oh, i missed this post. do whatever you can to get them to total it. i had an accident with my car. was about $6000 worth of damage. over a year and about 20k miles later i had a problem with my rear differential that turned out to be because of that accident. thankfully the insurance company didn't give me a hard time about paying for the extra $2000, but i'm ditching the car now.

 

My wife owns an 04 Element EX (w/side airbags) and no the side-impact tests are not 5 star. The salesman mos tlikely sold you on that...view these stats for the LX/DX Elements without side airbags.

http://www.hwysafety.org/vehicle%5Fr...side/s0308.htm

 

Am I the only one here that thinks the new Mustang looks hideous? It looks absolutely unproportional, the badge on the rear looks like the size of a baby's head!!! The interior is more cheap, same ole' sam ole' look. To each his own I suppose...

 

Since you mentioned a G6 (4 door), I recommend taking a look at a Volvo V40 T5. That model has the turbo 5 cylinder, and will flat out scoot. Nice styling, nice interior, but I'm not sure where it will fit in amongst your payment criteria. Good luck!

 

Well, still at battle over this one. The adjuster wanted to lift the engine out to see additional damage. Well, I swung by the machanic yesterday to see it.

Give me some insight on if this should be totaled - the car ACV was valued over 21k (i think 22.5k but they didnt tell me yet)

Here are some pics I took with my HP 6315 - the camera is awful, but it was all i had on me.

Here is the broken engine block:


Here is the bent radiator mount


here is the back of the engine bay:


Here is a pic of the tranny - note the broken mount:


Here is the bent header:


Here is the back of the engine:


Here is the intercooler:


And here is the easiest way to replace your pulley:

 

i don't think i could get another car after the MCS...anything that outhandles it only has 2 seats and is a tight fit for a 6'2" guy...and also costs 2-20x more!

why give up that tight, responsive go-kart steering?

and an mcs with sports package, mfsw, auto-dim/auto-sense rw, auto-ac, lsd is only 23...so u don't have to spend close to 30k unless u want the convertible...


i have an 03 protege that i haven't yet sold and i liked it before the MSC (it did get 10s for handling/brakes), but now when i HAVE to get in it, it feels cheap and doesn't drive well...everything from the wheel to the parking brake is just thinner and more fragile than an MCS...also, it constantly needs brakes and tires and even a battery and now an alternator! plus it rattles and whines constantly...the engine knocking is horrid...


what other car gives u a smile every time u drive it? (no, the elise doesn't count, as it's 2x the price and only 2 seats and not a daily driver)....no daily drivers nor 4-seaters do...



btw, to the guy who said the rx-8 has as roomy of a backseat as the mini...no way if u are even decent height...the roof slopes down, so a 6'2 can't even sit up...i'm sure even 5'8 would be somewhat uncomfortable...MUCH different than the roomy rear of a mini (except legroom, of course)

 

I have a '01 PT, non-turbo and have modded it to handle better than stock although not like a MINI. Granted the stock 4cyl is a dog but consider the PT Turbo...it's got some ***** and the utilitarian factor is great.

...and Chrysler is practically giving them away!

 

I would go with the VW, but do the VR6. It's got tons of grunt, but swap out the shifter. It's waaay to loose for the car, and really rather balky. Once that's done I think it would be a good starting point for further mods.

Good luck!! :smile:

- - M

 

Can you purchase the Element in one color now? If not, would you mind divulging the approx cost to have it done?

There wouldn't be any lowering springs for an Element, would there?

Great looking vehicle!

 

I like the element and all but I could never stand to buy one or advise anyone to. They have plastic fenders, rubber mat floors which is great and functional but to pay18k for a car that had to cost about 6k to build would never sit well with me

 

It's probably a pretty nice car. It's based on the Mazda 6, which I had a chance to drive while we were at the dealership picking up our Miata, and I was impressed with it. I'm sure the Mazdaspeed 6 is even better!

Mark

 

I don't know for sure what the mfgr markup is on an Element, but I guaran-freakin'-tee it's not 300%. Most margins are pretty slim on smaller vehicles - the huge markups are on the Escalades, Expeditions, etc. . .

Anyone know for sure what the bump is on car models like that?

 

anyone have any advice on if this car should likely be totaled based on those pics? It's some serious damage just in those pics!

 

aaaahhh yes... and there lies the differance... the 05 got 5

Plus... I dont talk to sales people, I find I educated them half the time. ( no offence to the quality sales folks out there ) comes from buying and selling cars a hobby

http://www.bankrate.com/brm/frames/h...t.gov/NCAP/%20

 

Matrix comes in both 5 and 6 speed manual, as well as auto.
Only way to know what you want is to drive it. I'd stay away from pontiac because I don't trust GM's for any sort of reliability or longevity. Just not well thoughtout or built cars. Like toyotas on principle, but agree they tend to be a bit of a yawn. RSX is interesting. I found the tC to be a bit cheap on interior materials, but it's quick and has fairly nice styling. Could also be had fairly reasonably priced. VW, fun car, expensive to fix, lots of proprietary bulls**t with VW, but a nice car.

Anyway, big list. Drive 'em, and you'll wittle it down quick. Plus I alway like going to look at new cars if given an opportunity.

P.S. Sorry to hear about the accident. Glad to hear your in one piece.