On a recent wet day I took a turn too fast and the car skidded hard against a curb, resulting in a bent rear axle (yes, i hit that curb very hard). Mechanic said I can still drive it for a month (longer if I'm really easy on it) but I'll have to get it fixed or get a new car.
The car is a 2001 Toyota Prius; KBB values it at about $3500; it would cost $2500 to fix. It averages about 35 miles per gallon. I drive to work 5 times a week, about 9 miles each direction. If I get another car, I'd like it to be a hybrid, so about $15k price tag. But we have the savings to do that.
My wife is concerned that if we stick with the car, something else wrong will come up. But this car runs well at the end of the day and I fear we could get problems, even with a more recent model.