Back to One

Because DW and I worked from home, having two vehicles didn't seem particularly practical.

Exactly two weeks after we took delivery on our 2019 Kia Niro, which was supposed to be my replacement for my Ford Focus in commuting me to work, the pandemic started. We were forced to work from home, and so my new Niro and DW's 2012 Honda CR-V stayed parked in the driveway and garage.

We wondered whether we should sell one of the vehicles, but because the Niro was brand new, we knew we'd take a financial hit if we tried to sell it right away. The CR-V was long-ago paid off and still held a lot of its value, but we loved the larger cargo space, where we could throw our bikes, upright, in the back and our kayaks on the roof, and head out on adventures.

When Kid 1 moved out of residence, for her third year at school, she was living in Burlington, which was about an hour away from campus, by public transit, or only 15 minutes by car. DW and I decided to let her use the CR-V to get to and from her school.

The decision was worth it in so many ways, giving us peace of mind that she wouldn't be waiting at a bus stop or GO station, alone, at weird hours. It also gave her more experience on the roads, something she couldn't do because she lived at home.

We also appreciated that she could pick up her sister, who was living in Toronto, when they came home for holidays. It saved me having to make a long round trip to the GTA.

When Kid 1 returned home and stared working, full-time, in Kanata, we let her become the principal driver on the CR-V and it remained as her commuter vehicle. DW and I even considered selling it to her, at a discounted price.

Unfortunately, last month, Kid 1 was involved in a collision with the Honda. Luckily, no one was hurt. Someone, two cars ahead of our daughter slammed on her brakes: that caused the person one car ahead to slam on his brakes, and in turn, Kid 1 slammed on her brakes, stopping short of the car ahead.

But the fellow behind Kid 1 didn't stop in time. As he explained, after the collision, he was having trouble with his brakes (why he still had his SUV on the road, knowing this, is beyond me). Because his vehicle was larger than the CR-V, he made contact above our rear bumper and struck the hatch, caving it inward.

Our insurance correctly deemed the accident was not Kid 1's fault, but on inspection of the vehicle deemed the CR-V a total loss. In addition to the hatch, there was structural damage that, combined, was determined to be more than the value of the vehicle.

DW and I said that if either one of our vehicles came to an end, we wouldn't replace it. And now that we're back down to one car, we're keeping that promise.

But that put Kid 1 in a pickle, as she no longer had access to a vehicle to get to and from work. "It's time that you had your own set of wheels," I told her.

We spent a good part of last week shopping for a good used vehicle. She's driven everything from cute subcompact SUVs to crossovers, to sexy little sport hatchback cars. And on Saturday, she found the right vehicle.

Our insurance company has been taking its time in giving us a settlement value for our CR-V, but with the holidays, we haven't held that against them. But in this current market, we've been hard-pressed to find a 2012 CR-V EX-L for less than $10K.

Fingers crossed. At least they've had no problem letting us keep the rental vehicle that they've provided during this time.

So, we're back to one vehicle, and DW and I are starting to think. We love our Niro but appreciated having the option of a larger vehicle when the need arose. It would be nice to have something in between.

As Kid 1 searches for the right vehicle for herself, DW and I are considering selling the Niro and getting something a bit bigger. Something that could possibly carry our bikes and kayaks at the same time.

Stay tuned.