Riu

About 6-9 months ago my mom was in search of a new car. She owned a Jag S-Type 4.0 V8. The warranty was up and she knew that if this was not covered it would cost her a lot of money. The car was always haveing a problem. But thats Jag for you. So I thought of a great plan and it worked just the way I wanted it to. I showed her the Acura TL and she did not think it was sporty enought for her. (WTF!?) She was even considering a Jag x type beacuse it had AWD and she liked that for the snow. She had trouble with the RWD of the S-Tpe in the snow. OK so back to the story, my dad was pushing the Lexus ES 330 on her and they were about to buy it before i made my last attempt. I said how about we go test Drive the TL just to see. We tested it and my dad loved it and thought it was worth buying. My mom was not so exited but she went along with it. You could see that the day she got it, she was not so happy with it. it just was not her look. Im 17 and getting ready to head off to collage and I knew i would be needing a car. So i suggested that she get a new car and I take the TL with me to school. IT WORKED. My mom went out and did some shopping and bought a 2006 Lexus GS 300 AWD and I get a the TL as my first car. I think that plan worked out perfectly.

What was your first car and if there was a story I want to hear it.

caball88

ummm my first car was a 1990 240sx 5MT. i worked after school part time(for about a year) to save money for it. it cost me 3250 for the car and it had 102K miles on it. there was no abs, no air conditioning. radio did not work and was the worse car to drive in any sort of bad weather. your pretty lucky to have your parents basically buy you a car. i never thought about coming up with a plan to get my parents to buy me a car, i figure things are most appreciated when they are earned. well that is just my opinion. enjoy your new TL.

KJSmitty

I agree, most of us in the real world worked two jobs and drove the family truckster until we could afford something we could call our own. And I guarantee it didn't cost $35K. My first car cost $4800 and I was extremely thankful my dad cosigned for "my" loan. The other bonus was he paid for my insurance until I was out of High School and working full time. But that was also given no speeding tickets and/or careless driving..... Of course I also had two jobs putting myself through college. All while making a car payment..
My parents could have easily paid for our cars but knew they would be taken care of and appreciated more if we were making the payments etc. Not slamming any of you youngsters that are fortunate to be given a new car, but admit to this day I still frown on the thought and feel it teaches you little.

I'm sure this thread will result in some interesting comments

mickey3c

My first car... lol An AMX javelin with the 401 motor... How many of you remember those...

TampaMike

How about a 1970 Mustang Mach 1 with a 351 Cleveland? As much as the new Mustang is sooooo reminiscent of that '69-'70 Mustang, Ford interiors are still made by Rubbermaid.

ludachrisvt

iTrader: (2)

1989 Nissan Stanza ... tranny died in about 3000 -5000 miles

EpiK

I bought a 1979 Chevy Camaro 305/4spd from my uncle in 1985 for $2400 - money I earned working at a record store after school. I could never imagine trying to get my parents to buy or give me a car. I don't see how you can feel good about it, or feel you've earned it in some way...

Wow, I must be getting old when I begin to think: "Kids these days..."

1995hoo

My first car was a 1977 Ford Granada; bought it for $325 from a guy at my father's office. Small hole in the trunk was filled with Bondo, and the window gaskets weren't in great shape, so during the winter we had to scrape both the outside AND inside of the windshield. Hardly a sporty or even remotely cool car--it was a real dinosaur, but it was good for someone 16 years old in that you couldn't really try to whip it around corners or do any of the stupid things that get so many high school kids in trouble.

My parents were adamant that if I wanted a car, I would have to buy my own, because they felt that if I put my own money into the car I'd be more likely to take care of it. Of course I resented it at the time when many other kids were given cars, but in retrospect my parents were probably right to do it that way because I've been religious about car maintenance ever since.

Treblig

1975 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, Black over Saddle, factory direct purchase.

Expymom

My 1st car was a black 1979 Monte Carlo with red interior that my parents found real cheap and gave to me. Hated the car, but it was better than the baby blue 1976 Olds Cutlass with white interior (parents work car) I had been relegated to driving.


I had no stake in buying the Monte Carlo, but if I hadn't have worked for gas and insurance $$, that car wouldn't have moved an inch.

damats

Can't complain, I got my parents first model year outback when I left for college. Never had a single problem with it and kept it until this October when I bought my TL. The subaru lasted 107k miles, 9 years, and I got 5k when I sold it. Although I love my new TL, it was kinda sad to see my station wagon go... but I've gotten over it.

chill_dog

1989 Ford Probe, $6k. Car was in great shape when I bought it. Dad got a loan that I paid. Worked as a dishwasher in a restaurant to pay for it. I wanted my parents to get me a car like everyone else, but like 1995hoo, they said you want it, you get it. Had to pay for gas, insurance, maintenance, everything.

narnia

My first car was a '69 Volkswagen Type 3 Fastback in a deep royal blue. The car only came in 2 colors that year, blue and - orange! I really wanted the Karmann Ghia but it was too small.

The Fastback was a 2-door coupe produced from '62 to '73. It was an awesome car. Up until a few years ago I would still see one on the road every once in a while.

It cost $3,000 new, and I was paying 25 cents for gas back then. Those were the days!

Dumont

Hi all,

My first car was a 86 FIAT Uno 5 MT (was 1988 and I was living in Brazil).

2nd was a 1987 Mercury Merkur XR4Ti 5 MT (back in the USA 1990) great car for it's time and still has a cult following, unfortunately it needed too much up keep. If I had the money would of held on to it but...

3rd 1999 Maxima (in 1999 my first brand new car - not counting any of my wife's cars 1988 Taurus wagon LX used, 1997 Honda Civic LX new, 2000 Honda Accord SE new, 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander XLS new, 2004 Nissan Murano SL new - all AT)

4th 2002 Altima S 5 MT (in 2002 - big regret I didn't get the 6 cyclinder)

5th 2005 TL with Navi 5AT

Dumont

Brewmaster

'72 Dodge Dart, 4 door, brown on brown, 225 slant 6. with something like 54K miles on it. The only option was the check engine light that perpetually came on at idle.

It had air shocks on the back for towing a trailer but every dork out there thought I had the 340 'cause I had it jacked up ...

Paid my uncle a case of heineken for that car ... he got the better end of the deal. I paid for gas until I got out of high school, then worked during college for gas and insurance.

Believe me ... you won't appreciate the true meaning of a car like the TL 'til you've been down that road!!!

lrvace

Sure, my parents hooked me up too........With an '84 oldsmobile station wagon, broken radio, boombox on the floor and left me stranded twice. Total pimp-mobile...lol

ndx2

mine was a 01 eclipse gt, which was my 17th birthday present - yes, from my parents.

at $26k, i think it was reasonable... at least compared to some of my friends who got 330xi, qx4, range rover, etc.

mrbrett

Mine was a blue 1987 VW GTi, my parents bought it from my uncle in '88 out of pity because he lost his job, and my parents kept it for me until I was till 16 in '95. It was in almost perfect condition (no AC though, int he CA desert), but when your that age you don't appreciate anything... I ran that car into the ground. I rear ended my friend because we were in a hurry while trying to ditch school, my car was fine, his bumber was tweaked, and we still sucessfully ditched. One time, I pulled out of my highschool parking lot and smashed into a ford escort and totalled the Ford. My tough little german car... I just had to replace the fender. Of course I was piss poor so I went to the junk yard and could only find a Jetta with a beige fender and made do of it. Then I was at a party and left the sun roof open and someone put a hose in the car and filled it with water (huge fight broke out because of it)... although the car was fine just smelled funny after it dried it out, and then some chick that was mad at me poored honey all over my car. I deserved all of it though... I was a little bastard in highschool...

Right after highschool my mother became seriously ill, and I grew up really fast because of it.

My second car was my parents 96 Camry, fully loaded with the cheesy gold pakage, such a difference though, bought it from them for 10 grand in 2000.

My third was 2002 RSX-S - First brand new car - I still miss that car...

My fourth is my TL - love everything about it, except for its annoying rattles.

TLyoung'un

First car... 2000 Hyundai Elantra bought used with 52,000 miles for $4300


Look at that beauty... and it was all mine
Within the first month I had to replace brake pads, transmission fluid, tires, air filter, spark plugs, and spark plug wires
and one of the seat belts malfunctioned and the right rear passenger side power window failed on me....

But I loved it all because it was my first car

IkeaBoy

1st car was a 2000 Accord SE Sedan at 17 years old, then a 2002 Accord SE Coupe at 18, now an '05 TL at 20.

Papaman677

My first car was a 1988 Mustang GT Conv. Was an awesome car to have as a senior in HS especially when the weather got nice. The car had 70K when I got it in 1995. The breaks sucked, sometimes I thought I wouldn't stop, they were like a rock, if I left the fog lights on for too long all the exterior lights would start flashing on and off, then my heater core went and had anit-freeze all over the front carpets. Got rid of that and got a 1991 Pontiac Grand Prix SE w/32K. Car was like new and was great in the beginning. Then every 30K I put on the car everything would break down like clockwork. After that I refused to buy another GM or Ford product. too many problems and resale sucks ass. Now I have a 99 Integra w/120K on it. Only work I had to do to it was 1 set of breaks, at 94K, oil changes and tires. Still on original clutch which holds strong. Only problem I have is my drivers window struggles to get up. Next on my list it the TL. Hopefully it'll hold up just as well as my integra has.

carguyrob

My first car was a 1976 MG Midget convertible (purchased in 1985). My grandfather actually bought the car and then retored it (sort of...mostly paint) and then I bought it from him for $1500, money I earned from a P/T job after school. The car was a complete POS. It barely ran and would die if I drove through a puddle.

I had that car six months and then sold it when the rack and pinion steering was going. The people that bought it had to push it down a hill and pop the clutch to get the car started. They bought it anyway! Good riddens!

TexasCatfish

I drove my brother's '71 Dodge Dart for the year he was in school out of town and couldn't have a car on campus.

The first car I bought was a '76 Buick Century. My payment was $93 a month for 18 months, and the insurance was not bad until I started collecting tickets. The Century was the uglier slower Cutlass Supreme. It had a 6 cylinder that was a total POS. Couldn't turn the tires over unless I was on ice or snow. However, I did get it airborne once going across some railroad tracks that were on an uphill approach. Of course that was to impress a girl, and all it did was scare the s*&% out of her.

My first decent car was a '91 Eagle Talon TSI. I bought it right after I secured a good job after college. It had a turbo charged 2.0 liter engine, and second gear was a blast. If you want to experience torque steer, drive the Talon with turbo. Everytime I got new tires, I had to be careful with the fast starts.

good times....

03SSMTL-S

1974 vw superbeetle, top speed 74 mph downhill with the wind pushing, but it was great on gas, ran like crap in the winter, and always had a great odor of exhaust fumes and gasoline.

my first decent car was a 91 civic si, bought in 1995 with 50,000 mi sold in 2004 with 170,000 mi great car, fun to drive, great on gas, no major problems (just cv shafts, timing belts ,and tune ups) sold it to get 03 TL-S

05ACURATL

1st: 89 HONDA CRX SI

2nd: 94 HONDA PRELUDE SI

3RD: 95 CIVIC EX COUPE

4TH: 97 HONDA CIVIC EX COUPE

5TH: 99 HONDA CIVIC SI

6TH: 01 ACURA CL TYPE S

7TH: 05 ACURA TL

being 21 i think i went trough a lot of cars...

SilverQuartzTL

1 1986 Jeep Commanche $3,750
2 1963 Ford Econoline Van $ 750
3 1982 Volvo 240 GL $2,150
4 1963 Ford Falcon $1,200
5 1966 Ford Fairlane $350
6 1965 Ford Galaxie $800
7 1995 Acura Integra $10,000
8 1968 Chevy C20 Pickup FREE
9 2005 Acura TL more than all the others combined!

Punk kids that drive nice cars make me angry mainly because I'm jealous. I had to work hard for the cars I drove and I had to work hard for the fuel they consumed driving my rear to and from work. I did all the repairs (and there were a LOT of them). I worked in high school, I worked through college. Having done that I can without a doubt say that my kid will be purchasing his or her own car. That's how you learn the value of what you have!

TampaMike

I had a '91 Eagle Talon TSi also (white / black with white rims & graphite interior). I loved that car, and I believe my FWD / Torque steer experience with the Talon made the FWD on the TL a very minor issue when deciding on the TL FWD configuration. Now I know this comment will draw a TON of assaulting comments, but my intial drive in the TL reminded me of the Talon. Of course I had been driving an SUV for 8 years so ANY car migh have reminded me of the Talon!

srhewes

This is a trip down memory lane... My first car was a '67 Pontiac LeMans. 2-door in tan/gold with a black vinyl roof. Pretty sharp looking when clean. Had a 326 cubic inch engine (it may be been on a side emblem). Interior was tan/black. Automatic on the console. It was fairly long and sleek-looking. Had to roll down the windows using the knob. Only AM/FM radio (no stereo). Did have a "3rd party" cassette player under the driver seat to play those wonderful 8-track albums. The trunk was huge (got at least 3 guys in the trunk to get into the drive-in movies free along with enough "beverages" on ice).

Follow-up cars:
'78 Chevy Monza hatchback
'80 Chevy Chevette hatchback (added A/C when we moved to TX)
'83 Bonneville (now a 2-car family)
'86 Chevy Cavalier
'89 Plymouth Voyager (guess when the kids came along??)
'92 Pontiac Grand Am
'97 Chrysler Town & Country
'92 Accord (after my daughter totalled the 92 Grand Am)
'96 Accord (son now drives)

Looks like a lot of cars, but the dang things just don't last forever -- especially when the kids start driving (of course you try to buy them the safest "beater" when they're in high school).

My daughter (in DC) now drives an '05 TSX and loves it. My son is in college and his eyes on my TL (he's assuming I'll get tired of it -- maybe. eventually).

Xerxes480

79 Dodge Diplomat....big, ugly and already used up when I got it. But hey, at 16 any car was better than none. Given to me but had to work through high school to pay for gas and insurance. Went through 2 starters, a transmission and 2 rear ends - but it got me through college. Suprisingly no engine problems...that old 318 was still going strong at 160k, but the rest of the car was falling part. Sold for $400 when I graduated college and got a "real" job (and a new car).

-X-

faxmonkey

'73 Mercury Cougaar RX7 (Graduation present in '88).

Wish I still had it.

SouthernBoy

Oh boy.. here goes.

My first car was a brand new 1964 Corvair Spyder, maroon with black interior. The Spyders were turbocharged for those of you who may be not-knowing. I agonized over it and a 1964 Pontiac Tempest LeMans with the GTO option package (remember, Pontaic didn't make any actual GTOs as a distinct model until 1966, but no one who knew anything cared about that).

I proceeded to modify it a bit (with my VERY limited knowledge at the time) all the way up to installing a Carter 6 1/2" AFB 4-barrel carburetor. Too much airflow for a 164 cubic inch engine. But with the after market 2-barrel Stomberg and packing the exhaust pipes with Air Research fiberglass and heavy aluminum foil, it managed a 15.44 E.T. and 89.79 MPH.

Basically, I tore the thing up because Corvairs were not built to handle the rigors of drag racing.

Now my next car is a different matter entirely. In March, 1966, I ordered a '66 Chevelle SS 396 with the L34 360 HP engine and a bunch of other nice little goodies (by then I had learned a thing or two). That car was a whole different animal and was more than enough competition for the local GTOs, among others.

Ah yes.. those were really cool times.

TLVR

This brings back memories!! My first car was a classic-1955 Austin Healey 100-4.
I was a student in 1966 and my Hollywood producer friend had just bought himself a brand new Jag XKE. The Healey became an errand car for the office and when I asked him to sell it to me he took pity on me and let me make 4 payment of $100 since he really did not need to make a killing. A great underpowered, sturdy car with the dreaded Lucas electrical demons. But the convertible was o soo cool, especially with that windshield which could be laid way down to reduce drag!! Had those Amstrong oil filled shocks although it rode always rockhard.Had a 3 speed with an electric overdrive which would often kick out and throw the tranny back in 3rd- redlining all the way. And 3 SU carburators which you had to synchronize. What a time. Sold it a year later, the phone did not stop ringing for a week since it had become a collectors item in CA.

Greg S

1978 Olds Cutlass Supreme, Black inside and out. Parents made me repaint the outside tan so that I would be more visible. I'll admit that they paid for it, but it wasn't new, this was in 1986 when I turned 16. Car only lasted 8 months though, it threw a rod on the 8th cylinder on the way home one night. Still did 55 on 7 cylinders .

Next was a 1987 Honda Civic Wagon, again bought for me. You have to understand that my high school was 35 miles from my house and not having a car meant that my parents had to either drive me to school or get me to the bus stop, 10 miles away, for a 5:30 am bus ride as I had classes before school. It was pretty close to a neccesity rather than a luxury, but I still appreciated it.

Kept that car till 1989 when I bought a Mistubishi Eclipse GS. My parents sold the car to a neighbor, and no they didn't give me anyof the money from it. For my 21st birthday in 1991 they did pay off the remaining amount of the loan so I had that car free and clear untill I bought a 1994 Mazda MX-6 LS.

Kept it until 2002 when a changing lifestyle, read wife and one child at the time, made a two door modified with in one inch of legality sports car a little impractical. So I ended up with a 2002 Isuzu Rodeo S, 2.2l 5MT. Weakest POS I've ever had but it worked great for hauling around me, the wife, now two kids and all the assorted stuff that goes along with that.

Now looking at a 2005 TL 6MT as the kids are now old enough not to need the big child seats.

In between the wife had to sell her 1997 Acura Integra GSR for a 2003 Mazda Protege5 with the birth of the second child as she couldn't deal with two child seats and a two door sports car.


I can see how many people don't like the idea of parents buying car for their kids, but if you have the money for it and plan for it then why not. This way they have a safe car to drive and the don't have to end up not appreciating it. I always did and tried to save money by learning how to work on my own cars, also I just don't trust most dealer mechanics as every time I ever had a car worked on at a dealer it had to go back to be fixed right.

GUMP

damn, i worked in high school and college and still didn't have my own car until my jr. year in college. in the meantime, i shared my dad's pos cars he bought every 3 or 4 years (not to mention countless rides on public transit). first one was a 80's something mercury monarch, then an 85 chevy celebrity. both were crap. but i used to get up early to take him to work. i would go to school, then pick him up from work, then i would go to work. everyday, 5 days a week, not to mention those dreaded retail weekend hours. he did eventually help me buy my first official car...a 87 plymouth sundance that smelled like something died inside of it. my first real brand new car was my 95 integra, then 2000 accord coupe, now the tl

kid, i hope you have a job!

rcktman

1st- 1974 Ford Granada. Total POS. $400. Threw #1 connecting rod cap after about a year. Sold it to a neighbor for $200 who fixed it and kept driving it for a while.
2nd - 1981 Mazda RX-7 GS. $3995. Fun car, but lost it on ice and hit a bridge railing.
3rd - 1982 Mazda RX-7 GSL. $3650. Similar to #2, eventually put on header and Mikuni sidedraft carbs. Would almost run with my friends Mustang GT. Went through a couple of rotary engines on this one. Eventually sold it for about $2200.
4th - 1990 Kawasaki EX500. $3500. This was my only set of wheels for a while. Sold it when I decided I needed a faster bike.
5th - 1991 Honda CBR600F2. $3750. Way fun bike. Still have it.
6th - 1977 Chevy 1/2 ton cargo van. $1100. Used it to haul my bikes around, etc. Drove it for several years and sold for $900.
7th - 1988 Honda CRX Si. $4400. This was a really fun car. I still miss it. Decided I needed something with more than two seats. Sold it after several years and about 50K miles for $4000.
8th - 1994 Honda Civic EX Coupe. $9995. Ran the wheels of this one. Probably the best car I ever had. Only had to change one CV joint and an 02 sensor, ever. Eventually sold it to a buddy for $4000 with about 140K miles on it. Was up around 160K+ when his wife hit a deer and pretty much wiped it out. Still ran great, just not economical to fix.
9th - 2003 Honda Accord EX V6. $24K. This was the first new car I ever bought (not counting ones for my wife). I really liked this car, but I wanted the TL from the moment I first saw one. And eventually..........................
10th - 2005 TL. $31K. I love this car. It's awesome. So far have almost 5K miles on it.

Bought them all with my own hard-earned money. I don't plan to buy cars for any of my kids, either.

cbrf2racer

BG74

Mine was an '85 Mustang GT that I bought in 1992 for $4500. I still miss that car...uncomfortable, rattled, SUCKED in the winter, but FAST as all hell.

I traded it for a '94 Civic EX Coupe; nice but boring.

Then:
'90 Miata....fun car, but impractical
'89 Ford Probe GT Turbo....loved it
'86 Mazda 626 GT Turbo....OK
'91 Civic Si....OK
'91 Accord EX...great car
'95 VW Jetta....really great car
'99 VW Jetta....OK
'90 BMW 735iL....nice but REALLY expensive to fix
'02 Audi A4 Quattro...POS
'97 Grand Cherokee...POS
'04 Mazda 6...fantastic car

and in a few weeks...
'05 Acura TL...I've never been so excited about a car..time will tell i guess

msr1011

1. 1974 Mercedes Benz 200D/Gray market 4cyl diesel/no a/c in Las Vegas

2. 1988 Isuzu mini-truck/typical early 90's mini-truck slammed and 15in wheels (i thought that i was the *hit with the 15's)

3. 1990 Honda Accord DX/best damn car i ever owned and i regret getting rid of it.

4. 1998 Ford Expedition/it was the wife's until she bought a p.o.s. 03 Accord LX V-6 (traded in for the TL).

5. 04 Toyota Tundra Double Cab/love it except for the lack of horsepower and crappy gas mileage.

6. 05 TL is my wifes..........

7. new addition..1988 Honda Prelude/work to home vehicle because gas prices are now costing me over $50 a week for the truck

gmsmith1

1. At 16 years old - 1990 Honda Civic Hatchback (actually my parents' car, but I drove it around).

2. At 18 years old - 1992 Nissan 240sx - had this car for 3 weeks, didn't even make a payment on it, drove it under a transport truck and totalled it (technically my first car).

3. At 19 years old - 1995 Nissan 240sx - best car ever - there were all kinds of problems with the engine that I couldn't afford to fix, so I just kept driving it anyways, and it never once broke down on me. In the end, it had a lot of problems, and I donated it to the seeing eye dogs.

4. My first new car - at 25 years-old - 2002 Honda Civic EX 2dr - okay car, a little bit of a step down from my 240.

5. And now - at 28 years-old - my dream car - 2005 TL.

1995hoo

Hmm, in my first post I had only listed my first car per the question. Here's the whole list:

1) 1977 Ford Granada--bought for $325. Fine for a high school student, but it had its issues. Fan belts from HELL--they squealed like crazy. Use to buy Belt-Ease by the case to try to quiet the noise (usually without success). Drank power steering fluid, too. Front of the car got hit by a tractor-trailer driver who got lost and drove down my parents' cul-de-sac, so I got a paint job out of it when we fixed the front bumper and the dent in the side. Sold the car to my younger brother for $400 when I bought car #2....

2) ....which was a 1982 Honda Accord with the 5-speed and about 110,000 miles on it. Bought it from my father for $500 in March 1991 when he bought a new 1991 Accord after we got stranded in Somerset, PA, on a trip to Seven Springs with the Boy Scouts. The problem wasn't the car--it was bad gas--but he felt that he needed to be sure he had a reliable car and he wasn't sure the Accord was up for road trips anymore. I bought it and promptly drove it all over the place in college, including down to Jacksonville on a Gator Bowl trip. Had to get rid of it in July 1995 when it failed the state safety inspection due to too much rust on the undercarriage from snowy winters. The car had about 157,000 miles on it and I was sad to see it go--it was a great little car and was like a fine Bordeaux in that it kept getting better and better.

3) 1986 Acura Legend--got it in July 1995; my parents paid for this one as a college graduation present (a change from their policy when I was in high school, because they said that I had shown that I would take car of my cars). It had 111,000 miles when I bought it and I drove it until August 1999, when it had 178,000 miles. It was still going strong, but the car started having more and more parts wear out that proved expensive to replace, so I decided that I would rather spend the money on car payments than on repairs. The final straw came one Friday when the master clutch cylinder failed on my way to court to argue a motion--after that, I said the time had come.

4) 1997 Honda Accord EX--bought this used off a lease (21,000 miles) in August 1999 to replace the Legend. It was a great car, a ton of fun to drive and incredibly reliable. Unfortunately, it seemed to be cursed. I had owned the car less than a month when an Indian woman rear-ended me at a traffic light (I was fourth in line at the red light, it turned green as she was approaching, and she didn't bother to notice that there were four cars only just beginning to move). Got it fixed and drove it all over the place for the next five years, until August 11, 2004, when I was stopped at a light driving home from work and an 18-year-old in a Volvo slammed into the back of me at full speed. The car had 99,016 miles on it and the damage was just over $7,000, so the insurance companies declared it a total loss. I was really depressed to see that happen, but in the end it made it easier, since it was the second rear-ending and I would not have kept the car after that. I got almost the full $7,000 from insurance (less the $204 final payment I owed on the loan), so that's a lot better than I ever could have done otherwise.

5) 2004 Acura TL--bought it a week after the accident; the insurance payment was a chunk of the down payment.


Been thinking about buying a used SUV such as a CR-V or a Ford Explorer, or a used Saab 9-5 wagon, if I can find any of these in the $7,000 range, to be used for football tailgating trips and as a "crap-mobile" for hauling stuff around (trips to the Home Depot for mulch, etc.). Haven't done it because I haven't been motivated and because the crap-mobile would be parked around the corner and exposed to the elements (I have a one-car garage).

aw1

The first car I ever bought was a used 87 Acura Integra Special Edition Coupe 5 speed. Great car. Bought it from my brother in law for $1000 bucks. It had 110k on it when I bought it and it never gave me any problems.

Second car was a 2000 Accord Cpe V6. Trade it in for... 2005 TL (3rd car)