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Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 389
CEG\'er
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CEG\'er
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 389 |
You know, I got into a drag race with an IS300 in the Explorer and I will never forget the look on the guy's face as I hung with him all the way upto 60. It was an auto-stick circa 2002 model. I guess they could be fast with a stick, but he found out that not all SUVs are slow. 
The IS300 disappointed me. It would hand the Explorer its rear end in a real road course, but the SVT Contour could do a good job as well I bet. How is the SC300?
And also, I don't think Ford engines are trash. If Ford engines are trash, than that Sonata my family rented once with the brake line that popped off the master cylinder was a good car.
2000 Contour SE
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 54
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OP
CEG\'er
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Posts: 54 |
Originally posted by Kremithefrog:
Whatever you do, don't buy a VW. Biggest POSs ever. I'd take a kia or hyundai any day over a VW.
My parents have a Passat and they hate it, hate it, hate it. They like Subarus, so I expect that's what they'll go back to. Good for Great Lakes winters.
I'm now just sort of checking through a list of smallish cars that are reasonably pleasant to drive and use less gas than a Contour. So far, models I know I should check include the Focus, Mazda 3, Impreza, Mini, Neon, Cavalier, Cobalt, Ion, Corolla, Celica, Matrix, Sentra... I haven't finished the list yet. I'm sure most of the preceding will suck in obvious ways. And most of those that are left, like maybe the Neon, will have distinct trustworthiness shortcomings.
. . . Two zetec Contours, two blown head gaskets... for some reason I have a Japanese car now.
anybody in California want a Diehard Gold 100 month battery? inquire by PM.
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 54
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OP
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Originally posted by SVT25:
I think his name says it all. "Cheapest GL around" maybe if you put some money into it it would have lasted a little longer.
What would you have done, if your good Contour got destroyed a week before you lost your job? I got a fixer-upper for less than half of the insurance payment.
(Now I've got a better income than ever, and am looking to buy new.)
Anyway, the reason I don't want any more Ford engines is not just because the cheap one that got trashed by its previous owner had a failure, but because the good one I had before, which was properly taken care of, also had a major engine failure... at less than 70000 miles, with every sign that the failure was due to corners cut during manufacturing. We repaired it, but still. Two in a row is at least one too many.
That's actually the third catastrophic engine failure I've had; the third was an eighties Mitsubishi. Since then it's become clear that Mitsubishi is the one Japanese brand whose cars are less reliable than Detroit's. Now that Chrysler has cut off their allowance, I wouldn't be surprised if Mitsubishi ends up driven out of the car business entirely.
. . . Two zetec Contours, two blown head gaskets... for some reason I have a Japanese car now.
anybody in California want a Diehard Gold 100 month battery? inquire by PM.
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Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 389
CEG\'er
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CEG\'er
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 389 |
Stereotyping an entire company's engine lines because of two failures is not a wise thing to do. Did you know that the Mercury Villager has a Nissan motor? So, would you buy the car then? It doesn't have a Ford motor in it, but it's still a Ford product. The Lotus Elise has a Toyota motor, but it's still a Lotus right?
2000 Contour SE
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 5,345
Addicted CEG\'er
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Addicted CEG\'er
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 5,345 |
Any vehicle bought new and maintained well will give many years of good pleasurable trouble-free driving. 
"Always do the cheap and easy ones first."
1996 V6 ATX 96K miles
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 655
Veteran CEG\'er
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Veteran CEG\'er
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 655 |
Originally posted by Tony2005:
Any vehicle bought new and maintained well will give many years of good pleasurable trouble-free driving.
That's generally the case. However, there are exceptions. For instance, my grandma bought a 1986 Jaguar XJ6 Vanden Plas in 1985. She had it maintained by the Jaguar dealer at the required intervals, but it was never a trouble free car. The electrical system was a nightmare, as was the HVAC system. Things always broke at the worst times. Probably the worst thing it ever did was when the heater failed in 1993. It failed in mid Feb, 2 days before my step grandfather died. We had to take it to the graveside service because her Toyota was in FL. That was the coldest, most miserable car ride I've ever had.
She couldn't keep the car after that. It had provided her with 7 years of one-way service, monthly flat bed towings, and expensive repairs. After it left us freezing when her husband died, that POS was gone.
My point is that there are some cars, that no matter how well maintained, are unreliable cars. If CheapestGL wants a reliable small car, a Corolla isn't a bad choice. I own a 2005 LE. Loaded they are nice cars. A Mazda3s isn't a bad choice either. I'm driving one of those this semester, and again, it's not a bad car with the right options. Civics are good small cars also, but they don't have the sporty nature of a 3 or the reliability of a Corolla. Stay far, far away from the new Cavalier/Sunfire, Cobalt, Neon, and earlier generation Foci if you're lookin at used cars.
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 9,196
Hard-core CEG'er
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Hard-core CEG'er
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 9,196 |
Originally posted by cheapest GL around:
Well, my inexpensive fixer-upper GL just shat all its oil out the tailpipe while in the left lane of the freeway, and by the time I had come to a stop the engine was completely seized up. I'm guessing it was most likely the head gasket. I had another Ford head gasket failure just a few years ago, so I'm taking this as a lesson not to buy Fords anymore.
I think I'm gonna be a tree-hugger and get a Civic hybrid.
The other Ford with a head gasket problem was a 3.8L, right 
"THEE" Roger R
USMondeo@aol.com
2005 Crossfire Limited coupe'
-FOR SALE @buyout price & I'll...
-throw in my 93' Regal as winter car
*Dragon Run 06'...Oct 12-15th*
Puur-fection Auto Detailing
Complete packages from $140.00
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 3,840
Hard-core CEG\'er
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Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 3,840 |
Originally posted by Kremithefrog:
Whatever you do, don't buy a VW. Biggest POSs ever. I'd take a kia or hyundai any day over a VW.
Well....crap. 
-SAV
Troll. 1997 VW Jetta MkIII GLS 5spd
All hail my appearance on CEG!
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Joined: May 2001
Posts: 215
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CEG\'er
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 215 |
My 1979 F-150 is a ford, I bought it about 5 years ago for $600. The thing wont stop running! Now I am using it to tow around my $20k SVT contour thanks to the crappy engine. Thats irony for ya...
See ad in Classifieds, Price lowered to $8,500. Buy it!
59K Miles, Original Owner, 3 liter built by Buckshot, Headers, HMS trans
Subframe Connectors, H&R's, Koni's, Rage 5.0 17's, Pole Position Tires
Removed Resonator,KKM Intake,ShoShop Y-Pipe
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 54
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OP
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 54 |
Originally posted by red99sesport:
Originally posted by Tony2005:
Any vehicle bought new and maintained well will give many years of good pleasurable trouble-free driving.
That's generally the case. However, there are exceptions.
And sometimes the exceptions are powered by Zetecs. It may be a nice engine design, but when the factory cuts corners on finishing the head gasket mating surfaces...
I test-drove a bunch of small cars, and the Mazda 3 kicks so much buttawk compared to everything else that it's no contest. The only other car in the running, if I decide to opt for sensible instead of sportular, is the Toyota Matrix wagonette. My only big reason for shying away from the 3 was because it's a Ford engine, but the salesman assures me that even if it looks just like a duratec 4 from a Focus or Escape, it's not, since it's manufactured in Hiroshima. But then, you have to check up on everything these guys say.
According to one review of the 3, "Mazda developed the engines and transmissions, Volvo did the chassis and safety, and Ford did the suspension design." That sounds cool.
. . . Two zetec Contours, two blown head gaskets... for some reason I have a Japanese car now.
anybody in California want a Diehard Gold 100 month battery? inquire by PM.
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