There’s something surreal about walking out to your car, turning the key, hearing the engine still purr and yet being told it’s officially totaled. That’s where I am right now.
A deer and my 2017 Jeep Cherokee had an unfortunate meeting recently. I wish I could say it was a dramatic movie moment collision, but no it was the kind of situation every driver knows too well. One second the road is clear, the next a blur of brown leaps from the brush, and before you can even register it, the damage is done. The Jeep still runs. It still gets me from point A to point B. But the insurance company took one look at the repair estimate and slapped a giant TOTAL LOSS label on it.
The weird thing about modern insurance math is that it has very little to do with the actual functionality of the vehicle. If the repair costs surpass a certain magic ratio of the car’s value, they don’t care if it can still make a cross country road trip they call it totaled.
I didn’t plan on car shopping right now. Nobody does, honestly. Shopping for a new vehicle is the adult version of being thrown into the deep end without floaties. Prices are still ridiculous, interest rates are no joke, and every dealership acts like they’re doing you a favor just by letting you test drive something.
If you have any suggestions for a good SUV let me know.