We currently own a Volvo, Toyota, Subaru, and VW. While we LOVE our Subaru, we do live where it snows…a lot…and where there are a lot of hills. Having a 4WD car for us is important. But if I lived where it was flat…and less snowy…I wouldn’t get a 4WD car.
Look up Carite. That is where we got our two Camrys. They are located in several different states. Maybe there is one where you live.
Hertz also has preowned vehicles. Several family members have happily purchased cars from them, sometimes when extended warranties.
I tried AAA and Costco for a better price on my Jeep. Neither were good prices but a good tool to use when negotiating a price I got from the local dealer.
AARP (if a member) will give you a discount on your rental. Check with them. I think Avis is a 30% discount.
@sax I think I am too young for AARP but then again I am not sure as I’m in my 40’s. 
U can research cars/pricing on edmunds dot com and kbb dot com. Neighbors love Hondas–they got a great deal on a CR-V just last week–they were also looking at an HR-V. They’ve also owned Hyundai sedans, and have gotten great pricing, and have enjoyed the cars. For Honda CR-V, they bid 3-4 dealers online for cheapest competitive price. I’ve driven a company car for so long I don’t know what I’d buy if I had a choice!
@maystarmom I have no knowledge of Hyundai sedans. That maybe something I need to research.
If you do not mind 3yo cars you can shop for certified used off-lease cars at the dealers.
If you plan to lease - it may be cheaper to lease a luxury car as opposed to a cheap car as their residual value is high.
I have a general question about this situation. Obviously OP lost his/her perfectly functioning car through the fault of other party and was offered a pittance for it. Any additional remedies possible in this situation?
I think the issue is you can have a older care with quite a few miles on it. Car repairs resulting from a crash cost so much that it exceeds the blue book value of the vehicle. So, the insurance company pays you the value of your car, which due to the miles and age, isn’t a whole lot. It sucks because here you had this perfectly usable car where you could likely go on driving it for many, many more miles (well built german manufacturing), yet you now have to buy a new car at much more than you got as an insurance settlement. It’s perfectly kosher on the part of the insurance companies. I don’t think one can do much unless you are willing to pursue some legal recourse for injuries incurred, or something along those lines.
Depending on what state you are in, look into carvana or beepi. DS used beepi and had a beautiful year old civic delivered to his door. Very reasonable $ too. Also check to see what the rental cars are selling for (Hertz, Enterprise, etc) if you comfortable with that.
For $15,000 I would look at certified used cars from a dealer. They are cars that have been traded in or were leased cars, and have been completely checked out and certified as in excellent condition. They include a warrantee. You can find different mileage and years ranging from very low mileage to maybe around 75,000. Once you figure out what kind of car you want, at least look at dealer websites for their certified used cars.
Beepi and carvana certify their cars. And aren’t limited to what is on one’s lot. They get cars from all over and do a very thorough inspection. My DS loves his car.
We bought a 2 year old prius from Hertz and it’s worked out great.
OP, I’m so sorry you’re going through this and hope you’re feeling all better very soon. And good luck figuring out your transportation needs easily.
There are just so many new cars out there that I am not familiar with.
I am thinking a used Honda Civic. (I used to call the BMW and expensive civic anyway)
I like the low maintenance, high mileage, and reliability. It is going to be a commuter car and at most it will just be the two of us sitting in the front. No one there to sit in the back seat.
There is a new car called a “Honda Fit.” Anyone have any experience with that?
I hear great things about Prius. There is Kia and Hyundai but I have no knowledge of those cars.
In my search on Carmax I keyed in Honda, Toyota, under 30,000 miles to see what was available.
Car shopping seems tedious and time consuming. If I find something a few years old then I would be fine.
I am open to suggestions. @jym626 Hadn’t heard of Beepi or Carvana but I will check them out online.
I saw online one car at CarMax available at another location with a free transfer. I wonder if they would transfer it just so that I can test drive the car before making a final decision. If I am able to get a low mileage civic that is a few years old I wouldn’t mind as we also pay a car tax in our state every year. I am not far from DC and between all the construction and traffic the roads are horrendous.
Even though I was found not to be at fault the accident caused a loss for me because I had a well maintained car that I would have driven another 50,000 miles. Now I am getting a check and have to make up the difference on my own. Oh and the tuition bill for fall semester is coming due too. That’s more important to pay first.
We were hoping to take a small vacation before the semester started since it was a very busy summer and now we are dealing with this. At the same time I am very thankful to be safe and sound. I am fortunate in that sense. I saw another very long flat bed truck. (the ones that usually carry those wide loads) and I steered clear from them. I always get nervous when there is a lengthy truck next to me on the road. Unfortunately this truck didn’t see me in his blindspot and dragged my car forward as it hit me on the left side while dragging the right side of the car against the curb.
If anyone finds a Honda Civic a few years old with low mileage at a steal of a price let me know.
@raclut The Hyundai Elantra is equivalent to the Civic compact. Hyundai beats certified used car warranties, as well as most other new car warranties, with their 10-year powertrain warranty on new vehicles. Look at pricing for your zip code at edmunds.com. Most new 2016’s should have cash back/low APR’s now, as dealers are making way for 2017 models. Depending on their 2016 inventory a dealer may deal even lower than the posted deals–these are usually the larger dealerships, sometimes advertised as superstores. You can always have the car serviced closer to home, if you have to travel a bit for a deal. I do love a good used car also: usually my family looks for a lightly driven used car. One question is was the oil changed regularly, whether we’re talking to a dealership or private party–and are the records available? Know some leased cars are returned with very few oil changes. From the daughter of a car family
The Honda Fit is good, but much smaller than the Civic. You may want to look at the Honda HR-V, which falls in between the Fit and the CR-V.
Carmax will transfer a car in just to test drive- no strings attached. If you pick one with a transfer fee, I think that cost is deducted from the price if you purchase the vehicle? We had about 3 vehicles transferred to or local carmax. We didn’t buy any of them…
All very good suggestions. I really appreciate all the advice offered.
I was just checking the beepi website which is very interesting. They claim to have lower prices since they don’t have dealerships. Since there are no showrooms or salespeople the savings is past on to the buyer. Everything is done online and you can return the car in 10 days/ 1000 miles if you are not happy with it. They sell low mileage cars and ship directly to your home. Very interesting website worth checking out. They also offer the option to buy an extended warranty up to 125,000 miles. I was just emailed a car history report for one of the cars I was interested in. It allows you to view the car online 360 degrees as well as the interior. The only thing is that there is no test driving. They inspect and have already test driven the vehicle for you. They emailed me a $100 off coupon for my first purchase. They also buy cars if you are interested in selling your vehicle. They say they can take up to 5 credit cards for your purchase. I am reading the reviews on this company.
The next site I am checking out is Carvana which @jym626 recommended.
Do you have a local mechanic you use and trust who can inspect a used car for you once you’ve narrowed it down? Personally, I think it is wise to get an knowledgable, uninterested party to give you the thumbs up.
@doschicos I have always felt I was overcharged or told to get things repaired that weren’t needed so I haven’t found a mechanic I can trust so far. The number of lightly used civics available for sale seems low.(high demand) Looking online it seems whatever I am interested in needs to be transferred over to a local dealership.
The only time I had a peace of mind is with an extended warranty.