owner retain?

[Anonymous]

I was in accident in my 11-year-old car. Insurance has declared it a total loss because the repair cost is about 80% of the value. One of my options is owner retain, which would put me out a few hundred dollars. To buy a decent used car would cost a few thousand additional, and I cannot afford (or don't want to afford) a new car.

Given the car's age and value, I won't have to get a salvage title in Virginia. I usually keep cars until the ends of their useful lives, so I'm not at all concerned about aesthetics, etc.

What am I not considering? It seems to me that the decision is a few hundred dollars to keep a vehicle with a known history vs. a few thousand for a slightly newer car with slightly fewer miles but an unknown history. My insurance adjuster mentioned that I can even retain collision insurance on my totaled car (speaking from personal experience, as opposed to giving me professional advice), but I have no idea what insurance costs will be going forward.