Time for a new daily driver... What to buy for $10k or less?

[Kompresshun]

Well I officially traded in the Maxima this morning. I intended to sit on it for a while and try to squeeze as much as possible out of it, but I stopped at a local dealer today and looked at a couple of cars. I had them appraise the Maxima and they offered me $4,000 for it!

Needless to say, I took the money and ran, because I had it listed on Craigslist for that much.

I ended up buying an '06 Ford Five Hundred, which with my trade I only ended up with a $4,800 difference. Our salesmen at work drive them and they seem to be pretty reliable, low maintenance vehicles, and they have A TON of room inside them. This place also gave me a 3mo 3,600mi warranty(bumper to bumper) and a lifetime labor warranty, which basically means that I purchase the parts and they will install them labor free for as long as I own the car. That includes anything on the car. Anytime the car goes in the shop, I also get a loaner car as well.

Funny, I almost didn't stop by there because they were a smaller dealership

Photos later.

[MinisterofDOOM]

Five Hundreds are nice cars. The Taurus before it got needlessly bloated. And the Five Hundred name is SO MUCH BETTER than Taurus. The Five Hundred fascia (both ends) are also way classier than the chrome-chrome-chrome-chrome blocks of injection-molded chromed plastic on either end of the Taurus after the renaming.

They're NOT exciting cars, though. They're trying very hard to be classic American floatmobiles. As far as you can get from anything Maximalike.

[Kompresshun]

I agree that they're not exciting cars, but I wasn't all about excitement this time. I needed something comfortable for trips and commuting that gets good fuel economy. With this, I have any excuse to pick up something fun to play with later too, like a Z

[Bubba1]

I agree that they're not exciting cars, but I wasn't all about excitement this time. I needed something comfortable for trips and commuting that gets good fuel economy. With this, I have any excuse to pick up something fun to play with later too, like a Z

Congrats on your (yaaaaawn) Ford 500. j/k I actually rented a base model (FWD) in Minneapolis when they first came out, and it easily swallowed 4 adults + luggage. The things I remembered most about the 500 were its nice trunk, strong heater, and the view from the driver seat. Perhaps it was me but I felt I was sitting kinda high up for a sedan. I remember it felt odd at first but I got used to it. Did you notice that?

[Kompresshun]

I feel like i'm sitting up high in everything. I'm 6'3'', so I appreciate as much head room as possible, but no I haven't noticed it so far.

At least I didn't get the Toyota Camry that we looked at last night. Nothing can get more yawn than a Camry

I remember the same things from my past experiences with these cars though - the roominess, ride, and fuel economy are the biggest things that drew me to it. I bought it solely to be a highway car and trip car, which I think it will serve well as. Thankfully I found one with the 6AT instead of the CVT, so hopefully that'll be one less worry. It has a ton of features for an SEL too, which really surprised me. I think the only thing it's missing is the sunroof between it and the Limited.

[Kompresshun]

Here's the pics! It hasn't been detailed yet, because it's raining here, but it'll be getting detailed on Monday.

[Jesda]

When Ford designed these, gas was approaching $2.50 a gallon. The idea was to retain customers trading in their Explorers and Expeditions by offering them a more efficient sedan with the interior room they were accustomed to. I *think* it's actually roomier inside than a Lincoln Town Car.

It's also one of the safest cars ever made, built on the Volvo S80's underpinnings. You got one heck of a deal on it. Congrats!

[WDRacing]

Congrats on the new2you car man. That thing would make an awesome sleeper...just needs a remote mount turbo!

[MinisterofDOOM]

I feel like i'm sitting up high in everything. I'm 6'3'', so I appreciate as much head room as possible, but no I haven't noticed it so far.

Man, I know how you feel.

[Kompresshun]

Thanks on the congrats guys! I also got them to throw in an 18k mi/18 mo powertrain warranty, so no worries with the engine or trans for a while too.

Brian - I agree. A remote mount turbo would be sweet in it. It only makes 220ish hp stock, but with a turbo I bet it would be a blast

When Ford designed these, gas was approaching $2.50 a gallon. The idea was to retain customers trading in their Explorers and Expeditions by offering them a more efficient sedan with the interior room they were accustomed to. I *think* it's actually roomier inside than a Lincoln Town Car.

It's also one of the safest cars ever made, built on the Volvo S80's underpinnings. You got one heck of a deal on it. Congrats!

You are correct. When I sold Lincoln/Mercurys, our selling point for them was that they were more roomy than the Panther platform vehicles(Crown Vic, Grand Marquis, Town Car). It actually has more rear leg room AND a larger trunk as well. The trunk in the thing is insanely huge.

I didn't know it had the S80 underpinnings though. That makes me feel even better about the car. I hope that it serves us well, because our shop foreman at work has one with 256k miles on it and it's still rolling with no problem.

[bigbadberry3]

Congrats!

That also is a very nice warranty you negotiated.

[BusyBadger]

Congrats on the new2you car man. That thing would make an awesome sleeper...just needs a remote mount turbo!

Better not do that, Squires would be all over him how no one but STS can do a remote mount system.

[Eikon]

Congrats on the new2you car man. That thing would make an awesome sleeper...just needs a remote mount turbo!

Better not do that, Squires would be all over him how no one but STS can do a remote mount system.

[frapjap]

Congrats on the new2you car man. That thing would make an awesome sleeper...just needs a remote mount turbo!

Better not do that, Squires would be all over him how no one but STS can do a remote mount system.

Don't even mention the thought- they'll bombard your inbox so you can post about it on a forum.

Congrats on the new car. I had one of those for a rental and as Joel said, they're HUGE inside. Insanely spacious. Enjoy the ride- hopefully the sound system is rockin'.

[300ZXttZMAN]

Congrats Chris!

[Jesda]

With the encouragement of this thread we just bought a 2005 Ford Five Hundred to sell at the lot. I took it for a spin at the auction and was really impressed with how well it held together after 110k. The whole car is flawless with a strong heater and a smooth, quiet ride. The interior is rattle-free and well assembled, superior to many of the high-end cars I've driven with the same mileage. The leather is still nice too.

I should be able to sell this one pretty easily, especially with tax season approaching.

[WDRacing]

GLWTS! Personally I think the 500 is very plain. It reminds me of those wooden cars I had in Kindergarten back in 80.

[Kompresshun]

Glad to hear Jesda!

I'm still very pleased with mine overall - I just rolled over 130k miles last week. I've driven the car back and forth to Louisville numerous times now and it is honestly the best car i've ever taken on a trip. It swallows up luggage like an SUV and still averages 28-30mpg on the highway. It's a very solid, well built vehicle for the money and even at 130k, it has no major signs of wear aside from some minor cracking in the drivers seat leather.

Another big thing for me is the comfort too - it's honestly the most all around comfortable car i've owned so far. Now i've driven more comfortable vehicles, but most of those have been a bit too "floaty" for my taste. This car still feels connected to the road, but after a whole day of driving I don't feel fatigued or uncomfortable at all.

The only drawback to the vehicle is the lack of support for them. They were only made for two years(2005-2007) and while the 2008+ Taurus shares similar parts, the support just isn't really there for them. Some things i've learned from research and ownership so far:

1 - Avoid the CVT at all costs. The 6spd auto is the way to go, but service it regularly. Both transmissions had issues, but the 6spd auto was more solid and cheaper to repair if it breaks. Usually one replacement will last you for the rest of the life of the car.

2. The Throttle Body Control motor is an issue on these cars. You'll get a check engine light for it when it's going out, but don't hold off too long on replacing it. If you do and it fails, it will scare the crap out of you when it does. The vehicle will lose the ability to accelerate, but will continue to run. If it does happen, you can pull over for a few minutes and it will reset itself so you can continue on again, but it will only last a few miles. This part is easy to replace, but costs anywhere from $400-$800 to purchase depending if you go with OEM or aftermarket. I didn't have to buy this thankfully, the dealership I bought it from footed the bill. Usually one replacement is all you'll ever have to worry about, since Ford improved the replacement part.

3. Top torque rod mount - This is a $250 part at the dealership and has no aftermarket option. Thankfully with a little research I also found that a 98 Volvo S70 motor mount will work as a replacement for the bushing in the mount. You simply clean out the loose and broken pieces, then press in the Volvo mount with a rubber mallet or create your own press with a large C-clamp. This part costs $6-$20 depending on where you purchase it and works like a charm.

4. Puddle Lamps - These are located under the mirrors and were on option on the SEL model, then were usually standard on the Limited. They're little LED lamps on a circuit board inside the mirror and tend to fail from moisture. I'm currently working on a modification for this, because it costs $60-$70 for a replacement and that's rather high for a simple LED light on a circuit board.

Other than that, there aren't many other issues they have. They were a great all around car that people seem to forget about because of their bland styling and short production run. Between our Lexington branch and Louisville branch, 4 of us own them and the other 3 all have over 200k miles on them. One is nearing 300k and is still solid as a rock, with the only major repair being a transmission around 100k miles.

[Jesda]

My understanding is that the CVT was standard with AWD? I made sure to avoid AWD for that reason.


If it isn't sold by the end of January, I might drive it to Detroit for the auto show.

[frapjap]

Do the rear seats fold down for cargo?

[Jesda]

Yes. Dont know if it was a standard feature but I assume it was.

[Kompresshun]

The CVT was standard on the Limited model and I think the AWD models as you mentioned. The weird thing is I test drive a Montego Premier AWD which is equivalent to the Limited AWD and it had the 6spd auto.

Take it on a trip if you get a chance Jesda. I'd be curious to see what you thought of it, because so far I've enjoyed traveling in it, but I've yet to take it on a trip more than 2hrs.

My seats fold down exactly as above, which is awesome. Ford really put some thought into the utility of this car and overall interior. The interior and cargo space is quite generous and very usable too, which is a hard thing to find a happy medium with in a sedan at times.

[frapjap]

WOW! Now THATS making space. I may be on the look out for one of these as well.

[Kompresshun]

I know right? We took my old I30 to IKEA one time and I was surprised how much we fit inside of it. I can only imagine how much would fit in this thing, because it has A LOT more space.

You can pick them up for $6,500-9,000 in my area depending on condition. If you hunt, you may be able to find an even better deal. If you do find one you like, try to get a maintenance history on it. If it has less than 100k on it, you'll want to find out if the transmission has been replaced or not. Usually the OEM ones go out before 100k if they're going to go.

Another note is that if you're thinking about an AWD one, is that the FWD models usually come standard with traction control and it's a pretty good system. If it detects any slip, it immediately compensates for it and gets you grip fairly quick.

Also keep in mind that the Mercury Montego is the same exact vehicle, just with a few nicer features and slightly better styling cues. People tend to forget about the Montego even more since Ford dropped the Mercury brand.

[frapjap]

I know right? We took my old I30 to IKEA one time and I was surprised how much we fit inside of it. I can only imagine how much would fit in this thing, because it has A LOT more space.

You can pick them up for $6,500-9,000 in my area depending on condition. If you hunt, you may be able to find an even better deal. If you do find one you like, try to get a maintenance history on it. If it has less than 100k on it, you'll want to find out if the transmission has been replaced or not. Usually the OEM ones go out before 100k if they're going to go.

Another note is that if you're thinking about an AWD one, is that the FWD models usually come standard with traction control and it's a pretty good system. If it detects any slip, it immediately compensates for it and gets you grip fairly quick.

Also keep in mind that the Mercury Montego is the same exact vehicle, just with a few nicer features and slightly better styling cues. People tend to forget about the Montego even more since Ford dropped the Mercury brand.

Yep, definitely never thought of the Montego. I'll take a gander and search for one.

Thanks for advice on the transmission and general retail price as well- thats kinda a biggie with me and why I prefer to own manual transmission cars- especially if I'm planning to hold on to the vehicle for a while.

Can you completely defeat the traction control? That would be *very* helpful if making a slow assent uphill in the snow.

[Kompresshun]

Thankfully everyone that I know that has owned one has only had to replace the transmission once. The factory one had a few TSBs an issues, which were resolved later.

You can completely turn the traction control off. It has a button in front of the shifter.

It'll actually spin the tires while moving if you really get in it. You can ask Matt, since he was riding with me when I did it last. Scott(maxhopper) still whooped my a** though, but he had a manual transmission and at least 50 more hp on me, so I have an excuse

[Jmoore124]

Id get the Volvo wagon personally. Great cars, built like tanks. Personally like saabs, I would probably go for the newest 9 3 I could get. They make a wagon too. http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/ ... 49336.html I would look more into the 2.3 or 2.0 turbo, I am not sure on the v6 turbos gas mileage. But there is one for you in my area anyways. A lot of fun to drive, big inside and safe.

Edit.. just saw you bought a ford.

[Kompresshun]

I originally wanted a Volvo, but my personal mechanic(who works on german, swedish, japanese, ect) recommended that I stay away from them if I didn't like the repair bills on my Maxima. They're built like tanks, but the S60 and V70 can have some expensive issues, so I opted to go with something a little more simple this time. Honestly, if I could've found a clean one in my price range at the time, I probably would've still bought one. As Jesda mentioned earlier though - the Five Hundred has Volvo S80 underpinnings, just with a bland body over top and a dead nuts reliable engine.

I intend to pick up an old 240 or 740 wagon at some point though. I found a clean 240 5spd wagon on Craigslist recently, but I can't bring another car home right now... the wife would kill me.

[Jmoore124]

That is very true about the Volvos. The maintenance and repairs can be costly. And as you would have been looking at a lower price range Volvo, you would be running into issues before something newer.
You made a good choice, and if you like how it drives you will not regret it.
I picked up this saab about 4 months ago for 1300 bucks. I do all my own work, so I don't have to worry about repair bills as much.

[Jesda]

I do miss my 2001 S60 T5 but it had some electrical issues, primarily the electronic throttle module and ABS module. ABS could not be repaired so I put up with the error message and lack of ABS (I learned to drive without it). The ETM was thankfully covered by Volvo under an extended warranty, saving me a grand. That extended warranty has now expired.

The manual transmission (a very special order item for that year) was a bit balky but it was great for wringing the power out of that 250hp turbo I-5. It also had the greatest sound system I think I've ever heard in any automobile, ever.


The 9-3 suffers from some interior creaks but they're a hoot to drive. I think 05+ is when they worked out most of the bugs. I drove a 2011 recently and really enjoyed it, plus GM is now offering warranty coverage on Spyker-era Saabs thanks to a deal with Saab Parts and the Swedish government.