Looking for a car for $4k or less

[Linctex]

Originally Posted by Spktyr
May want to look elsewhere on that Mazda 3. Everyone I know that bought one of that generation had major problems with it and there are other similar issues reported online.
Could also look into Hyundai Elantra or Kia Forte. Skip anything Toyota smaller than the then contemporary Corolla, skip any 5 speed automatic Honda.


^^ THIS ^^

I see a lot of really nice ones under $5,000

 

[Linctex]

Originally Posted by Ws6
Their 4.6 motors die after about 200-250k miles.


I know of many well over 400,000 miles. What is your source of info?

 

[atikovi]

Heard it on the internet so it must be true.

 

[sloinker]

Originally Posted by Linctex
Originally Posted by Ws6
Their 4.6 motors die after about 200-250k miles.


I know of many well over 400,000 miles. What is your source of info?



I think if someone actually did a study of mileage on junkyard cars it would definitely be South of 200k miles.Not saying there aren't engines out there going much farther but realistically most vehicles are crushed long before those big mileages.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted by sloinker
Originally Posted by Linctex
Originally Posted by Ws6
Their 4.6 motors die after about 200-250k miles.


I know of many well over 400,000 miles. What is your source of info?



I think if someone actually did a study of mileage on junkyard cars it would definitely be South of 200k miles.Not saying there aren't engines out there going much farther but realistically most vehicles are crushed long before those big mileages.


Sure, but if you were to apply that study broadly, I'd expect the Panther cars to have the highest mileage by a wide margin on average. Their use in LEO, Limo and Taxi service almost guarantees it.

 

[atikovi]

Originally Posted by sloinker
Originally Posted by Linctex
Originally Posted by Ws6
Their 4.6 motors die after about 200-250k miles.


I know of many well over 400,000 miles. What is your source of info?



I think if someone actually did a study of mileage on junkyard cars it would definitely be South of 200k miles.Not saying there aren't engines out there going much farther but realistically most vehicles are crushed long before those big mileages.


Cars get scrapped because of wrecks, rust and transmission problems well before engine problems. Saying that engines can't typically go over 200K because most of the cars in the junkyard have under 200K is flawed reasoning.

 

[super20dan]

Toyota is leagues better than honda. only thing under 4k I would look at is a camry.

 

[Ws6]

Originally Posted by atikovi
Originally Posted by Ws6
The only vehicle Ford made of the $4k or less era that I'd trust is a Ranger with a 5 speed. Their 4.6 motors die after about 200-250k miles, and will eat several automatic transmissions during that time. Their v6s are worse.


The Ranger never came with the 4.6, and in the Fords that did, it's one of the best engines they built. Plenty of Crown Vic taxis and Town Car limos with 400K or even over 500K miles on the original engines.

I have to disagree. Yes I know the Ranger never had a 4.6. I've experienced many 4.6L fords. They all began using oil around the 220-240K mile mark, none made it past 300K. We used 'em hard though.

 

[Ws6]

Originally Posted by Linctex
Originally Posted by Ws6
Their 4.6 motors die after about 200-250k miles.


I know of many well over 400,000 miles. What is your source of info?



Dad owned a dozen of them, put a few million miles on 'em. Rode in em growing up, going to work with him, etc and watched/learned how to work on cars on that specific platform. You?

 

[SteveSRT8]

One of our members here had a taxi biz in Canada and ran Panther chassis cars to 400k miles regularly.

My son is a huge Panther fan, currently rocking a 175k mile Town car, absolutely still a tight engine. Quiet and smooth as silk. He's now had at least 4 of them in every configuration, Grand Marquis, Crown Victoria, and the big Lincolns.

 

[Food Scientist]

I found several Toyotas all of the 07 year model, which I read are known to consume oil. Found an 04 Toyota Matrix as well with 118k miles, which my buddy has one and has no complaints. I also found a really nice 03 Lincoln Town Car with 88k miles for $4k. Old man had it, passed away and his son is selling it.

Already reached out to my friend to see if she wants me to look at them.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted by sloinker
Originally Posted by Linctex
Originally Posted by Ws6
Their 4.6 motors die after about 200-250k miles.


I know of many well over 400,000 miles. What is your source of info?



I think if someone actually did a study of mileage on junkyard cars it would definitely be South of 200k miles.Not saying there aren't engines out there going much farther but realistically most vehicles are crushed long before those big mileages.



Most junkyard cars here in NY are around 110K miles. Because you just can't get more than that out of a DD before it rots out.

 

[Ws6]

Originally Posted by SteveSRT8
One of our members here had a taxi biz in Canada and ran Panther chassis cars to 400k miles regularly.

My son is a huge Panther fan, currently rocking a 175k mile Town car, absolutely still a tight engine. Quiet and smooth as silk. He's now had at least 4 of them in every configuration, Grand Marquis, Crown Victoria, and the big Lincolns.


Is that 400K with engine swaps, though, and the chassis is what has 400K on it? I literally never saw that. Either from my Dad's fleet of cars (albeit small, spanning a decade), or while working at a Ford dealer.

 

[01rangerxl]

Originally Posted by madRiver
Specific to Mazda 3 that generation suffers from rust prone body at wheel wheels and typically the truck area. There a bunch of rusty ones with holes occasionally running around NH/ME/VT. Guessing it is our salt on roads that does it. Wonderful cars besides....


Yes, rust is the biggest issue for those cars in my experience. My sister owned two of them in NH and VT, a 2006 and a 2008. Both were pretty good cars until the rust took over. The 06 made it until about 2014 or 15, then she got the 08 (rust free Southern car) which lasted until about a year ago when she traded it for a new Civic. She didn't have many issues with the cars aside from rust related stuff, but she went through a few exhaust systems.

In the $4K range, I'd vote for the cleanest/least rusty mainstream brand vehicle (maybe not a Saab or Suzuki). There's just not enough good, clean cars at that price point to be very picky. Boring granny cars are a good idea, but you need to be just as diligent about checking for rust. Rust doesn't care if the car is parked or driving, just that the conditions are right.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted by Ws6
Originally Posted by SteveSRT8
One of our members here had a taxi biz in Canada and ran Panther chassis cars to 400k miles regularly.

My son is a huge Panther fan, currently rocking a 175k mile Town car, absolutely still a tight engine. Quiet and smooth as silk. He's now had at least 4 of them in every configuration, Grand Marquis, Crown Victoria, and the big Lincolns.


Is that 400K with engine swaps, though, and the chassis is what has 400K on it? I literally never saw that. Either from my Dad's fleet of cars (albeit small, spanning a decade), or while working at a Ford dealer.


We'd routinely see cabs and limos with 700,000+ km on the original engine, some on the original transmission. I saw an airport Limo (Town Car) for sale with 1.2 million Km on it, original engine and tranny quite a few years back now, so whatever they were doing for maintenance was obviously working.

 

[Duffyjr]

Originally Posted by Snagglefoot
How about a first Generation Ford Fusion2007-2012). They are your typical Grandma car and are depreciated pretty well. Millennials don't want them.

Love the old people cars, how about 2004 or 05 LeSabre, 3800 is bullet proof.

 

[atikovi]

2006-12 Impalas can be had for next to nothing and are cheap and easy to repair and get great gas mileage.

 

[nthach]

Originally Posted by SVTCobra
I found several Toyotas all of the 07 year model, which I read are known to consume oil. Found an 04 Toyota Matrix as well with 118k miles, which my buddy has one and has no complaints. I also found a really nice 03 Lincoln Town Car with 88k miles for $4k. Old man had it, passed away and his son is selling it.

Already reached out to my friend to see if she wants me to look at them.

I'd pass on a oil burning Toyota, one day if your friend forgets to check the oil a rod/main bearing will spin or a rod will be thrown. Happened to someone I used to know with a Camry.

The Matrix is a Corolla wagon, so all the mechanical bits are available. Easy to work on, cheap to maintain(as long as it doesn't burn oil, a common Toyota plague that affects the Echo/Yaris/xA/xB/xD/Corolla and Prius as the miles get racked up).

Mazda3/Focus is also a good pick. Maybe a 07-on Hyundai Sonata or a Altima(WITHOUT the VQ35DE unless the oil gallery gaskets were recently serviced, a very common problem on Nissan VQ V6s but also a moderately big task to do). Might have to deal with a CVT in the latter.

 

[miden851]

Get yourself a Mazda6 MK1 you can get one for that price; a double wishbone to the front and multilink in the back suspension, with 2.3l MZR engine… these cars are made to last and anytime you hit the road they put smile on your face

 

[Ws6]

Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Originally Posted by Ws6
Originally Posted by SteveSRT8
One of our members here had a taxi biz in Canada and ran Panther chassis cars to 400k miles regularly.

My son is a huge Panther fan, currently rocking a 175k mile Town car, absolutely still a tight engine. Quiet and smooth as silk. He's now had at least 4 of them in every configuration, Grand Marquis, Crown Victoria, and the big Lincolns.


Is that 400K with engine swaps, though, and the chassis is what has 400K on it? I literally never saw that. Either from my Dad's fleet of cars (albeit small, spanning a decade), or while working at a Ford dealer.


We'd routinely see cabs and limos with 700,000+ km on the original engine, some on the original transmission. I saw an airport Limo (Town Car) for sale with 1.2 million Km on it, original engine and tranny quite a few years back now, so whatever they were doing for maintenance was obviously working.

Very interesting. We would go through 2-3 transmissions by 200k miles, and retire the engine 220-240, or it would throw a rod or spin a be a bearing or something and retire itself. These were 1992-1996. Before that were the 5.0s with AODs. Similar story, but the motors lasted a few thousand less.