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Home > Time to say "goodbye" to my car??

Time to say "goodbye" to my car??

September 10th, 2008 at 01:34 am

Since 2005, I've had two vehicles that I drive interchangeably. Since I am a single parent, I figured it made sense to keep a backup vehicle just in case the one breaks down. I don't have family to rely on, nor do I want to be so dependent on others.

So the vehicle in question is a 1998 Ford Escort station wagon, which has 205,000 miles on it. I purchased it new when I was married. I replaced the engine when it had about 185,000 miles. The air conditioner hasn't worked for years and I didn't want to put $ into it to fix it. A couple of months ago I noticed a "slipping" when the gears shift. Now I've never replaced the transmission and don't intend to. After all, IMO it is actually amazing that a Ford Escort has managed to
have over 200K miles on the original transmission. Last week, there was a rattling noise near the passenger's front tire when the car was idling at signal lights. So this morning I get in it to go to work and noticed a scraping noise when braking (maybe the brake pads/rotors?), so I went back home and got the Honda Civic to drive to work. Just so convenient to have that extra vehicle! So I think this car has many issues that could cost lots of money. I have kept up on the maintenance since I've purchased the vehicle.

Last night I checked the Kelley Blue Book value of the car and it is between $1300-1500. So my question is.. would you even spend the money to get a diagnosis, or just try to sell it privately for a few hundred dollars?

Like I said earlier, I do prefer to have a second car for emergencies and such. Car insurance is much less expensive when more than one car is on a policy due to the multi-car discount (at least with my insurance company), so that isn't an issue.

Since I am still paying on the Honda, I don't want another car payment at this time. I really would like to have an SUV or something that is good in snow like my Escort. The Honda doesn't seem to perform as well in winter weather conditions, perhaps because it is lighter than the station wagon and it sits somewhat lower to the road.

I definitely would prefer a used vehicle...maybe a certified used vehicle from a dealer.

I just don't know what to do...put more $ into the Escort or sell it. I'm looking for some feedback please...smile!

9 Responses to “Time to say "goodbye" to my car??”

  1. disneysteve Says:
    1221010798

    I wouldn't put money into a 10-year-old Ford with over 200K. I think you've squeezed every last bit of your money's worth out of that car.

    What do you have in the way of savings that you can put toward a replacement. Obviously, when the car you are replacing is that old and that high mileage, it won't be tough to get something better/more reliable. Get yourself a Toyota with "only" 100,000 miles and you'd be all set, and it shouldn't cost you all that much.

  2. seven of seven Says:
    1221012009

    Great job keeping that Escort alive! Personally, I would sell it for whatever I could get and not replace it. I know you like having the second car, but I would take the money you make from the Escort, cancel the extra insurance, save on smog checks and registration, tires, oil, etc., and start a savings account to eventually replace the Honda. If you ever had an emergency, you could use the money you're saving for another car to rent a vehicle for a week while it's getting repaired. I don't think having two is worth the trouble. IMHO.

  3. Stock Research Says:
    1221012883

    You might want to investigate giving it away to a charitable organization. Usually, they will come and haul it away for you, you can feel good about the donation and write it off as a charitable contribution.

  4. Blue Eyes Says:
    1221014784

    disneysteve
    I have about $5,000 to put towards another used car. I think you are definitely right that it is time for this car to go. I can't actually believe a Ford has made it that far!! I was considering either a Toyota or another Honda.

  5. Broken Arrow Says:
    1221052865

    Don't know who Stock Research is, but he's got a point! Charity, tax deduction, and possibly free hauling at their expense.

  6. disneysteve Says:
    1221053299

    $5,000 should get you a car with half the miles of your current car or less. I think blue book value on my 98 Camry with 110,000 miles is about $3,500. You can probably get something under 100K for $5,000.

  7. monkeymama Says:
    1221057554

    2001/2002 Ford Escort were great years - cars are worth the $3k-$5k range, particularly with gas prices these days.

    Of course, I think a Camry with 110k miles, if you can really get for $3500, is the better deal. (I am skeptical that the Toyotas are on par price-wise with the Escort. MAybe depends where you live. Seems like gas economical used cars have been expensive around here with gas prices. I'd buy a Toyota in a heartbeat with 100k miles but haven't seen them below $7k or so).

  8. disneysteve Says:
    1221062829

    monkeymama - If I thought I could get $7,000 for my Camry (98 with 111,000 miles), I'd sell it today.

  9. fern Says:
    1221075351

    i'm with 7 of 7. i would definitely get rid of the car but not get another, just keep the honda. if you read a recent post i did, i analyzed how much $ i spent on my honda over a 10-year period; i keep meticulos track of all pending, have done so for years, so anyway, i can tell you that it's not just the extra car insurance, it's also what you spend for license and registration reneweals. In CT, license, registration and car tax accounted for 10% of total costs, coming out to about 3,000 as i recall, over the 10 year period.

    If youre' worried about emergencies, 1 keep a cell phone and 2. buy AAA membersip.

    Also, yes, hondas are lighter cars, but i've used 4 snow tires on my car and it's really got good traction with 4 snows, not just 2.

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