Dr. D totaled the Saab wagon Friday nite (my birthday!). No one hurt!

[DemoTex]

A 16 Y/O ran a light at 50 mph and T-boned her. It was so close to our house that I heard the crash and just knew it was her (awful feeling). Two minutes later my phone rang .. Dr. D. whispered "wreck ..". I sprinted out the door and to the Grove/Augusta intersection.
She is OK. The 5 kids in the other car are OK (driver charged).

Saturday, Dr. D. was sore and in the dumps over her 1999 Saab wagon. I bought her a new Volvo V-70 wagon Saturday afternoon. I traded in my 6-month old Tacoma (3600 miles) that I HATED, and wrote a check for the balance.

Tomorrow I'll get the word on the Saab salvage. Looks like we'll get another new car this week (FOR DEMOTEX). Should it be, in order of my preference:
1. Mini Cooper
2. Prius (Hybrid)
3. Honda CRV (new design)
4. Camry (Hybrid)

I'm leaning to the Mini Cooper.
Mac

[havocmom]

1. Gads! Glad to hear everybody was OK after that

Horrible sound, isn't it?

[Missy Vixen]

2. I'm so glad Dr. D is okay

I also hope that you love your new vehicles.

In the meantime, my husband's birthday was a week ago Monday, so he's in great company with the month of March!

Julie

[bullwinkle428]

3. Big props for the Saab's safety features!! I'm glad your wife's okay!

I'm glad you chose to go with something that's probably even more secure for her replacement vehicle. As far as the decision on your own new car, I've had the chance to sit in a Mini, and have to tell you - it is TINY on the inside! I'm 6'1", and although the headroom isn't bad, the overall space inside just made me claustrophobic. If you're looking for something small and sporty but still practical, the VW GTI has gotten tons of good press. I have a Honda and know how great they and Toyota are when it comes to reliability, so your candidates are hard to argue with. The Mini has kind of a lousy record of reliability, as do VWs in general. I'm almost certainly getting a hybrid or new clean diesel the next time around, as I have kind of a long commute to work each day. Good luck in your search...

[XemaSab]

4. Why not a Honda Civic Hybrid?

:shrug:

[DemoTex]

5. I need a hatch-back for Nick's kennel cage.

Nick-Nick drives the choice.


Nick-Nick

[XemaSab]

6. I hear ya

I would get a Honda Civic Hybrid station wagon in a second.

They used to make Honda Civic station wagons; why not bring them back as hybrids? :shrug:

[DemoTex]

7. Bingo!

I just traded a 2006 Toyota Tacoma truck with 3600 miles. I hated the MoFo, and I'll tell the world. Way too big. Sucks gas. Hard to park. TOYOTA TRUCKS SUCK! There!

So .. why not make a small hybrid truck? They don't, and I won't buy a truck. Again. Ever.

[Suich]

8. Glad to hear Dr. D. is ok.

I didn't know that anyone could get t-boned at 50 mph and walk away from it!

Good luck on your new buy!

:hi:

[marzipanni]

9. Yikes- I hope your wife is feeling better.

I'd go get at least one massage and chiropractic adjustment if that happened to me.

I grew up in a rural suburb on a main road with a big curve just past my family's house. Every few months we'd be awakened by the sound of a crash, someone not making the curve and crashing into a telephone pole, old stone wall, or tree. It makes me cringe just thinking about it. I delayed getting my license because those were childhood nightmares I woke up to, instead of from!

Was the 16-year-old on an intermediate license and not supposed to have other teenagers in the car?

My husband votes for the mini Cooper. Since this occasion to get a new car, as unfortunate the circumstance was that brought it about, happened on your birthday, I think you deserve something to make it a belated Happy Birthday. :hi:

[DemoTex]

10. The 16 y/o was fully licenced in SC .. but he was a great young gentleman

He took full responsibility for the accident from the get-go. His young mother(34?) was a wonderful person.

[Roon]

11. My ex drives a mini-cooper

and he loves it! You get a lot of attention tooling around in one of those. People smile and wave...he has a blast with it!

[salin]

12. Mini Coopers look like fun.... but... I *love* my Prius

so were it I the order of choices would have to shift a little bit. :D

Very glad Dr D and the kids are all safe. Whew!

[DemoTex]

13. Mini v. Prius

Heart v. Mind. Know what I mean?

[jmowreader]

14. Fuck it, Mac, get another Saab

Dr. D got t-boned at 50mph and walked away. Sounds like a damn good endorsement to me.

[mikeytherat]

15. Mrs. Rat got T-boned in our BMW 735i (The Big Dawg) at over 50 m.p.h.

About two years ago, she was heading home from work and an idiot blew a red light and tagged her in the passenger's door at over 50 m.p.h. The Saturn that hit her was a crushed, totaled mess. The Big Dawg took a nasty shot (took out the front door, front quarter, and strut), but no frame damage, and was still drivable (though very wonky and missing most of the glass). Mrs. Rat walked away without a scratch - just some soreness from the impact. I bought the beast back from the insurance co. and rebuilt it. It's very unique (the last of the U.S. 7-series with a manual transmission), and it certainly passed the "keep my wife safe" test. Here it is, all rebuilt and purty:




mikey_the_rat

[Guava Jelly]

16. Thank goodness everyone is safe!

Me I'm hooked on toyota's.
They have been very good to me :)