I've got a 17 year old who's scraping his pennies together for his first car. I've offered to match whatever he contributes, but it still won't come to much.

I know that searching for a used car that will last a few thousand miles, usually starts with Toyota, Honda, or some late-model Hyundais.

What are some makes/models that don't get much press, but that hold together better than one might think? For instance, it seems like the V6's in the 1990's and 2000's Buicks are held in decent esteem, both for longevity, & decent highway mpg.

What are some others?

Thanks,

FC

crown vics, anything toyota or honda. ford rangers last forever as well. so do saturns.

I can't speak for any others, but my 2000 Durango has been so reliable I call it my Durabledango. Zero major repairs, and everything on it still works. Everything.

Bought my daughters old Chevy Cavaliers/Cobalts. Surprisingly tough,cheap,good fuel mileage, and relatively easy to repair.It's been a few years ago, like 10-15yrs. Don't know if you can still find them on the used market.

Other than that Toyota Corollas will run forever if you take care of them. I have a newer one and I plan on driving it at least 8 more years.

Jim

The old straight six Ford trucks would run forever and can be found cheap, but they suck for gas mileage.

Re: Buicks, it's a wash - and besides, that's an Obama-car.. (I worked in a Buick/Honda dealership for 5 years - so I have a little background in 'em).. but I digress..

Most used cars today under 100K on the odom are gonna be ok. Hate to admit it, but the American cars take a short back seat to the foreigns.. That said, nothing wrong with a Kia or Hyundai. Honda OK but repairs can run a tad higher/incident.. Stay away from VWs - electrical issues is the most common complaint after 125K. We had one and it went 200K before it began to have issues. The engine/trans was fine (TDI Diesel Jetta) but weird electrical things began to be a pita.. Dang good handling car though - one of the best..

I guess for the money (and they're rated high in safety, IIRC) it may be hard to beat a Kia/Hyundai model.. And one can find a decent one for around $5K or less, especially Elantra or similar.. I'm sure there are tons of others..

whatever you look at, ensure you can talk to the previous owner as to why they traded it and if not for a mech. reason, how did they like the car - did it perform ok - were they the original owner, yada yada yada...

Good luck..

FWIW, the worst vehicle I ever owned was a 2000 Dodge Durango. Rear end grenaded, transmission slipped, constantly overheated, and not to mention the gas mileage sucked! That was the one and only Dodge/Chrysler product I'll ever own!

Crown Vic/Grand Marquis all the way.

Safe, fast as [bleep], big back seat.



Travis

To the OP, IMO, the best "under the radar" vehicles out there are Geo/Chevy Prisms, which are simply re-badged Toyota Corolla's, but without the premium price tag.

same with the pontiac vibes. all toyota parts where it counts.

2nd generation (1995-2001) Chevy Lumina sedan.

I'm a huge Honda fan, but you'll usually pay a premium, although sometimes you can find a diamond in the rough. Two years ago I picked up a '92 Accura Integra for my daughter from a neighbor for $900.00 thinking it would get her by while we looked for something better/newer. She's still driving it. Has over 300k on the odometer and still runs like a top.

Instead of looking for a certain brand of car I would be looking for a well maintained vehicle.

I bought a little Toyota off of 24HCF this past summer and I use it as a little hunting rig. It was so well maintained and it just runs like a champion. I could not be happier and I've got it just the way I want for under $4k

Good luck

I will through a plug for a ford Taurus. Aftermarket parts are cheap and plenty. They get fair mileage and their are bunches for sale so the price is right.

I've had a couple of Datsun P/Us that held up real well. So I wouldn't overlook an older model Nissan as a first car/truck.



Another excellent choice would be a Suzuki Sidekick, Grand Vitara or XL7.

Jeep cherokee (non grand) with a 4.0 either 5spd or auto. I had an auto that i beat the unholy hell out of, sunk it in a pond, sucked water in the motor, crawled out the window, pulled spark plugs, hit the starter shot the water out of the motor, then put the plugs back in, started it up and drove it out, and 200 miles home.

Buicks or other GM with the 3.8 liter motors have been good to me over the years with great gas mileage as well.

Pontiac Grand Prix with the 3.8.

When my kids were looking for their first cars I was in the same boat.
My son ended up with a Chevy S10 pick up which fared pretty well until he went in the Marines and sold it to a buddy.
My oldest daughter got a Nissan Sentra which turned out to be a super reliable car and lasted her through college and a couple years after until she traded it in on a new Civic.
My youngest daughter was a little tighter on money and we shopped until we found a nice used Honda Accord. It was okay, but not especially reliable so she sold it after about a year and bought a Mazda Protege (renamed 323) and it was a great car for her. She just couldn't kill that car. She drove it for about 7 years and finally got rid of it when she and her new husband bought a new Honda Civic.

For the money, I think the Mazdas have always been undervalued. Great cars, easy to work on, reliable and great on gas milage. Another one that fits into that category is the earlier Subaru Legacy.

Bob

Lots of good advice so far but I'll add this. If you're looking for a budget vehicle under $4000.00 I'd shy away from buying anything at a dealership or used car lot. Buy from a private party where you can meet the person that's owned it and get an idea of how it's been driven and maintained.

Also, take it to a reliable mechanic and have a buyer's inspection performed before laying out any cash.

One often overlooked consideration is the tires. If you have to put a new set of tires on a vehicle it will set you back hundreds of $$$. Take that into account when negotiating the price.

Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable's are good values.

another thing to consider is how easy is it to repair and maintain?

get something with a 5 speed and timing chain (versus timing belt), common tires (no low profile), shock over struts, etc and doesn't have alot of bells and whistles

I'd look at a regular cab pickup truck. They go for pretty cheap as most people now want the crew cab. I bet the insurance isn't a hit on them either. Plus, who doesn't need a truck in the driveway at some point?

If you want gas mileage then Hyundai or Kia seem to be the most bang for the buck and most of them will have the 100K drivetrain warranty (it all that but still...better than nothing)

domestic cars
if you ask used car lot owners what they use for 'runners' to ferry drivers to the auctions, this is what they use; non-supercharged 3.8's.
Buicks, Pontiac Bonnevilles (excellent car) Grand Prix (a little smaller) all have room, good crash ratings, mpg approaching 30 mpg. Great deals can be found in these cars, even examples with very low mileage.
The Crown Vic/Marquis is an excellent choice as well; they get mid 20's mpg and are reliable, big, and safe.

foreign
VW, MB, BMW are going to survive a crash better than any of the others, period. Engine/drivetrain goes to Toyota and Honda (except for the TDI, of course)

On a ridiculously low budget, forget shopping brand. Instead, look for a "deal", regardless of brand.

A "deal" might be a vehicle with a problem that needs fixing, but that you can fix, yourself. Maybe it had been in a fender bender. Or maybe it has some other problem that makes it hard to sell: horrible color, faded paint, torn/worn upholstery, body rust, whatever. Late model cars with extremely high mileage can often be bought very cheaply.

As mentioned, the Crown Vics/Marquis get decent mileage (mid 20's) and lots of 'em are available in good shape/low mileage (tended to be an "older folks" car). There were some reports of fires in high-speed rear-end collisions, but I personally believe much of this was due to the fact that they were popular police cars, and thus, tended to be parked in places where a 70 mph rear-end collision was likely (highway shoulder). Haven't heard many problems with "low-speed" rear-end collisions.

An older 1/2 ton pickup will always be easy to work on (vs. a fwd car) and parts are always cheap/plentiful.

I'd avoid anything European, regardless of price, with the possible exception of a Volvo 240.

My brother owns for his daily driver and buys for his kids what he calls paycheck cars (wife gets a better ride), 7 to 10 year old Pontiac�s he finds for about a week�s paycheck. The Grand Prix or Grand AM with V-6 is his preferred and usually gets 2 or more years out of them with little trouble.

Yup. We have a Pontiac Vibe that is really a re-badged Toyota Matrix. 115,000 miles later and it has never had a single issue. I suspect 200k will not be a problem.

It's a 5-speed front wheel drive, and gets 36 mpg on the highway. We have studs for it in the winter, and it handles like a champ. 4-star crash-test rating as I recall also.

Dave

Corollas are pretty good. I have discovered that the manual trans is good for about 250,000 mi. When I had the problem, I found that a lot of others had given up their tranny's too. Toyotas are not particularly cheap to repair. Good, but maybe not as good as the hype.

I just sold a Ford Escape that would meet your criteria I think. It went might fast (23 hrs) so I probably priced it too low. But in any event, I think they are pretty decent vehicles and old enough now to be available at a range of price points.

The Vibe was also one that I was thinking about.

Like others have said, the older Taurus or Sable generally won't do you wrong and cheap parts abound.

Good advice. Once you get below a certain price point, it depends on the individual vehicle, no matter what the nameplate says...

We have an 05 vibe with 167,000 on it now. Its an automatic and doesn't quite get the mileage the manual does but has been a great car, if you can find an early one like 03-05 you could probably get it for fairly cheap. I don't know how cheap you are looking but I feel confident we will get 250,000 out of it.

I have heard good things about the ford fusions as well. As always the corolla's and civic are good but everyone knows it and they usually get more money because of it. Check out the nissans as well.

Whatever car you happen to find run a google search on it and look for known issues. MSN auto or other sites have user reviews that you can find out some reliablity issues.

Got enough opinions yet? If not, check Consumers Reports for best used cars guide. Bigger cross-section of data; although it ultimately comes down to the "one" you buy!

Same plug for an old Tarus with 3.0 V6. My boss has 2000 with 250k on it. Bought it 7 years ago and hasn't done anything put put a battery in it. Gets 26-28mpg. He paid 1500 for it.

Had a geo prism with was essentially a corolla with no frills. Car ran forever and I regret selling it.

Have a Camry now. Seems fine but only 128k on it so too soon to tell.

Had some old early- mid 1980's ford escorts that had seen hell and back and still ran and ran.

IMO stay away from the grand cherokee. Mine was a bucket of troubles.

I've got a trusted mechanic, & every time I go through this (the 17 year old is #3 of 6), I ask him what to look for, and what to stay away from.

This time around, the total budget will be around $2K. For that amount these days, one can get:
* a Toyota or Honda with 250K+ miles, with somewhat up-to-date maintenance, but that has had major repairs done, up to & including engine replacement
* a Toyota or Honda with 150K - 180K miles, needing water pump, timing belt, starter, major suspension work, etc.
* a pre-2000's Buick with 140K or less miles
* a pre-2003-ish Impala/Malibu/Lumina with 140K - 190Kmiles and a blown or leaking head gasket
* a 1/2 ton truck in varying states of disrepair
* a Taurus/Sable that has needs major repair
* a Crown Vic former police cruiser with 150K
* a Grand Marquis 5 years older than the Crown Vics, that are wrecked

I guess when you're poor, you gots to pick your poison. Good lesson for the lad to learn.

FC

Any Subaru.

I bought a 91 Saturn last year. The cars are down right cheap if ya get the stick shift and roll up windows. Easy to fix too. I'm also looking for another one for my 15 yr old son. I got 42 mpg all summer. Now I'm only getting 33 mpg since winter came. . I've found that a Honda Civic and Corollas are too high priced for the shape they are in. I don't think it's worth buying one.

We had two different Luminas-both beaters when we got them. I don't think we paid more than 800.00 for either one. They both ran for well over 200,000 miles. Good life for a beater, and the bodies held up very well too.

Another vote for the Pontiac Vibe. Very under-rated and a great car.

Pontiac Vibe

Geo Prizm

Kia Elantra

Big old Buicks/Pontiacs

1/2 ton regular cab work trucks

I've been told you don't wanna mess with a Dodge owner. He's already mad...

DF

x2 I had a Ford Tortus that hit 23 miles/gal all day long, minimal maintenance and was a very good value. For certain it helped me get on track financially after making some poor decisions earlier in life. I got into that car, paid it off quick and did regular maintenance on it.

Not flashy though, won't be a babe magnet.

I have a dodge neon for a gas meizer.... As much as I hate to say it. The dang car won't die.

Follically Challenged;
I trust that besides your current automotive quest that all else is going acceptably well for you and yours.

While I can't say with certainty if the following would follow in the US as it does in Canada, this is what we've found.

Parts for Honda Civics, Toyota Corollas and VW Golf/Jetta series of cars are typically available in much less expensive aftermarket parts stores. Our mechanic for all cars not VW said this is because those body styles are so universal in nature that makes it economically viable for parts makers to do that. The VW mechanic also concurred.

For instance when we did the front brakes on the '90 Jetta that our 17 year old drives, it was $25 to turn the rotors and $21 for new ones made in either Italy or Serbia.

Our older Jetta is remarkably easy to work on in that most of it is assembled in an intuitive manner. Any VW product made much after '90 might give electrical problems, but then again it might not. It seems about 25% of the owners I talk to say some electrical issues do pop up after a lot of miles.

Our 2005 Corolla is less easy to work on compared to the Jetta, though still not entirely ridiculous to work on like for instance our '99 F150 typically was.

We were a Ford pickup family until that rig was purchased and it may well be a long time before another Blue Oval Cash Reduction Plan vehicle is parked in any of our driveways.

A co-manager at our work has a '05 or so Civic and it's given him no problems whatsoever.

Others have mentioned the late '90's series GM Lumina line with the 3.8 and I'll say that besides the usual alternator and intake manifold issues with them, from those we've seen they are a great car.

Hyundai products are gaining a much better reputation on this side of the medicine line, but still typically don't command the resale values that Honda and Toyota do.

Some folks mentioned the Suzuki Tracker series vehicles and they have a very big following up in our part of the world, so much so that clean ones are both hard to come by and costly. They do run next to forever though and the Suzuki engines are very easy to work on.

If the car's motor is equipped with a timing belt, that's of course something to look at right away. I'd likely bank on doing the plugs and serpentine belt too unless you can see it's in good shape.

Hopefully that was some use to you sir, good luck whichever way you decide and all the best to you and yours in the upcoming week.

Regards,
Dwayne - another 'Fire member who's "folically challenged"

PS;
The Vibe/Matrix shares some parts with the Corolla as well, not sure how many though.

I would definetly look at the vibe. We have had one for 5 years, 130,000 miles. No complaints. I know 3 other people who have them. 2 still have them and love them. The one that got rid of their's, regrets it. Good forum on them to learn about repairs, issues, etc at genvibe dot com.

A used, low mile Honda CRV is not sexy, but is very reliable and functional. You can find a 1999-2001 for around $5K. Get the automatic. They'll give 26 mpg on the highway. Get AWD. They need a timing belt every 90K miles, but they are very reliable.

My .02 worth.

Anything with the 3.8 for that matter. I had a Buick regal. It was a reliable rocket.

Anything Toyota would be what you want.

I just went through this last year, trying to find a car for my 14 year old daughter. I like late 90s - early 2000s buicks or Impalas. Typically the only weak spot on their V-6s are the intake manifold gaskets. Fix them before they fail and all is well.
I also like late 90s - early 2000s Taurus. Well maintained and driven sanely they are also reliable rides. Water pumps on the Vulcans can be a pain, otherwise it's a good runner. The DOHC V-6s run strong and don't have too many weaknesses. Around my neck of the woods a guy can pick up a choice used Taurus in the $1500 - $3000 range and have a decent ride. Like any car, check the tranny fluid. If it is clean and not burnt you are probably ok.
I also looked at Toyota Camrys and Corollas as they have decent reputations. Not a lot to be had in my area, however.
I love Ford Escorts but the wife and I wanted a larger car for safety so that was not considered.
I ended up picking up a loaded 1999 Taurus Se with the DOHC V-6, climate control, power seat, 6-disc CD changer, auto head lamps, etc. It had just over 100,000 miles on it and cost me $1900. I changed the water pump, radiator hoses, and cleaned the radiator. Parts cost me $70 and labor was mine so cost me nothing. It runs like a striped-assed ape and gets upper 20s for gas milage, tickling 30 if we feather foot it. Very comfortable to ride in and looks halfway decent for a family sedan. My kid loves it so that's a bonus.



Even had the original window sticker in the glovebox:

Good suggestions - especially the Vibes and Prizms, but stay the hell away from the Suzuki sidekicks. They are an absolute deathtrap. I wouldn't put my in-laws in one...

Honda's fit the bill, IMO. I have a 1994 Honda Accord with over 200K on the clock. It's been very reliable with only general maintenance (fluids, timing belt, etc.) and gets good gas mileage. I use it now as my airport car, but my oldest will likely get it when she turns 16. Good luck!

2000 or so LeSabre

3.8 and rock on

Nissan Maxima, Murano, or Pathfinders are very reliable. They are very inexpensive as well. In 2008, I bought a 2005 Nissan Murano SL AWD model that was fully loaded with leather, sunroof, etc... for $12000. They depreciate quickly, but run for ever it seems. I put 250,000 miles on it and then traded it in on a Toyota Tundra. There was nothing wrong with the vehicle when I traded it in back in Jan. of 2012. I also got $6000 for my trade which actually surprised the heck out of me.

The Vibes are awfully scarce around here, & they command strong prices when they do appear on the market. That's definitely a good sign for reliability. However, I doubt it will jive with the boy's budget.

I'm wondering if it would pay to find a seemingly sound car for the entire $2K budget, or to drop $750 to $1K on something needing an engine or tranny, using the rest of the budget to make it whole.

In a perfect world, he'd use the thing for Sr. year of HS, then all of college, then sell it for what he bought it for. I've heard such stories from others, & would love to be able to tell it for myself.

My last such experience, though, wasn't so rosy. $3300 for a sweet-running '94 Accord became another $1,500 for radiator, plugs/wires/cap/rotor, battery, muffler, & head gasket before the engine blew, anyway. I was hoping to get more than another 15,000 miles out of it. I did get $900 for it on the back end, however.

I'm diggin' the feedback - thanks to all!

FC

Agree, plus the 3100 motors were good (Chevy Lumina, Buick Century, etc.) Avoid the 3400's


I just changed jobs and for the next year have a ton of miles to drive, wanted to pick up some mpg and avoid racking up the miles. Found a 400.00 dollar Chevy Cavalier with a 160,xxx on the clock. Found some 90% tires on Craiqs list and changed all the fluids, plugs, cleaned the throttle body, etc. (Have 600.00 in it now). Put a few thousand miles on it and it's running great. 29-31 mpg as well


2nd Cavalier 2.2 I've owned over the years, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend one.

I looked for a 2wd Toyota extended cab pickup with a 22R and a 5 speed. Optional would be 4X4. The trucks last a long time, are relatively simple to work on and have good parts support. You can also dress them a little bit for pride of ownership. An alternative would be an older Honda CR-V.

That said, I got talked into a VW Jetta. They are good cars if you like wrenching on vehicles, otherwise I'd look at something different.

I'd go with that too. I've heard people rave about those 22R engines.

I'd never buy a German car for a kid. Too much power, not enough reliability.

Taurus, crown vic,or gran marquis, ranger 4cyl stick. All bullet proof. If the taurus is a consideration only the 3L OHV engine, steer clear of the OHC

I've just had a bad run with auto transmissions, and putting something in the hands of a teenager, I'd not only be looking at reliability but also what we could put a wrench to if something went south.

Unless you know the history of the car, you're rolling the dice for a $2K car anyways.

A little 4 banger in a truck that you can crawl under or get into the hood sounds ideal to me. If it came down to a ranger with 120K miles or a Toyota with a 22R at 170K miles, I'd take the Toyota

Sometimes you can hit upon a pretty decent used vehicle at an affordable price by checking out local public auctions/estate sales, bank/credit union repossession's, and seniors simply giving up driving for one reason or another.

I've only owned one small pickup truck, a base model, 4 cyl, 4 speed, std. cab, short bed '87 Toyota. I really liked that little truck as far as driving it on dry surfaces but it could be a bit unpredictable under slick driving conditions. Even with the added weight of a full fiberglass camper shell on it it was still too light in the azz-end to keep it from breaking traction fairly easy.

As always, YMMV.

You can't wear out a 7.3 Ford with a standard tranny if you can find one.

Starting in 94.5, they are direct injection and have plenty of power and do well on fuel for what they are.

I've got almost 400k on a 99 6spd CC 4x4. One clutch, a few water pumps, a few more alternators, one a/c compressor - brakes and batteries. Still gets around 20 if I keep it under or around 70mph.

I know of bunches with scads of miles that have similar history.

DJ

Just got rid of a AWD Pontiac Vibe, it was a 2009 model with only 24,000 miles on it, after three trips to the dealer with all the warning lights on and the dealer unable to find the problem, it was a run the diagnostic computer and read the codes, reset the lights, order the replacement parts, go back to the dealer a week later at $100.00 Deductable, the parts replaced installed under extended warranty, dealer rest warning lights, go home with warning lights coming back on before I get home. It was a Real Pain in the A$$. I now drive a Ford Escape. The Salesman told just last week that it was still sitting in their shop and that the still haven't found the problem.

I'd find an old Toyota pickup with the 22r 4 cyl motor in it. You can't hardly kill those things.

That'd be a pretty good start for a young man. Simple and easy to work on. Practical too.

7.3 liter engines and vehicles w/o airbags for a teenage driver on a budget ?

I recently saw a list of top ten reliable cars and Subaru had two on the list, the Outback and the Forrester. The list was based upon the number of service calls. They also claim some crazy high percentage of all Subaru's built, that are still on the road. The flat-4 that they use is a pretty well balanced engine that seems to last for the high mileage.

Yep on that one.

I put 285k on a 92 Mazda MX6. Older Proteges are nice too. I used to work with a guy that was a Lincoln nut. He'd buy one with 100k and run the dog snot out of it, then give it away. Lotsa old fogies still think cars die at 100k and nothing depreciates better than American luxury vehicles.

I've got a 94 Chevy truck that has been an absolute sweetheart of a rig. 180k on it, and it's still tight. The only thing I have had to do is replace the front bumper and grill from when my wife hit another vehicle. Not a scratch on her or the daughters. Very safe, and super easy to work on.

Two issues in your original post you must take into consideration. 17 year-old driver............and your proposed ~10-15 year old auto.

There are no bullet-proof autos.......regardless of make or model.

A lot will depend on how the vehicle was cared for before you take over, and how you take care of it thereafter.

Regardless of make or model, the preceding advice of knowing the history of what you're buying and looking for best price are likely the best advice.

Also............some people for whatever reason, are either hard on vehicles.....or easy on vehicles.

I've had remarkable luck with used Chrysler Corp. stuff. Dodge trucks and Dodge and Chrysler cars. We keep vehicles for at least 10 years. Invariably they run as good then as they did when purchased. Many with mileage approaching 200K.

I think without exception.......all brands have been improving their offerings as years pass. I'd suggest you shop on price as your primary objective.

If he could find a beater 18 year old 7.3 P/U, he could probably pick it up for $2500 to $3500. In that vehicle, if he wears his seat belt, he wouldn't much need an airbag (even though I think a 94 or 95 F250 might have one)- which is a big reason I'd consider it for a teenager on a budget.

Wouldn't get 40 mpg, but he wouldn't be dead the first time he hit or got hit by something other than a Prius, either.

Might even be able to do some work with it that the boys in the sports cars can't manage.

DJ

Even though we're in suburbia, boys still dig trucks. Unfortunately, boys in suburbia haven't driven trucks around farms enough to learn what happens to rear ends in corners when the roads are slick, or testosterone is making them push the envelope.

The pickup market here takes full account of truck reliability histories: S10/Canyon prices < Ranger/Mazda prices < Toyota prices (when you even see them for sale). I'm thinking a sedan for his 1st car: more steel around him, more predictable handling.

As a teenaged male, he'll barely be able to afford state minimum insurance, with no comprehensive coverage. I figure with insurance, fuel, and maintenance costs, I shouldn't have to worry about him tearing up the roads too much - being broke will kind of clip his wings.

I'm just trying to see if there are any vehicle options out there that tend to get overlooked.

FC

4 cylinder Camry... or a Corolla...

a VW Diesel would handicap him some if he is the lead foot variety teenager...

http://gsaauctions.gov/gsaauctions/gsaauctions/

left side menu, under vehicles pick your state or a close by one. Check out the cars. You and your son can have a blast bidding on one. Going to take a while to really buy one with your budget, but think of the fun of bidding. Read all rules and stuff. You bid and win you pay and go pick up.
Just watch it and wait for an older american car to come up close to your town.
I have bought 7 XJ Jeeps from old uncle, from 1,200 to 6,000 over the years. That what I put my boys in when driving in High School. Both kept one each and still have them.
Fun to look and fun to bid.

In your price range I'd look for a decent condition Taurus or any Buick/GM/Pontiac with a 3.8 or 3.1 both very good engines. The auto tranny is really where you are going to be rolling the dice. Owner driving patterns and maintenance will either make one last forever or destroy it in under 100k miles. Look for a seller that can produce scheduled maintenance records.

One thing I like about the small, imported pickups is that they are rear wheel drive and so much simpler to work on and cheaper to repair.

The choice between a car and a pickup makes a big difference to the type of activities with which your son will likely involve himself. A car for dating? Or a truck for hauling?

I'll be darned if this aint EXACTLY where I'm at.

* Dealers lot are selling CRAP for lots of $. They don't take kindly me to me pointing out all the things that are wrong with their overpriced clunkers.

* Tires are, indeed, a big deal. I've seen some that pointed out how shot the suspension components were, others that were worn to slicks, & still others that were so nice, they were obviously put on in an attempt to distract would-be buyers from all the other flaws of the car!

Today I checked-out a 2005 Taurus SE from a private owner. MUCH nicer than anything similar on a used car lot. 110K, 3.0L, not beat-up too badly. It will need at least front tires pretty soon, if not all 4. Other than some slight seepage from the valve cover gasket, the engine bay looked clear of oil, as did the driveway & curb. If it's still around after the weekend, I'll have my mechanic give it a going-over before I make an offer.

What kinds of maintenance/repair things ought I to be looking at for an 05 Taurus?

Thanks,

FC

If you see a "babe" that judges you by the car you drive run just as fast and far as you can from her. I'd say that would be a good litmus test.

Glad the topic came up, have a brother living with us, I let him insure and use my spare car a 1997 Taurus, well some lady crashed into it in a parking lot, our ICBC insureance wrote it off, so wife wants to let brother drive her 93 Tempo, and she wants something newer and smaller, so we too are looking at little cars, she is saying Toyota or Honda, but they have to be small models as she is 5' and won't drive anything big.
So some good info here.

I've been amazed at how pricey the small cars are. Corollas & Civics go for $2K more than a Taurus or Impala around here. The Subaru owners seem to be the proudest of all: there's not one to be had with < 200K miles on it, and after acknowledging that the car needs a transmission and/or a head gasket, they ask for $3,500+.

I've also seen that initial build quality means squat after numerous owners have had their chance to abuse & neglect a car. One dealer had a 1998 Corolla on the lot with an engine bay that looked like a barrel of oil had exploded inside. The inside of the oil cap was caked with crud, as were the valvetrain parts that were visible through the fill hole. And some poor kid will let them finance him at 18% so he can drive it off the lot, only to have it explode within 5K miles...

Now that I'm good and off- track, my couple of months of looking in this market has shown that Hyundai's would be good bets in small cars. Their resale values have risen with the improvements in quality, but they're still a bit cheaper than Toyotas & Hondas.

The looking, though, has been the toughest part. Craigslist is a joke. There might be one actual owner for every 300 posts. The rest are dealers without the testicular fortitude to admit who they are & post in the dealer section, or they're friggin' curbstoners. I Google the contact numbers in the posts, and it seems that 98% of the non-dealer postings come from about 20 different guys. It's taken me a couple weeks of fairly intensive searching to find 2 decent cars by people who actually own & drive them.

FC

I got my step-daughter an old Volvo 240 that she hated, but I would have given a left nut for as a kid. Four doors, and a trunk big enough for 5 bodies. What else does a kid need?

She tried to kill it, but it just kept going.

At one point, due to improper replacement of the oil filler cap, she ran it out of oil and it still kept getting it.

An off road "misadventure" had broken the engine mounts, and it still kept going - till I found out and fixed it.

The beauty of the car was that it wasn't too complicated; anyone with half a lick of sense could work on it, and if given the proper care, you probably wouldn't have to.

Well, the mechanic gave it his blessing, excepting for an exhaust leak. I bought the car, & paid the mechanic $225 to fix the leak. First Ford I've ever had in the driveway.

Over the past few days, I've made the boy skin his knuckles by replacing plugs, wires, cabin and engine air filters, and cleaning the throttle body, mass air flow sensor, and idle air control valve. There's nothing like a little grease & blood to help the boy bond with his vehicle. That, and the fact that he drained his piggy bank to bring it home.

I told him that it will be up to him to make sure that the car goes another 110K miles. We'll find out if he's up to it.

FC

What about 1/4 ton jap pickups?

Good deal. It's sounds like you got a great car for the boy. Cheap to drive, cheap to insure, and hopefully trouble free.

I don't know anything about a 2005 Tauras specifically. I 'm just not knowledgeable about that particular car but generally speaking it would be worth checking the tranny fluid. If there's absolutely no burnt smell or discoloration it's probably good to for awhile longer. If not, get it flushed.

A couple other things are checking the coolant and replacing the fuel filter.

Other than that if it runs good and drives fine I wouldn't dump any money into it.


I forgot to add that if the mechanic gave two thumbs on the stuff I mentioned it may be necessary. I'd ask if he checked those things though.

BTW, Happy birthday!

We are a Honda family, my daughters have a Civic that both drove while in High School. The youngest daughter who is a Junior in college is still driving it and expects to get another two years out of it. Both the girls cars and the wife's CRV have over 100K on them and all three run fine. Combined we have owned seven Hondas and probably will remain brand loyal.

First car for my daughter was a used Mercury Grand Marquis. Nobody wants the big cars so they are cheap, insurance is cheap, and they are about the biggest thing on the road. They get 20-22 mpg, so gas mileage isnt terrible and when they have to buy their own gas, it stops a lot of useless running around.

She drove it for about 5 years and since she is paying her way thru school, I gave her our 2001 Honda Accord. Smaller car, better gas mileage, and it will last her for a few more years.

Thanks! It's been a great B-day so far, and the 12 year old just informed me that I'm expected to be "dressed up fancy" by no later than 4:45 pm. It looks like the Wife & family have a surprise for me.

On the car, the torque converter was replaced & the tranny rebuilt, by a local dealer about 40K miles ago. I confirmed it with the dealer, & my mechanic said it appeared that the work was professionally done. The fluid looks like it just left the bottle, & the mechanic pronounced it to be fine.

I understand the Vulcan engines had a habit of eating water pump impellers if the fluid wasn't changed regularly, but the mechanic said that checked-out fine, as well.

I was surprised to find different spark plugs in bank 1 than in bank 2. The electrodes in the latter were down to nothin'. So I had the boy grunt & swear while putting in some Motorcraft double platinum plugs, & a set of Autolite Professional Series wires. I figured that he needed the experience (and to bond with his new ride), that it was probably due, anyway, and that it would leave him all set for the next 100K miles.

We haven't gotten to the fuel filter, yet. It may have to wait 'til he brings home another paycheck or two: I've had to explain to him that tires are kind of important, and that, other than being black, his aren't up to snuff.

Of course, the whole process now leaves his 15 year old brother licking his chops about it being his turn next...

FC