Help Finding a Replacement!

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Dec 28, 2011
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When I received my license at 16 I had my own car and I was gone a lot! My poor mother! She got me back though. Before she passed she warned me I would have a kid that was ME! My middle kid is it!

Driver inexperience is real. The boy was driving the 2012 RAV4 2.5 to school (its 40 minute drive from home and no buses) and gets caught up in a 3 car chain reaction accident. Soooo, obviously he is responsible for the rear end damage to the car in front of him. Nobody was hurt so that's a big bonus. Now the hard part! Finding a replacement vehicle. This is where I could use some help!

I haven't received the payout amount but should be about 10k. I am not up on anything used in the 10k realm. What are BIGTOG's recommendations? Reliable and vanilla is the goal! I already miss that RAV4; so easy to work on and easy on oil.
 
If you can charge at home, a used Bolt. Can get one for $10K if you count the $4K from the IRS.

Just make sure the one you buy has DC fast charging. It was optional on the first few years, I think it became standard in 2020?
 
In a similar situation, I got a Mazda 3 for one of my grand nieces. I had zero experience with Mazdas since the rotary days, but boy is this a nice car. Mazdas don't have the Toyota tax...
Alternately a nice Porsche Taycan could save on gas, right? Good luck.
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Is it actually totaled? You'd be surprised at what they fix unless airbags went off.

I had one car that got slammed in rear quarter, insurance totaled it but it ran great and perfectly drivable. I got the payout and paid them for the "salvage" fee and kept it. Friend worked at autobody shop, they cut and replaced the panel, I sanded it and helped around the shop with other stuff. Cost a couple hundred bucks parts/labor. I had it another 10 years.

Another car totaled, not fixable (for the money). Paid out and again I paid salvage. I parted it out myself on the forums helping others. Made some pretty good money on that and when done brought it scrap metal for 3x what salvage price was.

Many find similar vehicle and can swap parts from junkyard to get it back depending damage extent.

Side note - put all the details, damaged as is into PEDDLE.com and see what offer is. If salvage is $300 and they offer $600 because of catalytic converter you are ahead.
 
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If you can't find the same vehicle for their payout, then its too low. I've fortunately never had to make an insurance claim, but I think you can negotiate a bit?
 
When I received my license at 16 I had my own car and I was gone a lot! My poor mother! She got me back though. Before she passed she warned me I would have a kid that was ME! My middle kid is it!

Driver inexperience is real. The boy was driving the 2012 RAV4 2.5 to school (its 40 minute drive from home and no buses) and gets caught up in a 3 car chain reaction accident. Soooo, obviously he is responsible for the rear end damage to the car in front of him. Nobody was hurt so that's a big bonus. Now the hard part! Finding a replacement vehicle. This is where I could use some help!

I haven't received the payout amount but should be about 10k. I am not up on anything used in the 10k realm. What are BIGTOG's recommendations? Reliable and vanilla is the goal! I already miss that RAV4; so easy to work on and easy on oil.

Great car. Unless there were major blemishes that unit would likely get you a check between $10k to $12k.

There's a few interesting possibilities at that price range.

First, you can get a 2014 to 2015 Toyota Corolla L with around 60k miles on it. The L model has the most reliable powertrain of that era with the four-speed automatic instead of the CVT. The later is actually the first of its kind that registered an above average rating at the study I co-developed. The Long-Term Quality Index.

Another solid altenative is a 2017 - 2019 Chevy Bolt. My wife had a 2017 model starting in late 2022. These models are packed with far more safety features than a 10+ year old Toyota and it's also one of the easiest vehicles you can drive. The battery longevity is excellent, and if you qualify for the $4,000 tax credit that would be my top choice by far. My car buying service has sold dozens of them.

Finally if you want a dark horse candidate consider the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. So long as you service the CVT every 30k it's an excellent powertrain. A lot of people want the comfort and higher sitting position of an SUV but they don't care about cars from an enthusiast standpoint. This model is in the upper tier of long-term reliability and if you service the vehicle appropriately it rivals Mazdas and Honda SUVs without the very stiff price premium.
 
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And a 29K battery change in a few years!

Uh, no. Unless you're talking a junk EV with air-cooled battery like a Nissan Leaf, which is not what I recommended... I recommend a Bolt.

Most used Bolts especially early years had their battery replaced under a recall and the warranty started over. My 2017 is in this category. Newer years that didn't receive the recall replacement battery still have whatever is left of an 8 year, 100K mile warranty. So far degradation has been minimal, given they are liquid cooled batteries and even if DC fast charged they only charge up to 55kw max which is pretty easy on the battery. Some people in the community have over 200K miles, some over 300K miles.

Plus, what other modern car with low miles can you get for $10K? A used Corolla with 200K miles on it that's going to need tires, shocks, and whatever else, maybe a CVT replacement in a few years?

Plus, cost per mile in a Bolt is much lower than in a gas car. Electricity is cheaper than gas. Well, not here in PG&E territory... it's about the same as a 60MPG hybrid car. But what 60MPG hybrid car can you get for $10K unless you buy something high mileage out of warranty?

Even if the battery dies after you've owned it for 10 years, compared to any other used vehicle you can buy for $10K, you will have saved so much on maintenance, repairs, and fuel in that 10 years it'll buy you a whole entire used replacement EV (whatever is comparable to a Bolt then).

If OP can't get an EV as they do not have home and/or work charging, I respect that. But from a strictly VALUE perspective if they have $10K to spend on a good used car, you can't beat a Bolt.

As a bonus, the $4K used EV tax credit which is done at the point of sale as if you were making an extra $4K down payment of your own will help you get financed, if you want to/have to finance, even if your credit isn't very good. Maybe it doesn't apply to OP as they seem to have $10K cash in hand, but it matters to MANY people.
 
Great car. Unless there were major blemishes that unit would likely get you a check between $10k to $12k.

There's a few interesting possibilities at that price range.

First, you can get a 2014 to 2015 Toyota Corolla L with around 60k miles on it. The L model has the most reliable powertrain of that era with the four-speed automatic instead of the CVT. The later is actually the first of its kind that registered an above average rating at the study I co-developed. The Long-Term Quality Index.

Another solid altenative is a 2017 - 2019 Chevy Bolt. My wife had a 2017 model starting in late 2022. These models are packed with far more safety features than a 10+ year old Toyota and it's also one of the easiest vehicles you can drive. The battery longevity is excellent, and if you qualify for the $4,000 tax credit that would be my top choice by far. My car buying service has sold dozens of them.

Finally if you want a dark horse candidate consider the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. So long as you service the CVT every 30k it's an excellent powertrain. A lot of people want the comfort and higher sitting position of an SUV but they don't care about cars from an enthusiast standpoint. This model is in the upper tier of long-term reliability and if you service the vehicle appropriately it rivals Mazdas and Honda SUVs without the very stiff price premium.
That Mitsubishi Outlander Sport on your page looks like a really comfortable ride if priced correctly. You have a nice litte gig going on.
 
Glad your Son is ok from the accident. We were both his age once and your mind is all over the place as a raging hormone young man --- LOL. Seriously, Rav4s in your generation are really still getting good money in my area. Gas prices are always going to go up -- its a given. Hopefully you can get him a safe/fuel sipper.
 
When I received my license at 16 I had my own car and I was gone a lot! My poor mother! She got me back though. Before she passed she warned me I would have a kid that was ME! My middle kid is it!

Driver inexperience is real. The boy was driving the 2012 RAV4 2.5 to school (its 40 minute drive from home and no buses) and gets caught up in a 3 car chain reaction accident. Soooo, obviously he is responsible for the rear end damage to the car in front of him. Nobody was hurt so that's a big bonus. Now the hard part! Finding a replacement vehicle. This is where I could use some help!

I haven't received the payout amount but should be about 10k. I am not up on anything used in the 10k realm. What are BIGTOG's recommendations? Reliable and vanilla is the goal! I already miss that RAV4; so easy to work on and easy on oil.
That's what I said on the recent thread about the 15 year old girl who just got a 2-1/2 ton pickup given to her for her first vehicle. Others on here "couldn't handle the truth"......
 
You're kidding, right?
How much does a new battery cost for a Chevy Bolt?


between $16,775 and $19,000

Replacing a Chevy Bolt battery can cost anywhere between $16,775 and $19,000, depending on the battery's size, power, and quality. This price includes labor and related parts.Jul 22, 2024

UPDATE: Some 2020-22 Chevy Bolt Owners May Not Get Replacement Batteries​


I don't know but trusting GM to do the right thing is like trusting the devil to give you a lift to church.
 
Reliable and vanilla is the goal! I already miss that RAV4; so easy to work on and easy on oil.
A BITOG’er giving praise to a Toyota product? This post needs to be reported to the authorities!

Sorry about the loss of vehicle; glad your kid is just fine. IMO you should give him the keys to a nice new shiny bus pass. :)

I’m still shopping myself, it’s been a year and I still haven’t replaced the last car that got totaled. [is this where I can admit that I want another Toyota too? or do I have to keep that on the downlow?]
 
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