I read here that basically all the 08s are gone now, and if
you want a mini, you have to pre-order an 09 with a delivery
date MONTHS AND MONTHS away.

Now, what happens if somebody smashes your mini, and it is totalled?

All kinds of horror stories run through my mind.
Do you take The Man's ford focus for 3 weeks, until he cuts you
a check for about 1/2 the BV, then wait 8 months with no car?

Do you claim on your own insurance, which at this point I'm thinking
it is wise to have 'rental car coverage' on the policy?
Will that The Man, give you a ford focus?
And if so, for how long?

For those that don't consider themselves small car for lifers, just
take The Man's pittance of a check, and use it for a downpayment
on a 1-series instead of waiting the months for a new mini?

Buy a used mini you don't like as much, if you can find one?

Some other option?

It's not like its a civic and you just go to the lot and there
are 30 of them exactly like you had. And its not like there is
a 6 week delay anymore.

??????

 

It's probbably different with every insurance company. If my car was totaled by another car I'd have a rental for months and months

 

Same here

 

You'll take your total loss settlement and who cares what you do with it ? Buy a beater to last you a few months. Cancel your order with MINI and buy a car you can get quicker. Why would the insurance company handle your claim any differently just because you have a long wait for your ordered MINI ?

As far as which insurance company handles an accident, it depends on who is liable and how long they're taking to investigate. You always have the option to use your own policy and then your company will subrogate the other company if they think the other driver was at fault.

And for you funny guys who think you'll be in a rental for months. No. Well, let me correct that. You might be. But you'll be paying most of that bill out of your pocket if you are. The insurance company is only going to pay you for about 5 days past the date they settle your total loss. And that only takes about a week. Cute though.

 

^Agreed. It's up to you how you want to spend the settlement money: Get a MINI right off the lot immediately, special order one with your "exact" options, buy a bicycle and invest the rest, etc...

 

Accually it depends on how good of an attorney you get. Several years ago I was in a rental for almost two months at the other insurance companies expense for a situation very similiar. I was T-boned in an intersection because the other driver ran a red light.

 

It probably depends more on the claims adjuster assigned to your case. Or just maybe you had extenuating circumstances that warranted your long term rental.

No attorney on earth is going to convince me to put you in a rental longer than you deserve.

 

My boss's husband was in a rental for 11 months. A kid t-boned his not all that new minivan and his insurance decided to repair not total it. They begged his insurance to total it. Nope. It was so bad that it took 11 months for them to get it to the point it was somewhat drivable. They got rid of it about 6 months after the repairs were complete. All told, the other guy's insurance spent $30,000+ on repairs, plus 11 months rental. A brand new minivan, same but latest model, similar options would have cost $22,500.

Insurance companies don't always behave very smart.

 

No they don't.

But what we do, in a case where the shop takes a ridiculously long time to repair the car, is have them pay after a certain point.

That gets them moving.

 

See, that was my main point. It appears you can no longer
go to buy one off the lot that is OK or acceptable. Because
not are left to buy.

Me, I'd just drive my honda. But I was wondering what
people would do that don't already have a second car,
and want to replace a mini with a mini.

I have a friend that got hit head on by a drunk driver.
She was in a 750iL, former corporate limo with the
bulletproof package. The insurance guy offers them
$9k for it. They say, no, give us $18k or a car like it.
He laughs and hangs up. Calls back a week later
and says he'll send the check. They had to go to toronto
to get another one like it, used.

I doubt that's an option for a mini though. They are semi rare
not extremely rare.

Minivan dude should have (at least) filed a complaint with
the state's attorney general. I can't say for all states I suspect
there exists similar laws, where if the car has X percent damage
compared to the BV, by law it has to be totalled. Well coulda woulda
shoulda, I agree.