Just an update on this mess...
After much, much consideration on this, I was planning on selling the car (at a loss), primary for the main reason of "I Just Dont Like It". If I loved the car, I would have wanted to keep it, and not worried about it, or at least not in the sense that I have been. I didn't like the way it drove, I didn't like worrying about it, I didn't like making payments on it.
The plan was to finish getting some increased cash flow, sell it to CarMax at a loss, and then just not have a car for a while. I don't haven any need in my life for a car, I live in a major city with public transit, Zipcar is paid for by work, I bike to work, and there are rental cars for camping trips.
So, welcome to December 30th. A rare occasion that I drove to work, and parked in the public garage next to the office. I leave and go out to the car and the back window is broken. FML - Seriously. Someone broke into the car, pulled down the back seat so they could get into the trunk. Where they stole... NOTHING. I live in the city, I street park, there was NOTHING in the car. Nothing to attract their attention at all, and they got nothing. They also broke into 15 or so other cars in the garage as well.
Anyways, as I said, I street park, so I drove the car to my favorite airport parking lot where they have indoor, secure parking for the night. The next morning I retrieved the car, drove to CarMax and sold the car. I didn't even want to deal with fixing it. I was done.
I sold the car for $5598 less than I owed on it. I pretty much cleaned out my Bank Account / Emergency savings. Car is gone, that is all that matters.
I made 10 payments on this car at 569.07 (5690.70).
I put a down payment on the car of $2000.
So the total I paid for the car was $5598+$5690.70+$2000 = $13288.70
And we are not counting the trade in value of the car I got rid of ($1000)
346 Days I owned this car. $38.41 Per Day.
And we have not counted in
1 - Not my Fault Accident - $500 Deductible
Several Parking tickets
1 - Speeding ticket - $300 or so bucks
1- Oil Change - 85.00
1 - Car Cover - $300
Insurance - Approx $1100
And Just because we are in this for the fun....
I drove the car... 5521 Miles.
Just 5521 Miles
$2.41 per mile. + all the stuff listed above...
I think I learned something here. I hope this helps someone besides myself. But the next time I get the urge to go buy a car, this is the first thing I am going to read.