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    1. If you had to buy a car today, what would you buy?

      Lots of details I've been driving a 2006 Honda Ridgeline for the last 13 years. The engine is still reliable, just change the oil and keep fluids topped up, but there is rust in the frame that...
      Lots of details

      I've been driving a 2006 Honda Ridgeline for the last 13 years. The engine is still reliable, just change the oil and keep fluids topped up, but there is rust in the frame that won't pass inspection. I'm going to take it in to get it looked at this week, but I am afraid it won't be worth repairing. If I have doubt that it can be safely repaired (I'm fairly risk averse), I would rather replace it.

      This model Ridgeline is basically a Honda Pilot with a bed. I've often said it's the perfect amount of truck for a software engineer. I do think I'd like to have another truck, but I'd consider other options, like a smaller SUV or a larger hatchback.

      The truck has been our go-to travel car for road trips. We tend to bring a ton of stuff, so the bed has been nice, but having interior cargo space might also be useful. We don't do as many big hauling / years things as we used to, so the truck bed is probably optional.

      I was hoping that by the time I wore out the Ridgeline, there would be more plugin electric or real hybrid options, but it seems like there aren't many options. I wouldn't buy a Rivian or Tesla (not been around long enough). But I'd definitely be interested in peoples thoughts about hybrid options out there. If I'm looking at used hybrids, what kind of things should I worry about with the battery?

      The conventional wisdom when I was growing up was that a used car lost half its value when you drove it off the lot, so it was better to buy used. But in recent years, I've been seeing something more like linear depreciation. Helping my dad buy a new truck last year, it seemed like the year-old or two-year-old used options were just a few thousand less than new.

      Bottom line: I live in Western Pennsylvania in the US. I may shortly need to replace my aging Honda Ridgeline. I need a mid-sized truck/van/SUV that can be a good "road trip" car for a family of three that chronically overpacks.

      What car do you like? What car buying or car selling wisdom do you have in the post-pandemic car market?

      36 votes
    2. Is it possible to get short term health insurance in California?

      I was recently removed from medi-cal due to “potential fraud”. Long story short, I didn’t commit fraud. I have had zero income in over a year, have something like $1500 total, and receive no other...

      I was recently removed from medi-cal due to “potential fraud”. Long story short, I didn’t commit fraud. I have had zero income in over a year, have something like $1500 total, and receive no other benefits.

      However, I’m currently dealing with bureaucratic confusion as the trail of who is responsible has dead ended and no one seems to be clear on what happened or why.

      The medi-cal coordinator at the county social services office thinks it’s best if I just reapply but while I wait for my new application to be processed I am uninsured. Of course, if it goes through then I should have coverage dating back to the 1st of April.

      Yet, given that there’s no good reason for it to have been canceled in the first place I’m wary of placing all my eggs in that basket. And would prefer to have some sort of catastrophe insurance if at all possible.

      Is this even possible in California? It seems like short term health insurance might be banned here? Any ideas would be welcome. The whole situation is frustrating to say the least.

      18 votes