Accord totaled, need a 'new' car

Some people just can't handle all the newfangled tech in modern horseless carriages like turn signals.
What that has to do with turn signal? Only thing that was dumber in that Pilot is that it didn’t have physical button for audio. They added that after all people who used to horse carriages complained about it.
 
There aren't many vehicles I'd like to own that have a manual transmission any more.

Mustang GT (no real back seat), VW GTI and Jetta GLI (that reliability question), a Honda Civic or two (kind of small), Mazda 3 (kind of small), Mazda Miata (really small).

And then there are BMWs (no spare tire, no motor oil dipstick). I had a '00 528i 5MT with both a spare tire and a dip stick- a lovely and fairly reliable car that after only 21 years got old.

That's one of the reasons I bought a Tesla Model 3. Okay, don't make a car I'd like to buy. I'll try something completely different. And I like it fine.
 
Checked out a 2010 TSX for sale locally here, 112k miles. Quite liked it and it's in outstanding cosmetic shape, had my mechanic check it out quickly nothing major but it probably needs front brakes including calipers. The dealer would not budge from their price which I felt was a solid $1,500 over what it should have been not to mention the needed brake work. So I told them thanks but no thanks, maybe if they drop it a couple k (or I can't find anything else) I'll revisit.

Seriously considering going further afield for one of the manual 2.0T Accords or maybe getting one brought in via Carmax. Would be twice the cost of that TSX but would also be a 10+ year car. Decisions decision...
 
Look for a low miles BMW with an N52 inline 6 engine. For under $13k you can get a great performance car.
 
Checked out a 2010 TSX for sale locally here, 112k miles. Quite liked it and it's in outstanding cosmetic shape, had my mechanic check it out quickly nothing major but it probably needs front brakes including calipers. The dealer would not budge from their price which I felt was a solid $1,500 over what it should have been not to mention the needed brake work. So I told them thanks but no thanks, maybe if they drop it a couple k (or I can't find anything else) I'll revisit.

Seriously considering going further afield for one of the manual 2.0T Accords or maybe getting one brought in via Carmax. Would be twice the cost of that TSX but would also be a 10+ year car. Decisions decision...
As mentioned above, BMW 328, 2010-2011 with N52 (I have it) is probably best overall stick shift on the market. They are very reliable, port injection, cheap quality aftermarket parts (OEM). Few things to pay attention, but super cheap to do it and address it. But, very few cars drive like those.
I use mine to drop kids at school, work, ski twice a week, and track. It si absolute workhorse.
 
My 2006 Accord EX-L, unusual model with most of the good features and a manual, was totaled in an accident yesterday. Had 225k miles and ran great, supremely reliable. Dude in the red car pulled out in front of me, I had somewhere between 0 and 1 second to react and plowed into him at about 40 mph. Police deemed him responsible so hopefully the insurance process will be smooth. Two of my kids were in the car, everybody is a bit banged up and scraped but mostly OK.

So on to the topic, need a new car. My 12 year old daughter remarked as we're sitting there on the side of road "how are you going to get another car with a stick shift?". How indeed. If I had the resources at the moment I'd get an Integra Type S, but alas need to keep the price to around $20k. The ideal used car would be one of the recent Accord Sports with the 2.0T and stick but those seem to be unicorns.

Criteria is a sedan/wagon/hatch with a reasonably powerful engine, stick, sporty-ish, good feature set, $20k-ish or less, <100k miles, 8 years old or less. Quick Autotrader search suggests the following makes/models could be options:
Audi A4/A5 (not too many of these but they exist)
Mazda 3 (Grand Touring spec)
Genesis G70 (had one of these pop up, price a bit of a stretch but doable)
VW GTI (would want the SE or Autobahn) or a Jetta GLI
Civic Si (the prices on these seem to be ridiculous)
Focus ST
Elantra N Line (styling on this one is a bit much but I might be able to live with it)

Not really interested in a WRX though it would check most of the boxes. Just don't see myself as a WRX guy lol.

Would appreciate any insight on the above models or suggestions for things I've left out. Thanks!

jeff




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Looks like passenger airbag went off. Glad everyone is ok. You and the kids should see a chiropractor asap to get back and neck in good alignment. Prevents future aches and pains.
 
Got a new car today, a 2020 Civic Sport Touring, manual of course :)

It's nice, all the desired features and the power is good if not great. Certainly more powerful than the old Accord. The styling is a bit much (my wife immediately busted my balls about how old I am (47)). I had a bead on a 2.0T Accord a few hours away but it was sold over the weekend and rather than drag it out I got the Civic. It's quite nice but not so nice that I won't be OK with relinquishing it to my kids in a few years 😁

IMG_2610.jpg
 
47 years old is still young! Go out and enjoy it while you can still appreciate the 6 speed manual and not the auto slushbox. I like the color choice and that iteration's styling is less extreme than the previous style...it will grow on you...and your spouse.
 
As mentioned above, BMW 328, 2010-2011 with N52 (I have it) is probably best overall stick shift on the market. They are very reliable, port injection, cheap quality aftermarket parts (OEM). Few things to pay attention, but super cheap to do it and address it. But, very few cars drive like those.
I use mine to drop kids at school, work, ski twice a week, and track. It si absolute workhorse.

I had terrible luck with the 2010 BMW 328i that my ex wife had. It cost us a fortune in repairs and in the end the transmission failed at only 240,000 km. I would never ever buy an out of warranty BMW ever again thanks to that terrible experience 😬
 
Checked out a 2010 TSX for sale locally here, 112k miles. Quite liked it and it's in outstanding cosmetic shape, had my mechanic check it out quickly nothing major but it probably needs front brakes including calipers. The dealer would not budge from their price which I felt was a solid $1,500 over what it should have been not to mention the needed brake work. So I told them thanks but no thanks, maybe if they drop it a couple k (or I can't find anything else) I'll revisit.

Seriously considering going further afield for one of the manual 2.0T Accords or maybe getting one brought in via Carmax. Would be twice the cost of that TSX but would also be a 10+ year car. Decisions decision...
Or ask them to include the brake work at the same price. The TSX is similar to the "international Accord".

I like 2.0 6MT Sport Accords too. Both are nice cars, should be good cars.
 
I had terrible luck with the 2010 BMW 328i that my ex wife had. It cost us a fortune in repairs and in the end the transmission failed at only 240,000 km. I would never ever buy an out of warranty BMW ever again thanks to that terrible experience 😬
The worst vehicle in the last 20 years I had was Toyota Sienna. It was far less reliable than my BMW and VW Tiguan combined. And I have Prado in Europe, which is not any better. So, things happen.
 
The worst vehicle in the last 20 years I had was Toyota Sienna. It was far less reliable than my BMW and VW Tiguan combined. And I have Prado in Europe, which is not any better. So, things happen.
True, I have had bad luck with some cars and then went and bought a similar car from the same manufacturer and got a totally reliable one. So you never know what you’re gonna get.
 
47 years old is still young! Go out and enjoy it while you can still appreciate the 6 speed manual and not the auto slushbox. I like the color choice and that iteration's styling is less extreme than the previous style...it will grow on you...and your spouse.
Indeed, my currently broken sternum and a couple ribs aside my health is great knock on wood, though I do tell my kids I'm getting old and decrepit sometimes 😁

I do like the color too, it's unique without being too loud so I think it'll age well. Still not sure about the styling but oh well I'm committed.

Interesting about this car - manufactured in the UK, with a Japanese engine and Indian (!) transmission.
 
So those SOBs at Allstate came back to me with a very official looking report deeming my car worth about $3,000, based on some cherry picked very low priced "comps" and adjustments some of which were of dubious justification. I had "done my own research" so to speak and sent them a lengthy response noting that the 6 comps I found, adjusted per the same reverse-engineered adjustments they had used, dropping the high and low, resulted in a replacement cost of $8,300. They haven't replied.

jeff
 
Good luck getting a fair settlement! Regarding the Civic, I think it's a fine pickup. I like mine. The engine is a real gem! Great fuel mpg, and plenty of torque. It's amazing to me how much torque they can get out of a 1.5L engine these days.
 
Yeah you might want to bring your state insurance commissioner in on this. Tell them your company isn't working in "good faith."
 
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