Learn me Crown Vics

his generalizations are why the purchase price stays so low on these cars.

if 18 and 24 are good enough fuel efficiency numbers for you, the rest is just up to finding the right car.

Basically what Clementine said. Yes their run hard, yes their cheap, yes they get low mileage, yes they are terribly fun to drive. You'll get better mileage if you keep your foot out of it, but you won't. It's fun to floor. Those 4r70w transmissions are durable and versatile. I have one in my 5.0 F150. The engines aren't hard to work on. Things will fail, you will fix them, life goes on. Really, if you think their worse off than any civilian vehicle, you're probably wrong. Civilians who you don't know can only presumably have been even more harsh on a less capable vehicle.

You dig?

ClemSparks wrote: Yeah...always listen to your father-in-law when it comes to cars... Ok...just kidding. I'm no P71 afficionado (though I would like to own one someday)...but the folks above pretty much spelled it out. Miles don't matter. If one has high miles, they are probably highway miles. If one has low miles...that is likely from sitting around idling and stop-and-go (which is worse, in my opinion). They made millions of them and by that logic, I assume parts are CHEAP in new, used, and remanufactured form. The cop cars are usually the stripped down versions...which appeals to me because there are fewer things to go wrong and/or become inoperable. Since your father-in-law is chiming in...I assume there may be other factors at play here. What's important to you in the next car you own other than what you listed above (cheap, reliable, economical to operate)? And the thing about "who cares what cars sold...you're looking for one to buy"...What's up with that? Researching sold comparables is how you know if the one you end up buying is priced appropriately. Sold comparables are how the pricing is set by the seller...it's how selling stuff works. Clem

Clem, my FIL means well. But he's definitely the kind of guy who thinks the number of miles is the end all be all of buying used cars. He also doesn't seem to understand that we don't have tons of cash right now, and doesn't understand that my goal is to get out of debt (keeps suggesting we buy a new car). Road to hell and all that jazz.

Realistically I'm looking for a car that will last 2-3 years, be large enough to take my family places, won't be too expensive to buy or maintain, and won't be terribad on gas.

Sperlo, I dig. And granted the last few times I've listened to my in-laws things have gone terribly wrong for me, but I just don't wanna make a knee jerk reaction to spite them.

But as an aside, I opened up my search a little and found an 02 Taurus with 35k. They want 7k, but if they'd be willing to come down on the price that might not be such a bad deal.

Drewsifer wrote: we don't have tons of cash right now my goal is to get out of debt Realistically I'm looking for a car that will last 2-3 years, be large enough to take my family places, won't be too expensive to buy or maintain, and won't be terribad on gas. the last few times I've listened to my in-laws things have gone terribly wrong for me,

I singled out the important parts of your post above.

Don't take life advice from a guy who drives junk cars for fun (that's me...in case it's not clear)...but listen to YOU (your comments above).

Frankly the consequences (in the off chance your plan goes awry) are not that bad.

Clem

Drewsifer wrote: But as an aside, I opened up my search a little and found an 02 Taurus with 35k. They want 7k, but if they'd be willing to come down on the price that might not be such a bad deal.

You don't want an '02 Taurus....

I don't like Crown Vics much but they are easy to work on, cheap and comfy.

That's $6500 too much for an 11 year old Taurus.

If you're really concerned about ex-fleet vehicles (and I wouldn't be), look at the regular CV's and Grand Marquis and Town Cars.

My input: The 4.6L is a wonderful motor. It is darn near bulletproof. But, 281 cubic inches in a 4200-lb car isn't what I would call a good performance match. There are tons of aftermarket goodies to make it go fast, but its not a performance car without a buttload of money in upgrades.

My solution is to buy a 96 Chevy B-body caprice with the 5.7 LT1, add some cheap springs and good Bilstein shocks and run circles around any P71 that ever existed.

Run circles around what? With a Caprice? Stock springs, KYB shocks, ADDCO bars, and billet control arms/watts link.

Hntsvl_E30 wrote: Run circles around what? With a Caprice?

Hit a nerve, did I?

Not at all. I like big sedan competitions.

Hntsvl_E30 wrote:

I freaking dig it!

http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/cto/3405171898.html

or a 2010

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2010-Ford-Crown-Victoria-Police-Interceptor-P71-Leather-Interior-/190751203733?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item2c69a86195#ht_4817wt_1165

that'd be easy to borrow a little on.