivers were never caught as far as I know, but I now have a nice check for my 2006 Subaru Impreza wagon. In 7 years, it depreciated less than $5000. I have been walking/bussing for this month, and I still have not completely decided whether to buy another vehicle or just to rely on busses, walking, cabs, and zip car.
By design I find myself living where almost all my real needs can be met walking, it's nightlife and also carrying anything that I might need beyond groceries and clothing and stuff I can get from Amazon. Even most tools I can get from Lowes or HD on a bus. It is less handy for sure than driving, but not impossible. But social life is harder, as I am not really thrilled to have 1 1/2 to 2 hour busrides home at night, and that's when I can coordinate a good schedule. As it gets colder, standing downtown in a gale coming off the Bay waiting for my 10' bus ride home is minimally appealing, but walking through some questionable areas at 12:30 even less so.
I have always liked cars; I drove a Volvo 122S for 340,000 miles, a VW Dasher for 325,000, and my wife drove a Taurus for over 200,000. And we drove 2 assorted used pickups and a VW Dasher Diesel and a couple Saabs and a Citroen for maybe another 120,000. Much of the upkeep on all these cars I did, and I more or less enjoyed it.
But that is over! I have no place to work on cars now, no place to keep tools, and no longer any real desire to get dirty and skin my knuckles when bolts break.
I see 3 main possibilities- buy another new Impreza ~$20-$22; buy a used car, or continue carless.
The Subaru is pretty well bulletproof, and has been well proven in a meaningful crash. The carless option is what it is.
My other possibility, and one that I know little about is buy a used luxury car. My kids will laugh at me.
I would want either all wheel drive or rear wheel drive. The little driving I did in Seattle in FWD cars made me never want to do it again. Steep downtown streets, sometimes brick paved, and rain, make a very bad combo for FWD. You sit there spinning your wheels, and please, don't even consider turning when you are stopped on a hill.
Snow is not a big deal for me, as I just stay parked in snow. Even with AWD I am likely to stay parked, to minimize risks of others sliding into me, and possible salt damage. If I get eager for some social life, the buses are OK.
I mention luxury cars because I definitely do not want anything loved by young performance oriented men, or a typical car driven by budget constrained people. Gas mileage is not important, as I drive little, (< 5000/yr). So a low mileage and fairly new rwd or awd high end car, intermediate or full size, foreign or domestic, typically driven and cared for by amiddle aged to older man who takes good care of the car inside and out might be just right. If this costs as much or more than the Impreza, I might just get an Impreza. Yet, since I have been clobbered twice in 7 years by careless or impaired drivers, I may be ready to go big.
I know many here really have good car knowledge, what might be some suggestions?
Ha
By design I find myself living where almost all my real needs can be met walking, it's nightlife and also carrying anything that I might need beyond groceries and clothing and stuff I can get from Amazon. Even most tools I can get from Lowes or HD on a bus. It is less handy for sure than driving, but not impossible. But social life is harder, as I am not really thrilled to have 1 1/2 to 2 hour busrides home at night, and that's when I can coordinate a good schedule. As it gets colder, standing downtown in a gale coming off the Bay waiting for my 10' bus ride home is minimally appealing, but walking through some questionable areas at 12:30 even less so.
I have always liked cars; I drove a Volvo 122S for 340,000 miles, a VW Dasher for 325,000, and my wife drove a Taurus for over 200,000. And we drove 2 assorted used pickups and a VW Dasher Diesel and a couple Saabs and a Citroen for maybe another 120,000. Much of the upkeep on all these cars I did, and I more or less enjoyed it.
But that is over! I have no place to work on cars now, no place to keep tools, and no longer any real desire to get dirty and skin my knuckles when bolts break.
I see 3 main possibilities- buy another new Impreza ~$20-$22; buy a used car, or continue carless.
The Subaru is pretty well bulletproof, and has been well proven in a meaningful crash. The carless option is what it is.
My other possibility, and one that I know little about is buy a used luxury car. My kids will laugh at me.
I would want either all wheel drive or rear wheel drive. The little driving I did in Seattle in FWD cars made me never want to do it again. Steep downtown streets, sometimes brick paved, and rain, make a very bad combo for FWD. You sit there spinning your wheels, and please, don't even consider turning when you are stopped on a hill.
Snow is not a big deal for me, as I just stay parked in snow. Even with AWD I am likely to stay parked, to minimize risks of others sliding into me, and possible salt damage. If I get eager for some social life, the buses are OK.
I mention luxury cars because I definitely do not want anything loved by young performance oriented men, or a typical car driven by budget constrained people. Gas mileage is not important, as I drive little, (< 5000/yr). So a low mileage and fairly new rwd or awd high end car, intermediate or full size, foreign or domestic, typically driven and cared for by amiddle aged to older man who takes good care of the car inside and out might be just right. If this costs as much or more than the Impreza, I might just get an Impreza. Yet, since I have been clobbered twice in 7 years by careless or impaired drivers, I may be ready to go big.
I know many here really have good car knowledge, what might be some suggestions?
Ha
