What do I answer if I’ve already moved on to the bicycle option?
I said, “Something completely else.” But I should have said, “I buy something else. The Universe clearly wants me to have something different!” They don’t make my model of thing anymore and it wasn’t a particularly good thing to start with.
Why, you talk about the insane, all-carbon-with-unobtanium-shifters-and-frictionless-hubs bike you’d build with car-level money, of course! 
Or, what you’d do with the $10k-$20k this hypothetical represents for the average person…if it’s not being spent on a replacement car, what DO you spend the money on?
Kudos for being full-bike, btw; I try to bike into work when weather permits, and manage maybe 3 days a week, but when weather doesn’t permit or I have errands to run, I’m pretty happy I own the car!
I don’t drive, so it’s even more hypothetical for me, but…on the principle of the thing…
Given the ‘not already looking for a replacement’ part of the OP… I’d get a newer version of the same kind… Probably. I’d check if the Chryslus Corvega took a dip in quality in the years after my old one, but assuming it didn’t suddenly start spontaneously exploding or something, my satisfaction with the one I had would prompt me to carry over - I have loyalty when it’s rewarded.
I have a 2013 Focus ST that I bought used. I love it, but you only own so many cars your lifetime so I’d probably get something different.
I currently drive a 2000 Suzuki Esteem, so any other car on the road would be an improvement. I would get the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. Good for carrying supplies to far-off conventions and other events without blowing the budget on fuel.
I replaced my 2004 Escape with a 2017 Escape, so I’d just get the latest Escape. I am brand loyal (dad worked at Ford).
Crushed by a satellite? Dude, I just had a new windshield put in!
I’d get this year’s model but the same car in the same color. I love my Rogue.
I like my Ford plug in cmax, but it’s kind of a lemon. I get something else. In fact, I’m shopping for something else now. (But I’ve been shopping for a year or more, so don’t held your breath.)
^ This. I’m dreading having to get a new car because of all of the latest ‘enhancements’. Of course, I work from home in the snow & don’t get cabin fever between the fatty & the snowshoe(s).
That being said, I tend to buy new & keep 'em. Don’t have to worry about how someone else drove it & how badly they beat it up. I only have a couple of requirements for a car, but it’s amazing how few vehicles are built that meet those requirements.
I’d look at what’s out there that’s new, but could be talked into my same car again.
I just, quickly, priced out a bike at slightly > $13m. (Bianchi w/ Campy Super Record EPS) Picked the default wheels ($2m) but might want a different, more expensive set. Of course, that’s like pricing out a Ferrari or other super car.
Something different. I liked my first car fine. Bought it used (well, my parents bought it). When looking for a replacement (that I purchased, as I was older), I did look at a newer (also used) model of the same thing. As soon as I sat it in, I knew I didn’t want it. It was still the same generation (it was a long generation for that model, I think), and it felt like the same car from the inside. I didn’t want to spend all that money and feel like I was still driving the same car.
So I definitely would not want one to be the same unless I really loved it (and that’s never happened with a car) and it was quite new.
Had current car a little less than a year ago (used), and it’s fine, but has several little annoyances that I didn’t know when I bought it. Things like not showing which tire is low on air and not giving a percentage on oil life. I’d go with a different model for the new one.
I would get a newer version of the same car.
In fact, I did precisely that in 2002 when my 1996 Saturn SL2 had its front end smushed in in a crash (but it took the entire impact of the accident and I only had some bruises on my arms from the airbag.) That was on a Thursday. On the Saturday, I went to the same Saturn dealers where I got it and got a 2002 model of the SL2. Same car, different color because they didn’t make the lavender ones anymore. I had that car until about 3 years ago, when I had to get something else because there aren’t any new Saturns to replace it.
I chose “other.” I would decide what options that I was interested in; and start shopping. That doesn’t mean I’m excluding what I had before, or would ONLY buy what I had before. A car is something to get me from point A to point B; and as long as it has the options I want, I don’t care if it’s the same make/model. i.e. enough room (cargo and seating), Bluetooth/Hands Free capability, Non proprietary connection to my phone (I’m looking at you Toyota). OK, technically Android Auto and Apple Carplay are proprietary; but at least they’re not Toyota Entune!)
It’s a bump for model year 2020. I get to buy a new car! I like the Mazda CX-5 a lot, haven’t driven one yet, will do that soon and drive a Subaru too, OUtback i guess. I’m kind of already sold on the Mazda, Touring with preferred equipment pkg please.
Not even looking at VW (it’s over between us) or Honda.
Chefguy Can you share your experience what you like most about the car?
Dealer offers a 200k or 20 year warranty, i think on most mazda’s. I’ll get the details but that’s pretty cool.
We’ve had 2 totalled vehicles, that we fixed and still drive. One got crunched but was still driveable, lol old s-10 with body damage only.
We got my current car 5 years ago before we had our two kids. Our family really doesn’t fit in it any more. Its only got 75k miles though so we keep driving it. The plan is hopefully to upgrade it this year and give it to my wife as her daily driver. If the car got flattened we would accelerate our upgrade plan but my wife obviously would get stuck with her car for a bit longer.
Right now I’m debating between the Rivian R1T, the electric F-150, or a Ram 2500 Power wagon. I don’t think the family will fit in the Rivian and Ford still hasn’t announced its EF-150 so the Ram 2500 is in the lead and if the satellite came down today that’s what we’d buy.
They Don’t make Mercury any more 