Auto Insurance Claims: Total loss claim, pontiac models, gap coverage

Question
I was involved in a T-bone accident on the passenger side of my 2009 Pontiac G5 (the other party ran a red light and admitted fault).  When the damage estimate reached $8500 it was falgged and assessed as a total loss.  I do not know what the insurance offer will be (many minutes spent on hold given the vast number of claims due to tornado an floods recently) but I plan on going to the claims office to find out.  I have a car loan that will need to be paid off (lucky I opted for the gap insurance) however I have no money to put toward the purchase of a replacement vehicle.  Is there any way I can negotiate for a down payment for a new vehicle?  Is there any leverage in the fact that 2009 was the last year for Pontiac models?  I live in PA and would appreciate any advice you can offer.  

Thanks,
Michele

Answer
I would not go to the claim office without an appointment; they probably will not be able to help you.  You need to speak to the person assigned to your claim.

The loan is not relevant to the settlement.  They will pay you the actual cash value prior to the loss.  This is the amount you could have sold it for on the open market.  They will use some sort of valuation service to determine this.  You should check a few of the free ones online, like NADA or Kelly to make sure their offer is fair.

The gap coverage wll pay the difference if your loan is upside down - meaning you owe more than they pay you.  You cannot negotiate for a down payment - they don't owe this.  The fact that 2009 was the last year may actually work against you - this sometimes means a lower market value.  But each car is different.