[Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup
I had posted the other week that after my 2000 9-3 had been rear-ended earlier this month, the other driver's insurance had company decided to total my car since the repair estimate exceeded 75% of its current retail value.
After I spent the next weekend looking into prices on CPO 2002 9-3's and test driving a 2000 9-3SE hatch at the local dealer, I decided to do a little bit more homework on the options in front of me. What really got me thinking is that the 2000 9-3SE hatch I test drove (that had 20,000 less miles on it than mine) did not even run as smoothly as mine and had more body dings and scratches than mine did before the accident. It had obviously not been taken care of as carefully as mine. (The salesman at the Saab dealer looked over my car while I was out on the test drive and he even said as much when I got back!)
Since the other driver was only going about 10mph when she hit me, I decided to get several more estimates on whether it was worth trying to get the body damage on my 9-3 repaired....and keeping it. Of the two other estimates, one came in higher, and one lower than the original estimate. The lower estimate was from a small family-owned body shop with low overhead that was recommended by a friend of mine who does a lot of DIY repairs on his own cars. The higher one was from a larger operation with a higher overhead. All of them said it "could" be repaired, it was just did I want to spend that amount of money to get it repaired on a 5 year old car?
So, after thinking about it for a few days, I still had to negotiate with the adjuster for the other driver's insurance to get them to agree on a fair value for the car anyway. I told him his initial offer was too low based on prices from NADA, Kelly Blue Book, and even the 2000 9-3 I test drove at the local dealer. After getting him to agree on a fair value for my car, I decided to take the cash (minus the salvage value they had to keep) and keep my 9-3. With the money I got, it is enough to get the repairs done at any of the body shops where I got estimates, except for the highest one.
I know that the "downside" of this is that I have basically given up any resale value since the title will indicate that it has been "totaled", but I intended to keep this car 5 more years, at which point it would not have had much value left anyway. At least what I do have is a 9-3 that I know its history, how it has been cared for, and which will now get a new rear bumper, new hatch, and new right rear quarter panel.
While I have been going through all of this, I have been driving it for the last couple of weeks and it still handles fine. Although, when the repairs are done I still plan to get a full four-wheel alignment...just in case.
Mark
posted by 129.33.49...
, Thu, 28 Apr 2005 06:46:38
No Site Registration is Required to Post - Site Membership is optional (Member Features List), but helps to keep the site online
for all Saabers. If the site helps you, please consider helping the site by becoming a member.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
