I’ve written before, very frustrated, about why I can’t get a car worth more than a certain amount, because of annoying rules on the books of what you are allowed to own in order to be eligible for both legal aid, child support through our equivalent of social security when the parent isn’t paying, and scholarships. You both can’t have a savings account nor can your total property be worth more than a certain amount, to be able to get that help.
The car situation that I was in was really frustrating me, because I kept needing to make repairs on my 2008 Chrysler Town and Country, but buying a newer car would put me over the limit of how much I could own.
But after my car stalled 3 times in the middle of the road within the space of two weeks, with massive leaks causing the engine to overheat, and so many parts needing replacing, and then the starter needing to be replaced—and that was a few months after the gearbox needed to be rebuilt—I realized that just within six months I had paid over $4,000 in repairs, when I paid only $7,000 for the car in the first place two years ago.
I was so frustrated and exasperated about the situation, not to mention extremely triggered (you have no idea how much I cried about this and fell apart because it triggered so much of my complex PTSD trauma), that my friend looked up exactly how much property value I was allowed to own and still get help, and it turns out I was wrong. I thought you couldn’t have more than about $8,000 to your name, but it turns out the upper limit is $10,800, which makes a huge difference in terms of what type of car I could own.
I decided that since my car was currently working after those fixes, I would take my time and look slowly for the right car, so I wouldn’t just get the first thing that looked good out of desperation. Once I found the right car, I’d sell my car cheaply, or sell it for parts—but ideally the first. I also knew that I’d be getting a tax refund in a few months, so I would be able to swing it financially more easily.
My criteria for a car was as follows:
I needed to not be injured from the front seat. My pelvis is very problematic from my Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, and especially my glutes after an injury five and a half years ago, and a car that puts all the pressure on the pelvis and glutes when sitting is out of the picture. So cars that have seats that are more at an angle where your bottom is the lowest point—where it feels like you’re sitting in a seat instead of on it—are not remotely ok for me. The seats of the Chrysler Town and Country are great; I feel like I’m sitting on a regular comfortable chair in that car.
I need to have the front seat wide enough for me to comfortably have my arms and legs not squished together. I’m both fat and broad, and in addition to it not being comfortable, sitting without being able to spread out ends up affecting both my pelvis and back (thanks, EDS!), so that was also non-negotiable.
I am tall, so I need to be able to have room for my head to not hit the ceiling when sitting upright. The steering wheel also needs to be adjustable so it isn’t pressing on my lap.
And it had to be 2012 or newer. Both of my previous cars, the one that died after 6 months, and the one that is giving me problems after 2.5 years, were 2008 Chrysler Town and Country minivans. No more 16 year old cars for me.
Then there was the quite important but not absolutely necessary. There should be room in my car for all four of my kids to be able to sit in it comfortably and not be squished. Two of them are 6 feet tall. With our seven-seater there is plenty of room for everyone, but most of the time the entire family isn’t in the car together, so I’m sitting in a big car alone and paying for a lot of gas. Additionally, my oldest, Lee, just bought his own car, so if we go on a trip all together, we can divide up and not all drive in the same car if my kids find all 5 of us together too squishy—especially if it’s for a long drive. Also, my kids have gotten older, so they’re less likely to fight that “she touched me, he’s squishing me” and start hitting each other like they would have three years ago when I bought my first car.
A large trunk was also important for me, but less important than the others, because the trunk was more necessary for me when I was doing regular foraging classes. I’m doing them less frequently now, and since my kids don’t usually come along, there would be room in a smaller trunk. But on trips with the family—like our yearly camping trip—trunk space also matters. With my son having a car, we can divide up our things, so it isn’t as vital.
The mileage couldn’t be more than 175,000, but I preferred under 150,000.
Then, of course, there’s how gas efficient it is. While this is a nice thing, my previous two cars were not, and I was ok with that because they met all the other criteria I needed.
Things like whether it’s a 5 or a 6 or a 7-seater didn’t matter to me.
But most important of all: it had to be under $9,500, since I needed to leave room for the value of my other stuff when calculating how much I was allowed to own.
I plugged all this information into Chat GPT and it spit out a number of car suggestions for me, and then I ran them by my mechanic who nixed ones that he felt weren’t good enough quality and needed too many repairs. My list was down to:
Hyundai Elantra, Suziki Sx4, Mazda 5, and a Kia Soul.
I then asked my Facebook friends for their feedback and canceled the out the Mazda 5 because people told me that both the second and third row of seats were squishy for tall people, and it was also the least fuel efficient, but squishy seats was mainly the deal breaker.
I was perusing the second hand car online listings in my region, looking for those final 3, seeing prices range from $8000-$9500 (and higher) and contacted sellers periodically to ask about the car. They were placed throughout the region, some a 2 hour drive from me, some a bit closer. After looking through pictures and checking out more specs, it seemed that Kia Soul had the best seats for me and would be most comfortable.
But then I saw a Kia Soul in the city closest to me that had a ridiculously low price. It only cost $5425, which is a good $1700 cheaper than my 2008 Town and Country, which I bought with 135,000 km (83,000 miles) on it. It was from 2012 and only had 123,000 km on it (76,000 miles).
I went to check it out the next day, and the guy said many people were coming to check it out. I brought my youngest daughter to come with me, because as the smallest she usually ends up sitting in the middle seat when we’re all together, and she proclaimed it large enough. I told the guy I was interested in buying it after a check at the mechanic, and he asked me when I could do the check, and at that price it probably isn’t even worth the check and I could take him at his word that it’s a reliable car that never breaks down. But I wouldn’t buy a car without a check. He was only available to come get it checked at the mechanic 4 days later and he wouldn’t guarantee me that he wouldn’t sell it to someone before that if someone would buy it without wanting a test.
That’s when I took a gamble.
It was such a good price and so much lower than everything else I’d seen. It had great mileage. It looked in good condition. I thought it would be a good fit for our family. He said it was that price because that was the price according to the official government pricing guide for that car, but he was told off for charging so little when everyone else was charging a lot more for that type of car and he could make more, but he said that once he offered it for the lower price it wouldn’t be fair to raise the price.
So I offered the man a down payment of close to $300. I told him that I’d pay him immediately, and he’d save it for me. That after the test, if I decide not to buy it, he’d pay me back $150. He thought about it and agreed.
When I told some people about it, I got criticized, that he was probably just being a sleazy salesman, and that there was a reason that it was being sold so cheaply. I didn’t agree with them, told them I had a good feeling about it, but at the end of the day it is that much cheaper than the other cars that its worth it for me to take that gamble even if it meant maybe throwing out $150.
Anyhow, at the end of the day, yesterday we got the car checked out.
What repairs does it need?
Nothing immediately, but the battery is a few years old and should be replaced soon, the wheels are a little old and can use replacing, and the windsheild wipers need replacing.
Total of about $200.
Definitely worth the price for that car. My gut instinct was correct.
So we went and did the bank transfer and title ownership yesterday. Then set up the insurance to start today. And in a few hours, I’m going to pick up the car.
I’m really excited.
It’ll also be a change. Figuring out where things are in that car and how to use it best. Going from a 7 seater to a 5 seater.
But I’m looking forward to fewer repair bills. Having parking easier for me. Lower monthly gas bills.
It’s also, in my opinion, an ugly car. But that isn’t what matters.
Anyhow, I just wanted to share the news.
Hopefully soon I’ll finish the post on things you can do to lengthen the life of your car and keep repairs to a minimum.
And now, to sell my old car. I’ll give myself a month for that, and then if I can’t sell it by then, then I’ll just sell it for parts.
Any of you have a Kia Soul? How do you like it? Would you have taken the gamble and put down a down payment like I did?
