Back on 30 Jan 2004 I posted that my Saturn had finally reached the point at which I had always said I would get a new car… namely, I got a repair estimate for more than the value of the car. It was burning oil and they said it needed some major overhaul or whatnot to fix it. Well, I just added oil more often, and it has been fine for another 2 years and 9 months.

But today I took it in for routine service (way overdue, the last year or so has not been good for those sorts of things) and they say the clutch is barely hanging on and could go at any moment. That’ll be $1100 or so to replace. Plus it needs work on the brakes ($350). Plus a new horn ($100). Plus a new Oxygen sensor ($150), plus the regular routine service ($200). Add taxes and all the other random charges and you are over $2000. Kelley Blue Book gives the value at $1700 or so if it was in “Fair” condition… and of course unless I did all the work listed above, it would not be in “Fair” condition. So “as is” it is worth a lot less than that, if anything at all.

So… looks like the call for now is… fix the brakes (since it could be a safety issue) and do the usual fluid changes and such, but nothing else. I’ll then take the car back and drive it until it stops moving. Then I will buy a new car.

It would be really nice if it could make it until January or so. But the dealerships opinion is that it probably won’t and it is rather lucky it hasn’t died already. But, we’ll see. I’ll drive real gentle like.

It is a 1996 Saturn SL2 with 175000 and change on it. That isn’t a bad life. It did OK.

Every single car I have ever been the primary driver on… with the possible exception of the Toyota Corrolla that got totalled, I don’t remember… died between 175000 and 180000 miles. The 1976 Dodge Colt did. The 89 Ford Taurus did. I don’t remember the Corrolla. I should. But I don’t. I didn’t have that car that long.

Anyway… we’d prefer to wait as long as possible, but I guess we should start car shopping pretty much ASAP and see what is out there in price ranges we are comfortable with.