Warning! This is a high-volume ping list.
Im a big fan of the 1-3 yr old used, less than 30K miles buy. But if there was ever a time to buy new its now. Specially ifn you want to buy merican. You can walk into a GM showroom, roll a bowling ball and never hit an employee. Take the sticker and waive 75% in their faces, then start walking towards the door. Commit to owning it for 5 years, get a top of the line sedan,,,Caddy, Bonneville, Impala, sumtin....
The wreck doesn't look that bad. Mostly side damage. The left side tires are straight and there doesn't look to be frame damage. That's probably 3-4k in repairs which is a reasonable offer. I can't believe the insurance company would offer less for your car. They seem to be scamming you.
Was the body shop provided BY the insurance company?
Carmax is the way to go. Got my car with them about a month and a half ago.
www.edmunds.com is a really good tool for not getting ripped off. I bought an 05 Suburban for a lot less than list this year, so you really might want to look at new. If you are upside down on your Grand Prix, you might get that wrapped up into a new ride and not be upside down anymore.
what part of the country is this taking place in?....
My first piece of advice would be to make sure you take your time and not rush into and purchase the first thing you see. Now you may not have a lot of time due to needing transportation but if you do take the time and do some detailed comparison shopping.
Sometimes you can buy your vehicle back from the insurance company for a small fee and have it repaired at your body shop of choice. But that is going to require you to make sure you have a repairable vehicle at a price you want to pay.
Who is trying to settle with you? If it is the other fellow's insurance company, I would tell them you want to pick out a top quality version of your car and have them pay to buy it. If it is your carrier, I would determine if what they are offering you (?) is all you want to spend.
Car's are relatively underpriced right now and gas costs have people worried. How many miles do you plan to drive per year and how much money over the settlement to you want to go, either out of pocket or by financing.
Look for a Honda Civic or Honda Accord. I've had four Civics (three were leased; my 2005 I bought this past April) and every one of them has been troublefree and reliable. Most of my friends have Hondas or Toyotas and they rave about them.
Most Hondas in the USA are made in Ohio and most Toyotas in the US are made in Kentucky. A lot of Nissans are made in Tennessee.
That car is definately a Total Loss The entire uniside would have to be replaced. That includes the center pillar and rocker and front hinge pillar. Approx 20 hr to replace. Plus the floor is severely damaged. Both of your doors are toast. Who ever said 3-4 k in damages is very wrong. I write estimates for a living. I am an Insurance auto adjuster. That car has a lot of unibody damage. Cars do not have a separate frame, the body is the frame.
Most insurance companies use CCC as the evaluating companies . They have an auto search option. Get The CCC refereance # and call CCC at 1800 621 8070 and have them forward you the dealers and the taking prices for similar cars they have on their database.
GM cars are cheaper than Honda's .Keep away from the Prius. Over priced and not good value.
Great deals new with GM right now 6-7 K under what they were 7 months ago.
Car max does not offer the best value on used cars. That elimanate the negotiating . Go to NADA.com for values of used cars. Kelly is usually inflated. Once you know the value of a car go shopping. Remember dealers in used car are getting them for trade in, so If you offer over that they are still making a profit.