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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 771
Veteran CEG\'er
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Veteran CEG\'er
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 771 |
As a Mystique owner, my advice is to run for the hills....get a Honda or Toyota. Contours and Mystiques will eat you alive in maintaince costs. My '99 is only worth about $1800, the worst investment I've ever made in my whole life.
-Mark-
'99 Mystique LS, totally original (including the original water pump and the premium stereo)! Bought new in December 1998 for $21,000.
208,000 miles
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 427
CEG\'er
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CEG\'er
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 427 |
Originally posted by Beachboy:
As a Mystique owner, my advice is to run for the hills....get a Honda or Toyota. Contours and Mystiques will eat you alive in maintaince costs. My '99 is only worth about $1800, the worst investment I've ever made in my whole life.
Say what? First of all, forget about an investment when you buy a car, unless you buy something like a Ferrari or similar.
I have a 97 Mystique, and maintenance costs have been quite low when compared to my (shudder) Toyota Tercel - I so hated that piece of unreliable s-h-i-t. If you want the complete horror story, I can give it to you - I'll probably never buy a Toyota again, and that one was my 4th.
Since I've bought it (used), I've changed:
the water pump (for obvious reasons)
the alternator (cracked after being submerged in water)
the heater fan blower
the A/C condenser.
The rest was normal maintenance like oil, filters, spark plugs and brakes. The car is 7 years old, has over 160,000 km now, and is driven in horrible road conditions - Quebecers know what I mean - you should see the amount of calcium they pour on our roads here, it's incredible.
My girlfriend's got a 2003 Civic LX, and had to change her alternator earlier this summer, ok it was warranty work, but at less than 25000 km? She misses her '99 Civic SE dearly. You should ask her about the 2001-up suspension setup - and try to calm her down afterwards! 
The nice thing about Hondas is that there is an immense aftermarket for them, and not for the Mystique - for example, I can't get new headlights for it, Contour guys can, and try to find exact-match foglights for them!
Would I buy a Honda? Sure I would! I have a friend who's chief mechanic at a Honda dealership, that's a major incentive! But even he woudn't buy a late-model one; he's got 2 Civics in his driveway, a modified 1995 and a 2000.
No car is 100% reliable. I've owned 11 cars so far, and the Mystique is probably the best so far, I'm hesitating because I really liked my 86 Civic Wagovan..  Think about it: there must be a reason why many CEG'rs own more than one, or buy another Contique when they wreck one.
Kyo
1997 Mystique GS Duratec ATX -- sold
2005 Focus ST - Quicker! - Still a Duratec!
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