*Definitely* not good

[mdlbear]

I took the Honda back to the dealer's this morning -- a slightly harrowing drive.  The shop foreman took it for a test drive and pronounced the transmission DOA.  Which leaves me with the intriguing question of whether to pay $3500-$4000 (depending on warranty) for a new transmission, plus the $1000 for service and front brakes that it's going to need in a couple of months, or back away slowly and get a new one.

The hybrid Civic sitting at the dealer's was only about $23K... it's so tempting...  I'd have to put the transmission on a credit card...  My checkbook hurts...

Comments

[johno.livejournal.com]

That was our similar choice last year. $1200+ for breaks that needed $800-1000 a year of service.

Look at it this way. $3-4K is a down payment on a new car that should not need major servicing for several years.

A hybrid (civic/insight/prius) for your commuting and trips with just you & Colleen, will save you lots on fuel* as well.

And you've still got the van for hauling the clan.


* I'm looking at saving $30-50 a month on fuel when we take delivery of our new Prius this week. That covers the extended warranty and regular maintenance contract right there.

Yeah, that's the way the tea-leaves are pointing

[mdlbear]

Unlike the Insight, the Civic is 4-door and appears to have an automatic transmission. It'll be a trifle tight with the four of us, but managable. IIRC the passenger compartment is only a few inches narrower, and there's only slightly less legroom. Most of the length is taken away from the trunk.

Re: Yeah, that's the way the tea-leaves are pointing

[johno.livejournal.com]

Also, I drove a Insight for all an hour in Az after Westercon.

Very tight, very noisy, nearly zero storage space. I remember it being a automatic though.

[jilara.livejournal.com]

Sounds like how I ended up with the current truck. I had already made the pledge that, much as I loved the Jimmy, I wasn't throwing good money after bad if something major went out, the next time. (And by then, it really didn't owe me anything.)