Really miss my Suzuki SX4 that recently got totaled. Would it be a terrible idea to get another one?
Long story short, got rammed at a stop sign recently and the person-who-hit-me’s insurance company decided that my car was worth ~$600 less than what the body shop said it would take to fix. Therefore, they decided to total it. Currently waiting on a check from them to buy a new car. I always buy older and outright; financing isn’t an option.
My mechanic, a friend of a friend, is heavily suggesting I get a 2010’s Toyota. He’s been helping me look online for almost a week now, but with limited luck.
The thing is, I *loved* my car. It was a 2009 Suzuki SX4 and, while it wasn’t perfect, it was great in the snow (I live in PA), great for hauling stuff (was even able to tow my partner’s early 90’s Ford F150 out of a snowbank a few winters ago), and super practical to park anywhere. It was going to need some work to pass inspection this year, but I’ve already started saving to put money into to keep it going forever.
The other thing is, I know Suzuki doesn’t deal car parts to the US or Canada anymore, which is a problem. My mechanic and his business partner suggested i steer away from getting another one for this reason, but I can’t find much of anything that I actually want for either personal or work (I do catering) purposes.
I found a low-miles, later model SX4 for sale online last night that I could buy with about half of the check that I’m getting, so could squirrel that money away for later repairs.
Basically what I need to hear though is: is it worth it to buy another of what is basically my dream car or do I need to give up and move on due to the limited parts availability?