Last week my CLS was struck by another vehicle on an otherwise deserted motorway. The other driver drove off in his badly damaged vehicle but fortunately for me he was found by traffic police a few hours later and subsequently admitted liability. I'm told that the damage to my vehicle is so severe it will probably be uneconomic to repair. Luckily I wasn't badly injured, a few aches and pains.
The issue now is how I can replace the vehicle. Market value is around £21-23k, trade value is probably around £16 - £18k. My CLS was quite a high spec with airmatic, ventilated seats and a few other toys. Mileage was low at 17k. I've been looking at the classifieds and have yet to see one with the same spec although there are a few with similar mileage.
Do I have to accept market value or can I argue/negotiate for a higher value based on condition and specification? Alternatively would it be possible to arrange for the insurer to pay for the cost of swapping the heated and ventilated seats into a replacement I purchased?
If only I had been persuaded by the salesman to purchase the invoice GAP policy he tried to sell me. C'est la vie.
The issue now is how I can replace the vehicle. Market value is around £21-23k, trade value is probably around £16 - £18k. My CLS was quite a high spec with airmatic, ventilated seats and a few other toys. Mileage was low at 17k. I've been looking at the classifieds and have yet to see one with the same spec although there are a few with similar mileage.
Do I have to accept market value or can I argue/negotiate for a higher value based on condition and specification? Alternatively would it be possible to arrange for the insurer to pay for the cost of swapping the heated and ventilated seats into a replacement I purchased?
If only I had been persuaded by the salesman to purchase the invoice GAP policy he tried to sell me. C'est la vie.