But I drive old beaters around town.

Hey, I'm a fellow old-beater driver. My favorite cars have been the big, luxury cars that were 10+ years old, but had one owner and were in almost-mint condition. I once had a 1975 Ford LTD (I bought it in 1985), and I drove that thing for 15 years. It had all the goodies, too, a good radio, A/C, etc.

Nowadays, when I need to drive, (I mostly ride the bus to work), I drive a 1969 Ford 250. It's not pretty to look at, but it keeps going and going. Repairs are easy to do because there's no fancy A/C or pollution control stuff and plenty of room to work. Heck, I still take it fishing when we go... it does great. Why replace it when it works so well?

Tmeri, do you buy the rent-a-car company's collision insurance when you rent? I think your own insurance would cover liability, but it would not cover the rent-a-car in case of an accident. I've rented cars before and gotten the collision (don't want to take any chances), but it sure is expensive.

--Chooey