About 10 days ago we came out of shopping to discover someone had crashed into our parked Subaru while making a turn. Rear bumper/rear lower fender wadded up. His little pickup got flat tire & ripped his front right corner pretty good. This was a near-zero MPH turn in parking lot.

Other than PIA etc, here's what went RIGHT:

* dufuss driver stayed around, reported himself & gave his ID willingly without fuss;

* dufuss driver WAS insured;

* while our personal ins. was going to enter it under our collision (with deductible), dd insurance carrier informed they were accepting FULL responsibility....including deductible and rental car as needed;

* body shop got all paperwork/phone call completed & verified within day & 1/2, inspected by dd adjustor issuing full agreement with their estimate & authorizing rental 'until completed repairs';

* dd insurance contacted me via email or phone every 2 days to advise on updates;

Drove rental car for full week without issues arising. Just returned theirs as our is BACK HOME!!

Comments: despite misgivings & stories I've heard over the years, my compliments to these 2 businesses in spite of whatever I had expected:

Yes. Progressive. All phone dealings were crisp, professional and accurate.

Yes, Enterprise. Accurate, professional, service as advertised.

We gave them an extra $2/day to step up a notch to "Impala" with barely 800 miles on it.

If any interest, I can add my observations and comparison between our 2015 Legacy and their 2017 Impala LT.

Did you get your selfie with Flo??

Nice to hear some good news though.

I had to check to see if it was the first of April. Glad everything worked out and always consolodating information for future use.
Did the Impala beat the Legacy ?

I've never dealt with Progressive, but I can't say a single bad thing about State Farm, unlike Allstate and Geico (dropped me when I bought a Trans Am in 1981). When I got into a huge wreck in 2003, the driver of the Camaro that caused the wreck by turning in front of me was uninsured, of course, and SF did a great job. I got a $500 check the morning after to buy new glasses to replace the ones broken in the accident. I believed, and still do, that my 2000 GMC Sierra truck should have been totalled, but SF decided to fix it. It had problems both during and after the $19,000+ repairs (On a truck worth $15k!!??), that ended up with me trading it in, but SF was great. Because the techs working on it found a couple of issues as they repaired the damage from the wreck, they kept delaying returning it to me, ST gave me $500 and extended the rental car period and picked up the difference between the mid sized car I went with and the compact they originally covered. When I tried to pick up the truck the first time, I discovered that I really didn't have any brakes due to the brake pedal bracket being bent by me trying to stop. I also put a depression into the floor of the cab with my left foot during the wreck. Then after I picked it up, it leaked air and water from the back doors, so off it went to be fixed, again. Finally about a month after the wreck, I got it out and it stayed out. About a week later, the dome light, key in the dash chime, and 4 ways all began turning on and off by themselves. The next day, I attempted to buy an almost identical replacement from the same dealer I bought my truck from, but they left me stranded out in the back lot, and the courtesy van left for the day, so I got pissed off, and bought a Ram at the nearby Dodge dealer a couple of days later. About 2 years later, I got a check from SF, saying the judgement on the Camaro driver had been paid, so I got my deductible back.

Experiences vary widely across carriers. For example, here in Maryland, our state insurance administration used to have a separate unit set up specifically to deal with State Farm issues (they still may) and my boilerplate UM/UIM Breach of Contract complaint was pre-filled with State Farm's information.

I can't think of a bad experience I've had with Progressive or Nationwide. Nationwide is a little cheap when it comes to settlements, but that's good for their insureds and other interested parties.

No doubt, however, that Enterprise is one of the best rental companies out there, however. (Which is probably why their rates are high and they never pick up my Priceline bids.)

Glad it went so well for you. That's the way it's supposed to happen.

-Rob

The comparison of interface between the unconscious 'what to expect' vs 'what you really get' is my focus here. Have SF for years as they have served me well with a few petty exceptions. That Progressive --even without Flo's direct help--was so effective & (dare I say it) pleasant to work with---was certainly welcomed.

The comparison of the Impala LT with the Legacy of mid-level trim:

Very similar exterior size, volume & shape;
huge trunk;

Chosen at additional $2/day rental because initially it was easier to enter/exit/more front seat room than other 'same class' full size sedans;

handling & interior features quite adequate;

power seat adjustment range almost 'just fine';
the lumbar adjust feature not as well placed for my need;

We put on several hundred miles, longest trip was riding about an hour in which time the annoyances began to reveal. The impression is 'sitting down into something' with a high window line & very high center console leaving more defined knee/leg room.

I didn't care for that. Ride was almost cushy and perhaps somewhat quieter than Legacy. Impression of seating 'down into' old comfy couch but just a little too low 'down into' and not all that comfy after a while. This was not a 'drive with elbow resting on doorframe with window down' design.

Large forward dash/windshield angle leaving lots of space between driver & front end.

New feature to me was the 'motor switches OFF' when stopped, then instantly restarts when brake released. If A/C activated motor remains ON during traffic lights. Very quiet in any case.

Extensive electronic features didn't have time to explore much. Adequate power/acceleration. Smooth transmission function. Handling adequate for my geezer needs.

Legacy ride somewhat more tight & on certain surfaces noisier. Seating position seemed higher and easier to enter/exit. Seats less cushy and more supportive.

Displayed MPG ranged from 26.8 to well over 30 on sustained country blacktop.

Too little exposure/use to make any sweeping pronouncements. This exercise would lead me to buying Legacy again over Impala because of personal design features. Legacy driver position gives more room for my needs. The few inches difference in leg room adds up the longer the ride.