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Should I "settle" for an SE?

People seem to forget SVTs are beat to hell at this point. There are some lucky ones out there who find well maintained SVTs, almost always from the south. I am unwilling to spend ~4-5k on an eight year old car that has seen more than two owners just because it is a bit faster and looks a bit nicer.

I have been actively searching for an SVT in my area for YEARS. I have come across many- and they were all in worse shape than my 96 Auto SE. In comparison, which would last me longer? An SE, garaged three years into ownership, babied it's entire life by a meticulous owner (who is also my neighbor) or an SVT performance version which has been GUARANTEED to be beat on by at least one owner of the two, or three before me. The function of the car is to be a Daily Driver, and it came to what I know about my car versus what I can speculate about anyone elses.

So, looking back, I am glad I've kept the SE. It's still low miles, and the only problems I've ever had were caused by my stupidity.

So in conclusion, IMO, if you can find an SVT in great shape then it is worth every penny; if not, do not bother.
 
I agree billdo.... very good - I feel the same about my SE - babied and nice when I got it, then I turned it into a whore. woops
 
Three years ago, I bought my SVT in North Carolina with 35,000 on it. The market's changed quite a bit since then. Not only are low mileage cars becoming rarer (naturally), but the prices are also dropping quite a bit. That said, I've got a buddy up here who decided that he was going to buy an SVT last fall, and I helped him look. He's got a good one.

I just jumped on Autotrader to see what's out there. I would advise you to be open to traveling, but this one isn't too far away, all things considered, as its in Illinois. There's also a guy on there with a Tropic Green with 20K, asking $14,000 -- the moon.

Anyway, check this red one out -- then get the dealer to come down a few grand, and you've got a car. Just a thought.

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j...engine=&fuel=&doors=&style_flag=1&cardist=940
 
he lives in Iowa guys. Needless to say he isn't going to find a lot of SVT's around his area. He could go visit Buckshot and see what he could turn up. I love my SE and my SVT. My SE was maintained like crazy when we got it. My SVT was alittle beat up. Paid $1900 for the SE 3 years ago with a 120K on the clock. Paid $2000 for the SVT 2 weeks ago with 122K on it. Price wise I would say you could find a SVT for the same price as an SE but you will have to wait to find it. And my SE does have some things that are better than the SVT. Quality of the interior is light years ahead, leather is of better, performance is sort of close but not really. You would need to drive both to see what I am talking about. LOL. I would not be disappointed if I only had the SE, it is still a very fun car over the ATX
 
I had the same decision to make last year.

SVT Contours are especially rare in Ontario and I was unable to find one I wanted for the price I wanted around here. I decided that if I really wanted one, I'd have to expand my search to the US.

I waited with cash in hand for around 4-6 months for the right car to come up. My patience paid off and I found the SVT I was looking for.

The CEG can be a good source for Contours because you can partially base your decision on the reputation of the seller. There are still some babied stock low mileage cars that some people here have suggested they may sell in the near future. Not only that, a regular CEG reader will also know of some cars to avoid. ;) I didn't end up purchasing from a CEG member, but came really close a couple of times.

Remember though, like any used car purchase, you have to project what kind of issues the car may have at its age/mileage and budget for possible immediate repairs. For the SVT, decided beforehand that I'd be willing to replace/fix the tranaxle if I had to. I'm also prepared to spin a bearing and have a 3L installed. I've got at least a five year plan with this car and may never sell it.

There are negative points to driving a SVT. Considering gas, insurance and the rarity of SVT specific parts up here, driving the SVT costs me around 10-15% more than driving a MTX V6 SE.

I'm glad I waited though. The SVT Contour has exceeded my expectations in every way so far. I think these cars are works of art, even in stock form. The overall balance of features is perfect for me. I'd have driven another 1,000 miles for one.
 
Insurance cost is a very good point. For the price difference in the purchase, your long term fixed costs will be higher with the SVT, especially if the SE is not a 'Sport' version. Replacement SVT parts are also getting rare. Just try & find an SVT body kit if you should ever have the misfortune of a fender bender.

The added costs will keep me away from an SVT 'cause I hate insurance companies right now. On the other hand, you've had two other non-SVT Contiques, so maybe an SVT would be a nice way to round out your CDW27 experience.

If I was spending the money; Mercury Cougar.
 
TourDeForce said:
If I was spending the money; Mercury Cougar.
Click to expand...

Yeah, how about a nice garage queen Fox body XR-7 with a turbo four or a 302? I know that's not what TourDeForce meant, but its what I thought of when I read it. I do like those cars.

I spent the ranch rebuilding that SHO in my signature, then sold it and kept the SVT, if that's any indication of how much I've enjoyed the SVT. I recommend them highly, and though some parts are very specific and thus rather rare, the car is solid and loads of fun. Mine has never missed a beat.

Regardless, I think the bottom line is that you want to make a move that you're happy with. Sleep on it, find the answer, and roll with it.
 
TourDeForce said:
Insurance cost is a very good point. For the price difference in the purchase, your long term fixed costs will be higher with the SVT, especially if the SE is not a 'Sport' version. Replacement SVT parts are also getting rare. Just try & find an SVT body kit if you should ever have the misfortune of a fender bender.

The added costs will keep me away from an SVT 'cause I hate insurance companies right now. On the other hand, you've had two other non-SVT Contiques, so maybe an SVT would be a nice way to round out your CDW27 experience.

If I was spending the money; Mercury Cougar.
Click to expand...

For liability on my SE it was $35 a month. For full coverage on the SVT it was $66 a month. I think it goes to say, it might not be a big deal. But then again I am 27 with no tickets or accidents.

Do they still make SVT front and rear bumpers? I know they stopped on the side skirts.
 
Yeah, like I said before when I buy this car I'm not likely to mod it besides Alarm/stereo like I've done on my car now, so I'm most likely stuck with what I get performance-wise and visually. Right now I only have liability on my Mystique paying $190/6 months as a 20 year old good student with one ticket 4 years ago, and I don't expect that I'd shell out for comp/col on a <$5000 car. A quick quote from Geico showed me the same cost/6 months for my car and a 2000 SVT so I'd assume that difference is negligible. I think the biggest difference in costs is fuel (premium isn't cheap, and it adds up over a while) and maintenance, since the SVT is more likely to have had an abusive owner.
 
Good luck in your search. I had to go to WI to get mine. I found a few worth buying (low mileage and "looked" clean) in western SD, PA, CA, and WV. All of them were considered overnighters or flights just to check the car out.
The one I bought in WI turned out to be the one I wanted the most. TRed and FSVT's already on it. Cha ching! :laugh:
If you want it bad enough, just keep looking. That's the best advise I can give. One will pop up, but you have to be willing to drop everything when it becomes available.
Erick --
 
The tough part is that I'll be busy most of this summer, and only have late Friday to Sunday afternoons off, keeping my car search limited to Saturday only. But I definitely want a new car before next winter, and hopefully next school year.
 
My insurance in Ontario went up around 50% from a 95 V6 LX to 99 SVT. I wonder if some insurance companies regard the SVT as a sporty car and others group all Contours together...
 
At this point I'm leaning toward waiting for the right SVT. The problem is that well taken care of low milage CSVTs are out of my price range for now.

Here's the SE I was looking at: link

They're asking about $700 over book and I doubt they'd give me much more than $1000 for my car.
 
PurpleMystique said:
At this point I'm leaning toward waiting for the right SVT. The problem is that well taken care of low milage CSVTs are out of my price range for now.

Here's the SE I was looking at: link

They're asking about $700 over book and I doubt they'd give me much more than $1000 for my car.
Click to expand...

well i think it depends on the recent maintenance done on that se. im telling you the 80-100k mark is a bigtime maintenance period in the life of a car. in my case it was the 70k-80k cuz my car's a bit older, being a '96. if it has new components like suspension, maybe a clutch, etc, it may actually be worth it rather than gettin the svt. but if ur lookin at the original suspension? that is a no-go IMHO.
 
TourDeForce said:
Insurance cost is a very good point. For the price difference in the purchase, your long term fixed costs will be higher with the SVT, especially if the SE is not a 'Sport' version. Replacement SVT parts are also getting rare. Just try & find an SVT body kit if you should ever have the misfortune of a fender bender.

The added costs will keep me away from an SVT 'cause I hate insurance companies right now. On the other hand, you've had two other non-SVT Contiques, so maybe an SVT would be a nice way to round out your CDW27 experience.

If I was spending the money; Mercury Cougar.
Click to expand...
Insurance cost? Please. Mine is under $800 a year for the svt. 21 years old. Wow, breaking the bank. And replacement parts for any contour are about the same. I see svt body parts available all the time on here or people on here finding them at junkyards. Maybe cost you a bit more than a SE body part, but it's a better body part (looks, aerodynamics) so what do you expect?
 
PurpleMystique said:
At this point I'm leaning toward waiting for the right SVT. The problem is that well taken care of low milage CSVTs are out of my price range for now.

Here's the SE I was looking at: link

They're asking about $700 over book and I doubt they'd give me much more than $1000 for my car.
Click to expand...
You're looking at spending $5k for a SE and talking about trading in your car? What the.... You can find SVTs in decent condition all day for $2k-$3500. Maybe have to drive a little ways to pick them up, but it's worth it. And then you can sell your car for more than $1000.
 
Pre98 said:
People seem to forget SVTs are beat to hell at this point. There are some lucky ones out there who find well maintained SVTs, almost always from the south. I am unwilling to spend ~4-5k on an eight year old car that has seen more than two owners just because it is a bit faster and looks a bit nicer.

I have been actively searching for an SVT in my area for YEARS. I have come across many- and they were all in worse shape than my 96 Auto SE. In comparison, which would last me longer? An SE, garaged three years into ownership, babied it's entire life by a meticulous owner (who is also my neighbor) or an SVT performance version which has been GUARANTEED to be beat on by at least one owner of the two, or three before me. The function of the car is to be a Daily Driver, and it came to what I know about my car versus what I can speculate about anyone elses.

So, looking back, I am glad I've kept the SE. It's still low miles, and the only problems I've ever had were caused by my stupidity.

So in conclusion, IMO, if you can find an SVT in great shape then it is worth every penny; if not, do not bother.
Click to expand...
Are you serious? I see many more SVTs better cared for than a regular contour. Of course don't buy one some random teenagers has been ragging out, but don't buy any car a random teenager has been ragging out.
My SVT was two owners before I bought it, a LOT less than the prices you're talking about, a little higher mileage than average but pretty well cared for (especially the important stuff, like the engine).

There are plenty of cheap, good conditions SVTs out there. I see them everyday on here. People picking up decent rides, needing very little work for $2k-$3k. You can't beat the value of a SVT contour.

By the way, before I got my svt, I thought I too couldn't afford one (during my financial situation at the time) but I wasn't looking. I just happend to get the best instant message on AIM that I ever got and I now have a svt. Since then, I've noticed plenty of people getting the same kind of deal I got. At the price they go for, it doesn't really matter if something breaks, you spend so little on a nice car that fixing something, even something major, still leaves you better off than going with any other comparable vehicle on the market.
 
Kremithefrog said:
You're looking at spending $5k for a SE and talking about trading in your car? What the.... You can find SVTs in decent condition all day for $2k-$3500. Maybe have to drive a little ways to pick them up, but it's worth it. And then you can sell your car for more than $1000.
Click to expand...

No, there's no way I'd pay their asking price. And I'd really appreciate it if you'd be so kind as to point out this plethora of >90,000 miles non-beat on SVTs for $3500.
 
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