I need help picking a car!

[bobby_7 0]

so i am no longer able to afford my 2003 dodge neon, so its time to sell that and get something cheaper

well i am between 2 cars right now, one is a 1999 ford ranger with 144k and nothing extra. no carpet, vinyl bench seats, 5spd, thats about it. the other car is a 1997 ford contour, GL i believe, has power everything, auto, and here's the shocker, it has 244k....

well first off, i am only getting this car to last me about 2 years, until i graduate college, so it needs to be able to last that long..

the contour has pretty much everything new except internals, it has a new battery, new tires, new alternator, new water pump, new radiator and hoses, used transmission with 80k miles on it, pretty much all the major components except for internals. all the miles are highway driven, as the owner has a job about 50 miles from here, so it was driving 100 miles per day, and thats it, they have another car for stuff around town. i know the owner, so they are good for their word.

i guess my question is, does the contour just have too many miles, or do you think it could last a few more years?

i like the truck, but i am afraid of being very unhappy with the ranger because it is so plain, rubber floor, vinyl bench seat, crank windows, 5 spd.

i just can't decide..

[ANeonRider 3]

Pick up a cheap 1st gen Neon

[topgun 262]

I would not go for that contour, I would think at that many miles, the power acc. will be starting to crap out on you, which causes a big headache.

[bobby_7 0]

Pick up a cheap 1st gen Neon

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

can't seem to find one that either fits in my price range or is close enough to me, i can't drive cross country to pick it up....

i wouldnt mind a quick little 2 dr. 5spd 1st gen tho...

[bobby_7 0]

just went and test drove the contour..

its a really nice car, interior and exterior are better than average for that many miles. there are 2 dents in the whole car, about the size of a dime, and the spoiler is oxidized, but the rest of the paint is fine. drives really nice, power windows all roll down and up quickly, a/c works great, cruise is working....

its actually a nice little car, only thing that needs done to it is a new windshield which isnt that bad, just one crack down the center of it.

i almost want to get it, just because assuming i sell my car for at least $6000, i can pay cash for it and have liability insurance..

just that 242k miles scares me....

[Eldorado 0]

You have $6000 and thats the best you can come up with....

I would get the ranger. As long as it has some form of A/C.

[bobby_7 0]

You have $6000 and thats the best you can come up with....

I would get the ranger. As long as it has some form of A/C.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

no, i dont have $6000...

i am having zero luck with selling my car, been trying for about a month now, and im also having zero luck finding a job, and been trying at that for about a month as well...

if i can get $6000 out of my car, i will have $1600, because my payoff is $4400, and i can't afford a loan, so i will have $1600 to buy a new car..

the bad part is, my car is worth about $7000-$7500 and i can't even get $6500 out of it...

im kind of in a pickle

[Eldorado 0]

If thats what you have narrowed it down to id get the truck.

They have better resale value than cars

[PaulD 0]

decent paying jobs are always hard to come by unless you know someone .... seems like everyone else wants them too

[bobby_7 0]

decent paying jobs are always hard to come by unless you know someone .... seems like everyone else wants them too

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

agreed definitely

i still can't decide what im going to do....hopefully after more shopping around, i'll come up with more options..

[CBFryman 2]

The ranger, I hardly ever use my AC...even here in FL. They ranger is also a dependable SOB. Much more so than the contor.

You may also want to look into an arealy 90's toyota or honda. You could chit in the gas tank and they would still run.

[bobby_7 0]

ok, just got back from the dealer a little bit ago, and he shot me a pretty dang good deal.

after the trade in of my car, the loan was going to be $1400...he just dropped that to $890 because it needs a new windshield, new brake pads, new ball joints, and new tires. he is throwing in a new windshield, but nothing else. everything else seems to work great, except it makes a weird whining noise which sounds like possibly the power steering pump, but i am having a mechanic check it out tomorrow so i will know for sure then.

so possiblility of me getting a 1999 single cab ranger is looking pretty good

it is single cab, so that means bye bye to the 13Ov.2 and hello...possibly an 8" sub....

[ANeonRider 3]

Rl-i ftw

[Eldorado 0]

The powerstrering pumps always whine in fords.

my old friend's mom had an aerostar, that PS pump was crazy loud

[bobby_7 0]

Rl-i ftw

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

ahhhh, great minds think alike

only question i had is if the Rl-i would fit....

i've had a ranger before, but i can't remember what my max mounting depth was....

i wont be able to pick that up right away, i'll need to save, but i thought about gettin a Mach 5 10" to hold me off, im curious about these subs..

[Eldorado 0]

Mach 5 needs to make an 8

[bobby_7 0]

Mach 5 needs to make an 8

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i could go for that, i could probably go with a dual 8" setup for $70, and that includes the price of the box i'd have to make, and that would be max, probably could be done for less..

[Tirefryr 1,742]

The powerstrering pumps always whine in fords.

my old friend's mom had an aerostar, that PS pump was crazy loud

It's not all Fords. Generally the slower ratio steering vehicles have this problem, especially the FWD vehicles, but it can get annoying. I want to bitch slap the pump in my Taurus every day. Personally, I'd bargain with them a little. I know it makes it hard being as how they are helping to dig you out of a hole, but being a dealership, the very least they should do is routine maintenance to used vehicles. The pads should be replaced, tires, and balljoints. Technically, they are selling a vehicle unfit for the road IMO. I don't know exactly how the law works on that, but if you were to get in an accident caused by these parts failing, they could be held liable. Take that into consideration.

[bobby_7 0]

It's not all Fords.  Generally the slower ratio steering vehicles have this problem, especially the FWD vehicles, but it can get annoying.  I want to female dog slap the pump in my Taurus every day.  Personally, I'd bargain with them a little.  I know it makes it hard being as how they are helping to dig you out of a hole, but being a dealership, the very least they should do is routine maintenance to used vehicles.  The pads should be replaced, tires, and balljoints.  Technically, they are selling a vehicle unfit for the road IMO.  I don't know exactly how the law works on that, but if you were to get in an accident caused by these parts failing, they could be held liable.  Take that into consideration.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

well actually, when we went to the dealership to talk to them, they had taken it to the shop to replace everything except the power steering pump. the salesman told me once they were done with that, the price would go up $1000, so i told them to stop, and i said i could fix all that for $500, so what the dealer did, they aren't going to fix it, and rather than me paying $1000 extra for them to fix it, they took off $500, they can either take that off the price, or literally write me a $500 check to have those things fixed, and i can do it. they are selling the truck for $2300, so there isnt a whole lot more that i can do to get the price down, its worth $4500.

[///M5 2,833]

I don't like either option. Neither are real 2 year solutions that are all that reliable. The truck is the better of the two, but the problem you are having is that the dealer needs to be able to make $1500 per car and if you trade yours in it will basically be like throwing that money away. Drop your price and sell it yourself and you will be better off.

[bobby_7 0]

I don't like either option.  Neither are real 2 year solutions that are all that reliable.  The truck is the better of the two, but the problem you are having is that the dealer needs to be able to make $1500 per car and if you trade yours in it will basically be like throwing that money away.  Drop your price and sell it yourself and you will be better off.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i think that since i am down-grading from my neon, either way i am pretty much going to lose. its just a lose-lose situation and i'm gonna have to cut my losses and move on. i have tried for a month to sell my car, started at $7500 and im now down to $6500 and still nothing. i have only recieved 1 offer, and that was for $5000 cash, not even a real offer. all i can do is pick the car that will last longest and hope it works. oh well, thats life isnt it? just take some risks and hope it works..

[Jmac 24]

Downgrading from a Neon ...

That's a phrase I never thought I'd see in my life ...

[CBFryman 2]

The power steering pump in my truck wines like a bisnatch, especailly when I get near the locks.

[CBFryman 2]

Downgrading from a Neon ...

That's a phrase I never thought I'd see in my life ...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

LMAO

[bobby_7 0]

Downgrading from a Neon ...

That's a phrase I never thought I'd see in my life ...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

LMAO

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

haha

x2

i guess it is possible when coming from a college student, haha.