$5K Car Recommendations

Discussion in 'General Automotive Questions' started by Kev250R, Feb 24, 2012.

  1. Kev250R

    Kev250R In Overdrive SILVER MEMBER

    Messages:
    555
    Location:
    Fullerton, So.Cal.
    Hey guys, so my wife and I are helping a friend of ours shop for a used car for her and her daughter. Our budget is right around 5K. My criteria are that it not be older than ten years, be fairly easy to work on (since I'll probably be doing much of the work and maintenance on it). Be decent on gas (no V8's), automatic (she doesn't know how to drive a stick and doesn't want to learn) and not a truck. Bonus if it can be a cool car too and not too far past the 100K mark.

    So far we've been interested in the 2000-2004 V6 Mustangs, these seem to be close to our budget, look cool but I don't know how reliable they are. Might go test drive one this weekend though.

    Any thoughts or any other suggestions?

    Kevin
     
  2. plumcolr

    plumcolr In Maximum Overdrive SILVER MEMBER

    Messages:
    1,854
    Location:
    Freehold NJ
    2001 - 2004 crown vic. Yes its a V8, but not that bad on gas and dead reliable. You can find clean examples of municipally owned and maintained (NOT former cop cars or strippers , more likely mayor's ride or inspector) with under 100k miles for $4k or less.
     
  3. Denny

    Denny In Maximum Overdrive

    Messages:
    8,835
    Location:
    near Jackson, TN
    You probably won't find a 10 year old one for that price, but it would be hard to beat a Honda Civic or Accord for reliability and gas mileage. You should be able to find an early 2000's model for that price.

    One car to avoid would be a Mazda 626. They were nice cars but notorious for transmission problems.
     
  4. scbarger

    scbarger Banner Maker

    Messages:
    596
    Location:
    McDonough Ga
    You can probably get a Volkswagen Bug or Golf that would work
     
  5. Bryan59EC

    Bryan59EC In Overdrive

    Messages:
    808
    Location:
    San Antonio, Texas
    X2 on the Crown
    These cars run forever, ride nice, and get decent fuel mileage.

    Look around, there are deals to be had.

    I bought a garage kept 2002 not too long ago with only 55k on it.
    original owner had a stroke and could not drive anymore.

    Was prepared to spend up to 15 on a car for her, and was ONLY considering the Crown or the Grand Marquis.

    Ran across the older car for around 6500 and am damn happy with it.
    It has developed a couple of issues, probably due to sitting in the Texas heat and not being driven.

    Ball joint, tie rod boots have all dried out and allowed moisture into the joints and created a very squeaky front end (lower control arms were replaced last weekend----uppers and tie rod replacements to follow soon).
    Also the Automatic climate control seems to have forgotten there is a "COOL" mode.

    Nothing serious, and I feel better knowing she is driving this on her
    100 mile one way commute to work every day. The car just about drives itself.

    The 4.6 in these things are reliable and pretty much maintenance free.
    Had one in my 97 T-Bird, fair gas mileage and we drove that car to near death. Intake manifold cracked at a bit better than 200k and I sold it in about 2006.
     
  6. 6delta

    6delta In Fourth Gear

    Messages:
    265
    Location:
    Citrus Heights, CA
    Mustangs

    I had a 2000, my daughter had a 2002 and now a 2007. We both had the base V6 (her 07 is the pony model). I had an automatic in my 2000 that my son drove to LA from Sac and managed to get almost 30 mpg (well more than I could, usually I could only get 25-27) and put 110,000+ miles on it before I was taken out by a young girl driving the wrong way on a one way street beside an underpass (also running a red light). Only did regular service, oil changes, 1 set of new plugs and wires and 1 set of brakes. My daughter has always had the manual transmissions and rode her 02 hard (3 sets of brakes), 1 set of plugs and wires. She traded it in on her 07 with close to 120,000 on it and she now has over 80,000 on her 07 with 1 set of brakes. On the highway hers currently gets around 28 mpg.

    We do all our own work and never hire anyone to work on our vehicles. I don't even know a mechanic except for the guys up here who work on their own Rancheros (although she had a friend add candy purple ghost flames on to her hood). Her clutch was going strong on the 02 in spite of her heavy foot (says she got that from me). The new V6 has better power and overall economy compared to the 3.8 in the earlier ones.

    Although he rides his motorcycle 95% of the time my son has a 2001 Taurus with 86,000 miles on it. I recently replaced the water pump (started to leak) and timing chain (since I was there and it looked a little loose to me). It was easy to work on as well. It needs a tune up but doesn't get as good of mileage around town. (it is also a Flex Fuel). The Taurus forum is huge and helpful, with members that truly help each other, do a lot of videos and step by step repair info. (Plus they treat each other with respect and no drama.) The Vulcan V6 has a couple of problems like the water pump but posters on the site routinely post mileage longevity on their cars equal to any import.

    Except for when I drive the 71 F250 (10-11 mpg), my black GT with a mild cam, Edelbrock RPM Performer intake, headers, Magnaflows and a 500 AVS on a +.020 302 with a FMX is what I drive everywhere. De-tuned for everyday my mileage is around 28-29 on the highway and I can count on 24 around town unless I crank in the secondaries, give it more timing and light it up. Get her a Ranchero.
     
  7. bscottie

    bscottie In Maximum Overdrive GOLD MEMBER

    the 200ish Mustang with a 3.8 is a good car, they do break like any of them but if you find one that hasnt been beat or torn to death they are also fairly easy and reasonable to work on.
     
  8. Hillbilly

    Hillbilly In Maximum Overdrive

    Messages:
    6,505
    Location:
    Winchester, TN.
    Ya'll missing one car that fills the bill. Try a Lincoln Town Car. It's the exact same car as a Crown Vic or Marquis and you get an extra foot of car in the rear foot well. Temp blend door stepper motor is why your auto-temp quit, common ailment. Part is cheap, getting to it sucks.
     
  9. Bryan59EC

    Bryan59EC In Overdrive

    Messages:
    808
    Location:
    San Antonio, Texas
    THANKS!!!!
    I will definitely look into that in the next week or so.
     
  10. billg72469

    billg72469 In Fourth Gear

    Messages:
    485
    Location:
    corona ca
    Dont buy European, the cost of repair will be to high, like the mustang , had a friend that had water in the oil, pulled the heads off to do a vavle job, and even though it over heated many times the heads were not crack , with 120,000 miles the block looked great, did a valve job on it for him, changed the gaskets and the car ran like new. The ford v6 seems like a good engine.
     
  11. Kev250R

    Kev250R In Overdrive SILVER MEMBER

    Messages:
    555
    Location:
    Fullerton, So.Cal.
    Thanks for all the feedback guys! I'll add Crown Vic's to our shopping list, though I think we're leaning towards the Mustang at this point. Seems like a reliable car, key is finding one which hasn't been too beat-up or abused.

    I'll keep you guys posted on what she ends-up with.

    Kevin
     
  12. Hillbilly

    Hillbilly In Maximum Overdrive

    Messages:
    6,505
    Location:
    Winchester, TN.
    Got eleven Town Cars and three Crown Vics in the family fleet, Three stepper motors died with the same results you described. All of them had set up for a while. I thought I had another one dead but it turned out that the over boost I dialed in on my ProCharger had cracked the vacume manifold inside the control box on the EATC climate control. That was fun to figure out. 9-PSI is good, 14-PSI for extended periods is more than the plastic can stand. You learn some strange stuff when you spool up a Town Car to near the 200 mph mark. Fish tank valve in the vacume feed line solved that problem.
     
  13. Kev250R

    Kev250R In Overdrive SILVER MEMBER

    Messages:
    555
    Location:
    Fullerton, So.Cal.
    Forgive the obvious question but is Ford the only Manuf. to use vaccum-operated stepper motors? I'm just curious. My wife's 4Runner uses stepper motors, but their electric, not sure what my Silverado uses.

    Kevin
     
  14. Hillbilly

    Hillbilly In Maximum Overdrive

    Messages:
    6,505
    Location:
    Winchester, TN.
    Sorry for the confusion, the stepper in question is pure electric. Ford did use vacume on the doors that only require full movement for their function. Never understood that logic, they had climate systems using all stepper motors instead of vacume and they worked flawlessly. Has to be a cost versus unit price deal, cheaper to use vacume in some places.
     
  15. 5.0 Chero

    5.0 Chero Bahumbug Staff Member

    Messages:
    14,289
    Location:
    Prunetucky California
    Vacuum actuators cost pennies on the dollar verses stepper motors.or electric actuators
     
  16. HuevosRanchero

    HuevosRanchero In Maximum Overdrive

    Messages:
    5,805
    Location:
    Macon Georgia
    on those 3.8 mustangs...they are terribly underpowered but that isnt an issue...if you get one...service the coolant regularly, make sure the electric fan connector hasnt melted (lots in the junkyard like that) and make sure the air deflector is in place under the front bumper frame...the 3.8 has a terrible tendancy to overheat and warp the head or blow head gaskets no matter which chassis its plopped into. Careful maintenance keeps them going...My daughter drives a 96 with the 3.8 They dont get the best mileage either. Might be able to find a nice Focus or Fusion in that range as well....
     
  17. Clark

    Clark In Maximum Overdrive

    Messages:
    2,855
    Location:
    Brighton, Colorado
    Whatever you buy, check to be sure the electronic warning system (usually the check engine light bulb removed) has not been disabled. Older Crown Vics can be good but stay away from cop cars - my experience.
     
  18. Hillbilly

    Hillbilly In Maximum Overdrive

    Messages:
    6,505
    Location:
    Winchester, TN.
    Oh boy did Clark get taken on a Crown vic cop car ! On it's outward appearances the car Clark picked up should have been a jewel, in reality what he got was a nightmare. Clark is a fairly savy gent so that should tell you how well the lipstick looked on that pig. Fooled me too ! Unless you know a car's history, you're gambling on getting a good buy. That's one reason I lean toward cars owned by more mature folks, cars that have better odds of not being flogged to death before going up for sale.
     
  19. Kev250R

    Kev250R In Overdrive SILVER MEMBER

    Messages:
    555
    Location:
    Fullerton, So.Cal.
    Thanks guys, this is the feedback I'm looking for! We looked at some cars on-line over the weekend. I couldn't talk her into a Crown Vic, says she'd like to get something sporty, a V6 Mustang seems like it will fit the bill nicely (she's had two Camaros, a Trans-Am and a Thunderbird in the past, she says driving a sedan or an SUV would kill her). I'm pretty good about maintenance so that shouldn't be a problem, just hoping to find a car which hasn't been beat or abused too badly.

    Kevin
     
  20. 6delta

    6delta In Fourth Gear

    Messages:
    265
    Location:
    Citrus Heights, CA
    Mustags

    I would agree that the earlier V6 engines had problems that ran from timing chain failures to head gaskets, however by 2000 Ford had changed the head design and significantly improved the engine’s horsepower and reliability. Over the years Ford developed many versions of the 3.8 using 10 different blocks and eight different head designs (do not assume a internal part will interchange from a 1995 3.8 to a 2000 because it may very well not). By the time it was dropped in 2004 (2005 had the new 4.0) the 3.8 was a different motor from what Ford started with. Streetlight to streetlight, my daughter’s 2002 3.8 with a 5 speed surprised many V-8 GTs with its acceleration and the only thing we ever did to both of our Mustangs was replace the air filter with K&N filters.

    I had a 2005 Focus with the 2.0 PZEV engine and a automatic. The mileage was no better than the 2000 Mustang but it was very reliable and never broke down in the 88,000 miles I owned it. The V8 Thunderbird I had was great with the only problem I ever had being a frozen smog pump.
    (My kids’ first car was a 1989 Escort with the ATX automatic which ran great until my son tried to go around a curve to fast and it was retired.) His current Taurus, with the Vulcan 3.0 seems to have ample power but does not get the mileage I would like.

    The Crown Vic is a car I like and the modular engine is a proven power plant but my kids did not like how big it was (which I thought strange because my daughter loved driving my T-bird and has no problem in my Rancheros even when towing a trailer).
     

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