Looking for a $1000-$2000 commuter car

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Originally Posted By: The Critic
Originally Posted By: rudolphna
Originally Posted By: KrisZ
I think the next great used car will be the Fusion, it already proved itself as very solid car as far as warranty claims, and will be much cheaper than Accords and Camrys.


I agree with this, the fusion has a very solid drivetrain, especially with the I-4.


As usual, do you ever driven any of the cars that you praise (or bash)?

I have no idea if the Fusion will be less expensive to operate in the long-run, but the design does not appear to be anything special compared to the competition so I have no reason to believe that it'll be anything better (or worse) than the competition.


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sure STOP when it is bad stuff about Ford.... But if it is good please continue.....
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http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/default.aspx?make=Saturn&model=SL#used

I am obviously biased since I drive a Saturn, but that is what I'd go for. They are over sized go-carts. If you can turn a wrench you can do anything to these cars.

I would definitely go for an SL2 if you are looking for a Saturn. My SL with the SOHC is the bane for others on the road accelerating from a dead stop.

I am "frugal and proud" as others say and this car has only asked for (1) ECTS and (2) muffler straps (northeast salt) since it rolled off the assembly line...besides fluids, tires, brakes, oil, filters and gas.

My Saturn only uses ~1qt every 4,000 miles. If you get a saturn older than 99 they re-worked the piston rings and they don't drink oil as much.

111,650 miles averaging 35mpg. I'm pretty happy with it.

Good luck with the car search.
 
Originally Posted By: The Critic
Originally Posted By: rudolphna
Originally Posted By: KrisZ
I think the next great used car will be the Fusion, it already proved itself as very solid car as far as warranty claims, and will be much cheaper than Accords and Camrys.


I agree with this, the fusion has a very solid drivetrain, especially with the I-4.


As usual, do you ever driven any of the cars that you praise (or bash)?

I have no idea if the Fusion will be less expensive to operate in the long-run, but the design does not appear to be anything special compared to the competition so I have no reason to believe that it'll be anything better (or worse) than the competition.


Yes, actually I have. My uncle has an 07, and my cousin in florida has a 09. My uncles/aunt's had 98,000 miles on it when I was there in the summer, it's the 4 cyl and auto. The only thing they have put on it is tires and oil (every 5K miles). My cousins has 23K, and nothing has broken yet. I drove my uncles, aunts, and I really liked it. It had some pretty good pep, and the ride was smooth.

I've looked at the malibu, haven't test driven one yet. I've ridden in a 2002 Toyota Camry (rental) in florida last time wasn't super impressed with it. When our truck was in the shop for getting body work done after someone hit the rear quarterpanel and bashed it in, we had a Honda CR-V as a rental, it was ok the dash had a very strange layout (to us) but I didn't like it any better than our expedition.

Never driven or ridden in an altima, can only tell you what I've heard/read. I really like the exterior design of the new Honda Accord, but you won't see me buying one.

EDIT: And really, I don't bash. Not like rszappa1 here. How many people say the Cavalier is awful, yet have never driven one or ridden in one? How many people say that The Jeep 2.5L/4.0L is awesome yet have never owned one, or driven one? I have ridden in one toyota, and one honda that I can remember. I don't bash them, I prefer Domestics. But I explain WHY. As far as I know, rszappa is only bashing Ford because he is either A) Just a Troll B) Works for Toyota, Hyundai, Whatever or god knows what elese. Maybe he had 5 Fords over the years and they all blew up when driving down the highway I don't know. But to bash just for the sake of bashing is dumb.
 
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Originally Posted By: GMFan
If you get a saturn older than 99 they re-worked the piston rings and they don't drink oil as much.


That's kinda backwards... the 99 and olders burn MORE oil. I think OP covered this car.
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I replaced my saturn's muffler strap with universal pipe strapping from lowes... It's bendy metal about an inch wide with holes every inch. I got a 25 foot roll for like $3.50 and it's enough to do about eight mufflers.
 
Sorry I owned one Ford and it was a pile of ....... never again..... I have owned 7 chrysler products over the years... all were good except the PT..... that was a pile also..... Have owned 4 Hondas never any problems with them.....
 
My friend has 2 Honda Accords...Both needed new transmissions,one needed a new engine and both needed major a/c work plus other front end work....One was a 00 the other 02....They will not make 200K miles without a swiss bank account...They traded both of them in for Fords...Now they have nothing to complain about.

I would say you would call the Honda Accords 2 piles of junk.
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
Originally Posted By: GMFan
If you get a saturn older than 99 they re-worked the piston rings and they don't drink oil as much.


That's kinda backwards... the 99 and olders burn MORE oil. I think OP covered this car.
wink.gif


I replaced my saturn's muffler strap with universal pipe strapping from lowes... It's bendy metal about an inch wide with holes every inch. I got a 25 foot roll for like $3.50 and it's enough to do about eight mufflers.


I'm already tired and it's only monday.
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I meant 1999 and later or "younger"
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Originally Posted By: rszappa1
Sorry I owned one Ford and it was a pile of ....... never again..... I have owned 7 chrysler products over the years... all were good except the PT..... that was a pile also..... Have owned 4 Hondas never any problems with them.....



You shouldn't base your entire view of a company and it's products on one poor product. What kind of view of Honda would a person who owned a late 90s, early 2000 Accord draw? Probably a pretty poor one with the high transmission failure rate. What would a person who owned a early 2000 chrysler 2.7L that sludged up so bad the engine failed draw? Not a very favorable one I would wager. My point is that companies deserve a second chance. Especially ones that have made as huge of a comeback as Ford has.
 
Why??? When the cars you have been purchasing over the past 4 years have had no problems at all..... No reason to give them a second chance.
 
Originally Posted By: rudolphna


You shouldn't base your entire view of a company and it's products on one poor product. What kind of view of Honda would a person who owned a late 90s, early 2000 Accord draw? Probably a pretty poor one with the high transmission failure rate. What would a person who owned a early 2000 chrysler 2.7L that sludged up so bad the engine failed draw?


The same kind of opinion as the 2.3 million current Toyota owners?
 
Honda/Toyota bashing isn't necessary. I had '80 and '86 Civic that were garbage. Both of my '89 Tercels were junk. But they were also $40, $400, $175, and $300 cars. I can look past that if it's a nice enough car, but looking at sub-$2000 Civics and Corollas just reminds me of the shape mine were in and I'll pass on most of them for that. I have added two more 1995 model Corollas to the spreadsheet, one at 144K miles for $1300 and one at 210K miles for $950. Neither appears to be ridden hard and put away wet.

Ford/Chrysler bashing isn't necessary. I've had good and bad. I'm pretty clear on which ones to steer clear of (2.7L Chryslers, Contours and Mystiques, etc etc ad infinitum) and although the opinions on the 97-02 Escorts are mixed, I see more positives than negatives.

I'm probably cutting out of this thread because needs/desires have changed. Wifey found a 1989 Suburban for $500 in spectacular condition with an EGR problem and exhaust leaks. If the rest of the truck is half as nice as the high-res photos the seller sent, that's getting bought. But it's not really cutting much into the econocar thread as much as one of two other vehicles I found.

One, a 1975 Gran Torino sedan for $800 that he seller claims is in better shape both cosmetically and mechanically than my white 1976 model. It has the 351W engine instead of the 351M, which means an easier job to put an AOD behind it. It also is supposed to have a near perfect interior and was a one-owner garage kept car. If all this IS true, then purchasing this means a swan song for the '76 and it would get put up for sale after I swap a few small bits I've installed over to the '75. But the seller is flaky and doesn't want to send pictures or return phone calls. The car is an hour away but I'm willing to make the drive to at least see if it's worth it.

Second, if the '75 doesn't pan out, is a 1979 Ford F-150 Supercab truck. Doesn't sound all that great until I mention the casting code on the block denotes it has the rare FMX block engine, swapped in a decade ago from a '71 LTD. Putting this 400 into my Torino would ease the AOD swap as well, and the engine is supposed to have 100 miles or so on a top end rebuild. This is also an $800 vehicle. It looks like death warmed over but a dentside SuperCab is a behemoth of parts for resale. I could swap the motor into my car, bolt it up to an AOD, enjoy better mileage in the sedan, make a couple grand parting out the truck and the running 351M/FMX I pull from my car, and use that money towards paint and interior bits.

Lots of stuff running through my head at the moment, but getting a high mileage commuter car is less of a concern if I can get the Torino up within spitting distance of 20mpg. And where do I really go anyway? Most of my trips are under 30 miles round trip. Why buy an extra vehicle to save fuel when I wouldn't enjoy driving it like I do my bucket of steel? Why not get an AOD in my Torino one way or another, and have my 22mpg highway and my cushy ride as well?
 
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Just getting a beater now would leave you longing for more. I suggest a complicated 7-way trade.
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Man, I wish I lived in a place where 35-year old 'beaters' were common!

Up here, cars that old either restoration projects, of $40k show cars. Nothing in between!
 
I love Texas. Lots of clean dry cars here. Some of them even still run. My Torino *IS* a restoration project, but still drives well enough to use daily. I'll be sad while it and the truck are apart for the transplants.

Looking like the Suburban and the SuperCab are both a go for this weekend. The guy is going to bring the truck to me since he's not sure of the brakes (I don't care, I can do those later after the 351M is in there). The Suburban seems to run fine as is. So I guess we're done for vehicle purchases for awhile.
 
Pictures of the fleet must be forthcoming.

Wife was
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with me when I had seven vehicles on the property but that was a high spot and I got it all sorted out.
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The plan is for neither of us to have the need to go outside of an area encompassing four towns with things we need, the most common of those trips at 8 miles, the next at 13, the other two at 30-35. So there will be no need for trips into Fort Worth. And since both of us work at home now, a commuter car is no longer needed. What we do need is a 7-8 passenger vehicle with working air and heat for dirt cheap ($500 qualifies!), so the money originally earmarked for this project could go to other things.

Namely, an upgraded video card and power supply for her computer, minor repairs to the Torino and Durango, and workspace renovations for both of us. In other words, she's getting a nice desk and more speed for her already overkill i7-920 setup and I get the file cabinet from her old desk and a better chair.
 
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