Wrecked my Elantra on Monday...

[peacefrog_0521]

So on my way to work on Monday, up I-75 (just past the Chrysler HQ), I had to suddenly swerve left to avoid a Mercedes which was prractically PARKED in my lane. I wish I'd seen it sooner. Anyway, I swerved and lost control, hit the center barrier with my front right corner, spun around and hit it again with my rear right corner, then bounced back across four lanes to the right shoulder. Luckily I was able to get it off the road so as to not get hit by traffic from behind. I never did see what happened to the Mercedes after that, it probably took off after seeing me hit the wall. I only remember it was a putty colored late 90's/early 2000's model sedan.

Thankfully of course I was not hurt (which still surprises me), and I didn't hit any other cars or property. The airbags never went off, which I'm not sure if they should have because it wasn't quite a head-on collision. I remember I much more calm than I thought I might be, not shaking or anything.

I called 911 and they sent police and a tow truck. After taking my statement the officer agreed that I was not at fault. He had already received a complaint about a car going slowly on the highway, he asked if it was me but I said no, that I had swerved to avoid such a car. He put out a notice about the Mercedes but not sure if they ever found it. The officer was professional and courteous, and dropped me off at work a couple miles away.

Over lunch, my manager & I drove in her car to the tow yard to see my car again; I took some pictures, and it looked even worse than I remembered.



I got a ride home and got a rental for this week, a brand-new 2009 Ford Focus. (Or as I have always called it, a Ford F**kup.) In spite of the nickname I actually like the car so far, but there's not enough there to make me want to buy it. Sync is a really nice feature. And it has heated leather seats which are wonderful in sub-freezing Michigan weather.

So Progressive decided the car was totalled, and I got my settlement this morning. They base the payout on NADA Retail value, rathe than Trade-In value. So with that and the low mileage (only 64k), it was valued at $1200 more than I actually paid for it! (I found out later that they forgot to include the sunroof in the options, so I'm going to go back and ask for another $300. Nothing to lose at this point.) They also will reimburse me the 6% Michigan sales tax on a replacement vehicle if I buy within 30 days. I cannot say enough good things about Progressive, I'm quite impressed with the experience and would encourage others to check out Progressive.

So now I'm back in the market for another car; I'm thinking of the following options, in no particular order:

• Volkswagen Jetta/Golf TDI Diesel
• Ford Escape Hybrid
• Another Hyundai Elantra
• Hyundai Sonata
• Audi A4 sedan
• Take my dad's Buick off his hands

Finally a couple of lessons learned from the experience:

• Never buy a car without ABS. It has already saved me from serious accidents in a few cases, and might have saved me from this one if I'd had it.
• Always wear your seatbelt.
• Always scan the road ahead for stopped vehicles.
• Always have an exit strategy in case of impending danger.

Hope you all keep safe this holiday season.

Best Regards,
-Raj

[SentraSE-R]

Glad to hear you weren't injured, Raj. Cars can be replaced, but not your health. It's a bummer you lost your ride. I liked the looks of the Elantra hatchback.

You've got a pretty wide choice of cars for a replacement. I like several of them - the Elantra for mileage potential, the VW TDi for ultimate mileage, the Audi for looks, the FEH for technological mileage potential. My bottom line is usually the cheapest car with mileage potential, since cars are basic transportation to get me from point A to point B. The rest of my money is better spent on other things. Your priorities may be different.

[peacefrog_0521]

Originally Posted by SentraSE-R

Glad to hear you weren't injured, Raj. Cars can be replaced, but not your health. It's a bummer you lost your ride. I liked the looks of the Elantra hatchback.

You've got a pretty wide choice of cars for a replacement. I like several of them - the Elantra for mileage potential, the VW TDi for ultimate mileage, the Audi for looks, the FEH for technological mileage potential. My bottom line is usually the cheapest car with mileage potential, since cars are basic transportation to get me from point A to point B. The rest of my money is better spent on other things. Your priorities may be different.

Thanks - I find those are pretty much my priorities as well, which is why I liked the Elantra so much. It was cheap, but didn't feel cheap.

I hear they're coming with another hatchback next year, but it will be the boxy style, not the fastback coupe style, more like the current Kia Spectra5, which may also be added to my list.

-Raj

[Right Lane Cruiser]

Oh man. That hurt just looking at it!!

[peacefrog_0521]

Originally Posted by Right Lane Cruiser

Oh man. That hurt just looking at it!!

Thanks - just when I was getting ready to trade notes with you on your Elantra, too...
:-(

[Right Lane Cruiser]

Originally Posted by peacefrog_0521

Thanks - just when I was getting ready to trade notes with you on your Elantra, too...

Raj, the stick shift model is worth some really nice numbers if you are willing to work for it and even though the quality is good, Hyundai is still undervalued. Another used model meeting your approval shouldn't be too hard to locate?

I can understand your distaste for Toyota, but do at least test drive one. You should at least be fully aware of what you are rejecting if you don't want to own one.

The HCH is a very nice vehicle but it is WAY happy on the assist algorithms around town -- this is bad for FE. It is a monster out on the highway, though.

You might also consider the 5MT Yaris -- I fit (at 6'5") just fine in Brian's (Bailout's) last February and though having the gauge cluster in the center of the dash is weird, it wasn't hard to get used to. You can center a SG in front of the wheel and have most of what you need in the traditional place that way. It has some really nice potential but I don't know what your chances of finding one with a sunroof are...

[peacefrog_0521]

Originally Posted by Right Lane Cruiser

Raj, the stick shift model is worth some really nice numbers if you are willing to work for it and even though the quality is good, Hyundai is still undervalued. Another used model meeting your approval shouldn't be too hard to locate?

I can understand your distaste for Toyota, but do at least test drive one. You should at least be fully aware of what you are rejecting if you don't want to own one.

The HCH is a very nice vehicle but it is WAY happy on the assist algorithms around town -- this is bad for FE. It is a monster out on the highway, though.

You might also consider the 5MT Yaris -- I fit (at 6'5") just fine in Brian's (Bailout's) last February and though having the gauge cluster in the center of the dash is weird, it wasn't hard to get used to. You can center a SG in front of the wheel and have most of what you need in the traditional place that way. It has some really nice potential but I don't know what your chances of finding one with a sunroof are...

Thanks. I also agree the Hyundai is WAY undervalued; I've been highly impressed with those I've driven in the past as rentals. I had an Accent while staying in Mexico on business for a couple months that I beat to all hell on Mexico roads, including over railroad tracks (they are not as well-maintained as US railroads, which are already pretty bad). It never groaned or complained.

I'll consider Toyotas; however our experience with Toyota vehicles has been less than stellar. My dad's old Corolla had multiple problems, and my mom's new Matrix is noisy and has a very harsh ride. (Of course, he has a Buick.)

As for the company itself, well, I also interviewed with Hyundai in Alabama some years ago and had much the same experience. Yet I'd buy and drive another Hyundai with little reservation. So maybe it's just me.

I have definitely looked for other 2001-2006 Elantra GT's and found a few, including locally, with everything I want (including ABS this time !!!).

I also drive a 2006 HCH yesterday (the 2005 I saw listed was already sold), and I wasn't impressed with it for FE, I got mid-20's. It never shut down the ICE for some reason, even in low-speed stop-and-go traffic. I think the reasons you mentioned may be why - not to mention it was "cold enough to freeze the nuts off a Jeep". That probably meant the battery needed to warm up, and I never got a chance to take it on the highway.

[brick]

If it makes you feel any better, I witnessed an accident under similar circumstances to yours this past summer. Someone was driving along in a new-ish Highlander in the right lane and came up on some old pickup that might have been parked for real. By the time the driver saw it he/she didn't even have time to swerve. The impact probably took place at 60 and both cars ended up in the middle of the road with the rest of us scrambling to split the uprights. Long story short, these things happen. Glad you weren't hurt!

[Skwyre7]

A slow-moving car on the interstate? Darn those hypermilers!

Seriously, I'm glad you weren't hurt!

[phoebeisis]

Glad it worked out OK.You might consider a Prius. If all the talk about the oversupply of Prius is true, maybe you can get an invoice price on one- maybe under $22000 or so reasonably equipped.
I haven't noticed anyone bragging about how cheaply they got their Prius, but most folks here have already bought their car- and they are frugal types, so they don't switch cars very often.

Well, just a thought if you are considering the VW TDIs-same price range. I'm really curious to see if the Toyota dealers are coming off their usual rip off prices.
Luck,
Charlie