Quote:
Originally Posted by IndyIan
It's all about managing risk, or for some people, pretending that you can't get hurt or killed in a car. With a little older car you can't really fool yourself that you're invincible. Very scary!
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Yup, it's about managing risk. If my commute were straight freeway driving, I'd have no problem in an older car. In my case, however, I have 17 miles of winding uphill/downhill undivided mountain roads. I deal with black ice and snow in the winter, and flatlanders who can't control their cars and spin or swing wide into my lanes year-round. Then I have three intersections where morons run the red at 60+ mph all the time--even though there are cameras at two of them. In my '90 Honda Accord with no airbags, I'm taking on an unnecessary risk, and with a family to support, even moreso than when I was single.
I'm certainly not going to fall for the "you MUST have a giant SUV to be safe" argument (and seeing the head-ons that happen on that mountain, the SUV driver dies just as often as the other guy), but $11k is not out of line for a new 37 mpg rated subcompact made with better materials and methods than in 1990, with front and side airbags and ABS. And since I'd buy new, I'll KNOW it had all of its maintenance done, was broken in properly and will probably last 200,000+ miles.
Again, depends on your situation.
