If you like the car that much, I'd look into the possibility of a 2nd hand panel. Had a look on Ebay and there is a facelifted version of your car (2015-2018) with both rear quarters available for £280 + £100 postage. Not 100% sure, but I'd assume they would fit your car. If not there is a also a breaking pre-facelift car on there, no prices listed for any body panels, but the picture (which covers the o/s rear quarter) doesn't show any bodywork damage.

Sadly, £8 won't go that far in todays market, so maybe better the devil you know applies?

How about a 1.8 Honda Civic up to about 2018. Naturally aspirated,, chain cam and 148 bhp and mid 40’s economy. Magic seats are very handy with dogs and kids. Estates are rarer and pricier than hatchbacks. However if it’s capacity you need rather than height the hatchback has a surprisingly big boot. Same goes for the Octavia..

The main obstacles with the Civic are budget and age. £7k will not buy you a six year old one. However an older Civic could be a good buy especially privately. As long as you avoid 2012 cars which has an uncharacteristic thirst for oil.,

Bar excessive cabin noise, the Avensis is a paragon of reliability and comfort, but it might not be economical to fix.

I looked at what I can get for an absolute maximum of £7k + £1k contingent for sorting things on AutoTrader, and there seems to be a fair selection, so I like the panel’s opinion.

That all depends on what you understand by 'economical'. If the car is otherwise in good shape, it looks much more economical to have it fixed than spend £7-8k replacing it. Let your insurer write the car off, but take a reduced payout and keep the car. Pay your repairer the difference - I'm sure he may be able to trim a little off his full-price estimate for repair. That's what I did eight years ago, and I never regretted it.

I chatted to Aviva about this; they offered a pittance of less than £1700 for the car, which made me think about the economics of it all.

I also attempted to source the part from a reputable online breakers service, which ended in nothing; many of their members/traders declared availability upfront, but when it came down to getting the part, they all called to say it was already sold. It seems like a quarter panel light cluster and paint job will end up similar money to the body shop quote.

I think SWAMBO, the keeper and primary user, is ready for a change after so many years of ownership.

She finds the electric hand brake annoying as it has no hill holding (these were added in 2015 onward, but our's is from 2010), and the lack of parking sensors (only a rear camera) leads to a few prangs.

I wonder about these Octavias on Autotrader; they are four years old and have loads of space; what is the catch? It seems a shorter rig than the Avensis, which is good in my book.

Honda Tourer petrol seems out of budget but has a decent reputation for reliability. It also has a slushbox in the auto, within the kiss principle.

Mazda 6, hardly any in our area and above budget in most cases.

Does the 1.0 in the Octavia need anything special other than service and a cam belt?

Edited by JonestHon on 19/05/2024 at 10:30

I don't know how bad the damage is, but for a 14 year old car, maybe it's best to knock out the panel, replace the rear light cluster and not expect a perfect job, just functional, then keep running it until it's uneconomically viable. That's what I would do, but you've hinted that your partner wants something new and shiny, so I can see your conundrum.

"A rough character went on the rampage"

That's a polite way of putting it.

Interesting development today, seeking help with the nearest Toyota dealer's service departments brought an offer to buy a tail light housing section. I had no idea that this part is separate from the panel itself, (well done Toyota) which, although scratched, is still in one piece with cosmetic but severe dents.

The friendly, knowledgeable lady proposed to replace just that part and deal with the cosmetics as a separate issue.

Part is £128 and a tail light from Denso is about £93.

My local shop says that replacing these parts will get the car road-legal.

I think I'll opt for this for £300 plus VAT and will see her live another day.

Plod called as well, saying the offending nutter is booked for dangerous driving, and she will have her day of justice sometime in the foggy distance. He said keep all the receipts if you seek damages, I confirmed I will and thanked the kind officer.

Interesting development today, seeking help with the nearest Toyota dealer's service departments brought an offer to buy a tail light housing section. I had no idea that this part is separate from the panel itself, (well done Toyota) which, although scratched, is still in one piece with cosmetic but severe dents.

The friendly, knowledgeable lady proposed to replace just that part and deal with the cosmetics as a separate issue.

Part is £128 and a tail light from Denso is about £93.

My local shop says that replacing these parts will get the car road-legal.

I think I'll opt for this for £300 plus VAT and will see her live another day.

Plod called as well, saying the offending nutter is booked for dangerous driving, and she will have her day of justice sometime in the foggy distance. He said keep all the receipts if you seek damages, I confirmed I will and thanked the kind officer.

Sounds like a result,

(though SWMBO might not agree ;-)

I told her about the environmental issue in disposing a working car, she said she will keep calm and carry on! What a gal!