Standard Wagons

Tue., May 13, 2014

Sharon L. Peters CTW Features

Q: I read your column on luxury wagons and am interested in makes that would not be considered “luxury.” With a 25-year-old Civic with 300,000 miles, I’m more comfortable with fewer “gizmos.” Any ideas? A: There are quite a number of options. Among them (and this is not an all-inclusive list): the Honda Crosstour (which may not be “wagon-y” enough for your taste, but it’s often billed as such), the wildly popular and highly reliable Subaru Outback, Toyota’s Matrix (pretty small) and Venza (with more conventional size and lines) and the Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen. They run from about $19,000 to $26,000 for the most Plain Jane, low-gizmo-factor versions. One way to monitor new wagon offerings or to find additional possibilities is to go to KBB.com. When you click on “new cars” they’re divided into various categories, one of which is “wagons.” Q: We have a car that will start but won’t run. It needs engine work and it won’t pass the smog test. We live in California. Can we sell it? A: There is no California law that prohibits you from selling a vehicle that won’t run and won’t pass smog testing, according to a spokesman for the California Department of Motor Vehicles. That said the buyer can’t drive it if he/she can’t register it, and it can’t be registered if it doesn’t have smog certification. In your state, you (the seller) have five days to report to the DMV the sale or transfer of this vehicle. You do this by completing and submitting a Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability. Among key points for the buyer to consider (and I’m not listing every single one): The buyer of a vehicle purchased from a private party must complete ownership transferal within 10 days of the purchase date by visiting a DMV office with an endorsed title and smog certification (when the vehicle is more than four model years old). There are exceptions and provisos and exclusions, all of which you can find on your state’s excellently organized Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) website. The DMV suggests anyone considering buying a vehicle read the info at http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs%2Fbrochures/fast_facts/ffvr26.htm and https://www.dmv.ca.gov/vr/vr_info.htm#BM2522 What’s your question? Sharon Peters would like to hear about what’s on your mind when it comes to caring for, driving and repairing your vehicle. Email Sharon@ctwfeatures.com.

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