AHHHH! Dilemma!

Ok, to start off, I am by no means a "trust fund baby." I drive two hours home every weekend (each way) in the midst of school to work for my parents. In return, my mom pays for my Integra. It's been in the shop quite a few times and she's sick of paying for things I can't pay for, I guess. (It's in the shop right now.)

Here's the dilemma: Just now, she proposed trading in "my baby" and getting a 2002 Civic EX for me because the APR % is low and there's a warranty. Now I am not one to turn down a new car, but the newer Civics are GROSS and SLOW! (No offense to anyone who has one, I personally don't like anything about it.)

Now I have decided to stop modding my current car so if I got the new car, I wouldn't do anything to it anyway. (Except maybe strap a turbo in there so my mom wouldn't know...) She's really adamant about this trade-in and I hate to tell her "no" after all she's done for me, but I'm really fond of the Teg. I told my neighbor about it (he's also my mechanic) and he thinks it's not a bad idea, but he also said "You're car's really nice."

The decision is all up to me, but my mom likes to give the "silent guilt trip." You know, making you feel bad without actually arguing against you.

What would you guys do?

[ebpda9]

i would see what the hell is wrong with the car that is breaking down so often and see if it can be fixed. usually hondas are known for reliability but i had only problems with mine. it does not go a month without something going out. and if it costs too much then screw it get an RSX or a 2002 2 accord, for the same money as the civic.

[Racing Rice]

What keeps breaking on your Teggy?

[Kyle]

I'd say go for a 2 door v6 accord

[mylittlecivic]

I hate the new body styles and i love teg's so you got me there

[Kyle]

just so you know...being a "trust fund baby" shouldn't be considered a bad thing... wouldn't mind being one

Wow, I didn't think I'd get all these replies so soon.

Right after I posted this, someone from the mechanics shop wanted to buy my car. He hasn't called back, but 1) he sounded kinda shady and 2) I don't really want to sell it anyway. To answer your questions (in outline form...haha):

I) There is nothing really wrong with my car. It usually runs great, actually. I just think I'm terribly unlucky when it comes to all things automobile:
a) One time I was driving behind a pickup truck and I started to get this uneasy feeling. I was about to switch lanes when all of a sudden, a steel-plated front door comes flying out of the bed and straight at me. I jerked the wheel as far right as I could and the corner of the door smashed into the side mirror and fender and slid across the top. (Would have gone through the windshield had I not reacted in time.)
b) Less than a month after I got it serviced at the dealership (*cough* waste of money *cough*), the radiator hose leaked and my car overheated. I was driving in the middle of a big construction zone with absolutely nowhere to pull over. Warped a cylinder or two while driving the engine hot and it was in the shop for a month.
c) Paint started fading on the driver's door and also the side moldings. Got those painted. Twice.
d) I rear-ended one of my best friends (ironically, on our way to a car show) and did frame damage to both cars. Another bit of irony...I didn't get a ticket because I was the fourth car in the accident.
e) At 5:00 in the morning, when I am sleeping! , some kid who lived one street over (who turned down my street to go to work) apparently fell asleep at the wheel and came crashing up onto my driveway through my mailbox and smashed my dad's truck and my rear bumper. In the shop again.
I think there might be a few more things (which can be found on my webpage through my profile, if you care to look), but those are the major ones. There's got to be some bad luck in there somewhere!

II) It was just in the shop a few days ago because the camber kit I ordered was defective only on the front driver's side! I needed a new one, plus an alignment.

III) If I end up trading it in, it WILL NOT be for a Civic. It will most likely be for an Accord LX or non-type-s RSX so I can get the manual transmission and have room for improvements. Plus, that's the only thing that fits in the budget. (The V6 Accord is awesome, but too expensive)

IV) I would SO LOVE to be a trust fund baby!! I started off with that comment because I know many of you pay for your own cars and I didn't want to come off sounding like a spoiled brat or something: I am far from that.

Thanks, and Sorry for making this so long!!

[ebpda9]

nah, that's ok. i have a friend who got a v6 4 door accord right now, fully loaded for $17K. the prices on accords are so low because of the new model to be introduced

[94_AcCoRd_EX]

One thing that stuck out to me is you said you had frame damage in an accident. That would make me sell it.

Check out the new RSX, or maybe an Accord.

After the frame damage, the insurance company gave me about $4000 to fix it. I know it'll never be the same, but the body shop did a decent enough job, I guess.

I'm really leaning towards the Accord. My mom wants to go to the dealership tomorrow morning. Gotta practice the persuasive tactics...

[94_AcCoRd_EX]

The Accords are nice, I think you'd be very happy in one.

[ShEaNy]

*drools*NSX..lol..jfwy....id go with the accord...not that i have one and like em lots....and ya i got the same problem..everything is breaking apart on mine...maybe cause its 11 years old? lol

Originally posted by 94_AcCoRd_EX
The Accords are nice, I think you'd be very happy in one.

My mom used to have a 96 Accord that she let me drive whenever I wanted (I loved that car)...then she got rid of it so she could buy Integras for my brother and me. (His got wrecked three months later and he got a 5th gen Prelude.) I told her to just let me keep the Accord. I don't know what she was thinking.

[Violent Apathy]

Oh when i fust spotted da damn name o' yo' post i thought yo' ass had likes massive diahrrai an' yo' toilet wuz broken o' sump'n.

[94_AcCoRd_EX]

Your bro got a 5g prelude... have you considered one of those?

[ebpda9]

Originally posted by 94_AcCoRd_EX
Your bro got a 5g prelude... have you considered one of those?

nothing is better than a prelude.

I actually went to go buy an electron blue pearl 5th gen Prelude that had been sitting on the lot forever, but it was just sold. I would have definitely gotten that in a heartbeat. But the problem is that my mom won't buy used - only new. It's going to be pretty hard trying to find an undriven one now since they make them anymore.

Ok how about you do this. Get the civic and have it under your name. Then sell the civic behind mama' s back for cash and buy something you like.

Originally posted by Zybach
Ok how about you do this. Get the civic and have it under your name. Then sell the civic behind mama' s back for cash and buy something you like.

That would be a workable plan except for the following:

a) It would be financed and my mom would know that she was paying for a car that I no longer had. I'd have to give her all of the cash.

b) My mom pays for a lot of my expenses with money that comes from thin air (she spoils me and my brothers as much as she can and I don't know how she does it) so the whole "guilt trip" thing falls into play for me.

c) If I tried hard enough, I could probably get something other than the Civic. However, I just got a really good camber kit put in and the handling is exceptional, so I've decided to keep the Integra, and...

d) It's almost ready for the Nopi Nat's on the 20th. Anyone else gonna be there??