A little advice please

[HBarlow]

The one I drove may have been a non-turbo late '70s model. It was dead slow.

 

[mwilson]

Mike,



I would separate any buying decision whatsoever, by at least a week, from all the test driving and brochure reading.

I think that is good advice, but I have one lead that I must track down Monday AM. Another Ford... ... .....

Stumbled onto a one owner 2009 Ford Taurus Limited with all the trinkets including Sync and Sunrof.

42,000 miles on it, has been sitting in a garage for 6 months tied up in an estate mess.

Has a couple of scratches on the rear bumper but that is it.

Has brand new Michelin rubber all the way around.



The price is righter than right, and the Taurus line from 08-10 check out as a good car. 5 star crash rated, good seating,



I can deal with gas mileage in the high twenties given the price that I was quoted today.



We'll see how Monday goes.



Mike.

 

[AEdelheit]

What year is yours?



The one I drove was a nice former one owner car in apparent good shape but was slower than Christmas.

2012, it has the Pentastar V6 thats similar power to the pilot, but the Hemi is an option in them... ... ... . Its for Her so I didint get much of a say in the engine and we got a great deal on it.





"Having just sold my '05 Cherokee, I'd steer away from them. Mine was super reliable, and drove well, but the mileage was lacking. At best, it would get 26hwy. With my wife driving, it went to 18city..... From what I read, talk to people about, and see around, the VW is an excellent car. Behind it, I'd say something like a Honda or a Nissan. They just won't die. Jeep did make some of their Patriots with the little turbo diesel '05-07, I think it was, and those little buggers seemed to be nice. I haven't seen enough of them around to get any real feedback on how good they are, but the mileage is supposed to be good..... but you were looking for new, so I digress..... Have you looked at the new Ford Ecoboost F-150? I drove one a few weeks ago and was impressed at the power. My cousin just got one for a company truck, and it will run a hole in the wind. He says he's getting 23mpg, and not being too easy on it.....



Have you seen the Chrysler Dart, yet, in person, I mean? It looks like a throw-away car, but I haven't been able to crawl around one yet. Using the Fiat 1. 4L turbo engine, I can't say it'd be guaranteed to be a POS, but I'm skeptical..... I'd think you'll have to keep your foot in it to keep boost and RPMs up, and that makes me think the mileage will suffer... ... Good news is it's not a new powertrain, it's been tested and worked extensively over the pond... . in the Alfa Romeo Giulietta... I don't know if that's good or bad. Someone said it had a wider track than a standard compact sedan... . better handling?



The 3. 6L Pentastar engine in the Chrysler is not looking too good, either... . New Summary: Federal safety regulators probe engine stall complaints in 2011 Chrysler 200 cars - The Washington Post That worries me, as I bought the wife a 2011 Durango with that motor..... the dealer can't get me a factory service manual, and even they have to get written permission before they can open it up to work on it. Why did I buy this thing? Oh, yeah, the Cherokee had almost 200k on it, and my wife almost always has the kids with her... ...



Whatever you do, stay away from any of the Chrysler 2010 3. 7L engine and any years of the 4. 7L V-8... . They are the most picked engines in the wrecking yards!!! I see the 4. 7Ls going out on crates every day!! The 3. 7L is almost as bad, but the biggest complaint I hear is lack of power, and Dad has a 2010 Jeep Wrangler that was born castrated..... so I think it's just a dud platform they abandoned... . Good news is that it's incontinence has spawned a large number of 5. 7L transplant kits, fairly reasonable. "



Im a little confused here, first off they redesigned the Grand Cherokees in 2011 so an 05 has nothing in common with it. You say the mileage is lacking at 18-26??? I cant think of any other 4x4 6cyl sport utility that can get 26 mpg. I cant see how you can think an Eco boost will be less problematic then a pentastar , look at how well Ford motors does with technology with that 6. 7, yaaa im sure that eco boost will be great Im not worried about the Pentastar in the 200, not good news but if its isolated to the 200 then its probably more of an engine management problem with that car not the pentastar itself . The VW Touareg is nice but does not have a good reliability record, we looked at them , honestly dollar for dollar the GC was a better deal. Lastly the Patriot never had a diesel nor was it even made in 05-07, that would have been the Liberty, we traded one in with the 3. 7, never had any issues with it in the 70k we had it for and had good power for that small of a vehicle, not saying the 3. 7 is a powerhouse but worked well in the Liberty. The Pilots are good cars, I really feel Toyota has gone downhill, there still good vehicles but not what they were 10+ years ago.

 

[sarj]

i normally wouldn't contribute here, but I will since I just bought something.



The woman had a car I didn't dig on too much so I was leaning on her for something different. It was an RX350. I was leaning towards an FJ originally just from 4WD perspective. She wasn't big on it. After a while and a good look, i was really looking towards a diesel, and was looking hard at a VW Toureg. She was pretty ok with it. We looked at everything else and ended looking at an ML 350 diesel. We bought that; cheaper than the VW, and nicer. Good for 30 plus on the mileage, tow rating was 7200 I think, and very nice in terms of ride, nice interior , features & over all size. A little pricey, but comparing everything similar, it had the best value. For us it's a good, nice multi-purpose vehicle for when we might want something other than the truck, which is still my preference.

 

[Mikey-KE7LBB]

I absolutely hate giving ANY credit to a gasser (Ford especially :-laf), but the most reliable and trouble free vehicles that I have ever owned were both of the '97 Ford Taurus' that I regretfully sold. One was a former company vehicle and the other was a wrecked, high mileage rental (280,000 miles) that I bought for parts for around $100... I ended up giving the nice one to my mom and replacing the passenger side strut in the other and just lived with the dents. I drove the wheels off of it while smiling all the way to the bank!!!



I also had a '98 TDI VW Jetta in the past and I have been kicking myself ever since letting that one go!! #@$%!



I have been looking for a Passat TDI to replace the Jetta, but they are still at a premium and hard to find here...



For now, I'm happy that I still see decent mileage out of the '92 W-350... IT DAMN SURE LOOKS BETTER THAN A CAR IMHO!!! :-laf:-laf

 

[HBarlow]

I think that is good advice, but I have one lead that I must track down Monday AM. Another Ford... ... .....
Stumbled onto a one owner 2009 Ford Taurus Limited with all the trinkets including Sync and Sunrof.
42,000 miles on it, has been sitting in a garage for 6 months tied up in an estate mess.
Has a couple of scratches on the rear bumper but that is it.
Has brand new Michelin rubber all the way around.

The price is righter than right, and the Taurus line from 08-10 check out as a good car. 5 star crash rated, good seating,

I can deal with gas mileage in the high twenties given the price that I was quoted today.

We'll see how Monday goes.

Mike.

Mike,

The Taurus sounds good but I thought you started this quest for cheaper transportation than provided by a 12 valve Ram. Won't a '97 12 valve deliver 20 mpg on highway commutes?

I know - you've been infected by the car bug. Its the disease that has kept mediocre to pitiful car companies like GM in business for approximately 100 years. I've been fighting it myself. I want a VW Golf or Jetta TDI but its hard to convince myself that paying $25k for a TDI to park in my barn while I ride my Goldwing that delivers a consistent 40 mpg will save money.

 

[NIsaacs]

Mike,

I want a VW Golf or Jetta TDI but its hard to convince myself that paying $25k for a TDI to park in my barn while I ride my Goldwing that delivers a consistent 40 mpg will save money.

But... . the Goldwing's wipers and heater don't work... . :-laf



Nick

 

[HBarlow]

No, they sure don't. And the air conditioner doesn't work when the temp is over 100* in west Texas or 113* and humid when riding through OKC!!!

 

[mwilson]

The 3. 6L Pentastar engine in the Chrysler is not looking too good, either... . New Summary: Federal safety regulators probe engine stall complaints in 2011 Chrysler 200 cars - The Washington Post That worries me, as I bought the wife a 2011 Durango with that motor..... the dealer can't get me a factory service manual, and even they have to get written permission before they can open it up to work on it. Why did I buy this thing? Oh, yeah, the Cherokee had almost 200k on it, and my wife almost always has the kids with her... ...

It is funny you should mention this, when they were offering me a great deal on a Chrysler 200 with the 3. 6 in it there was a fairly new Grand Caravan in the shop that was powered by the same Pentastar engine.

It needed a new cylinder head, not many miles on it. The heads are on "Intergalactic" backorder from Chrysler.

That does not bode well, I would think.



Mike.

 

[mainer29]

I just going to throw out a suggestion. This vehicle "Sticks to the road in ice and snow" and gets "up to" 29 mpg hwy and 22 city. They have a excellent reputation for reliability. Subaru Outback 4 Cylinder.
Subaru Outback | The New 2012 Outback Wagon

 

[mwilson]

I just going to throw out a suggestion. This vehicle "Sticks to the road in ice and snow" and gets "up to" 29 mpg hwy and 22 city. They have a excellent reputation for reliability. Subaru Outback 4 Cylinder.

Subaru Outback | The New 2012 Outback Wagon

They are a good car, I think that the head gasket issue is now under control.

A co-worker has a 2010 Outback, the only bad feature being the snow and ice will build up in the wheel wells and bother the steering a bit.

Plus that same build up of snow is hard on brake pads and rotors.

If you are just running them around town in a storm they are fine, it's just when you travel some distance at speed in a snowstorm.



Mike.

 

[HHhuntitall]

Im a little confused here, first off they redesigned the Grand Cherokees in 2011 so an 05 has nothing in common with it. You say the mileage is lacking at 18-26??? I cant think of any other 4x4 6cyl sport utility that can get 26 mpg. I cant see how you can think an Eco boost will be less problematic then a pentastar , look at how well Ford motors does with technology with that 6. 7, yaaa im sure that eco boost will be great Im not worried about the Pentastar in the 200, not good news but if its isolated to the 200 then its probably more of an engine management problem with that car not the pentastar itself . The VW Touareg is nice but does not have a good reliability record, we looked at them , honestly dollar for dollar the GC was a better deal. Lastly the Patriot never had a diesel nor was it even made in 05-07, that would have been the Liberty, we traded one in with the 3. 7, never had any issues with it in the 70k we had it for and had good power for that small of a vehicle, not saying the 3. 7 is a powerhouse but worked well in the Liberty. The Pilots are good cars, I really feel Toyota has gone downhill, there still good vehicles but not what they were 10+ years ago.

Hmm, incomplete and crossed thoughts, there..... I was thinking of the Cherokee and it's redesign ties in along the lines of the Durango I bought the wife, but I also wanted to mention the quality of the old one... . but Mike's not interested in used that much, so I strayed off subject... . again... . I mentioned the Ford Ecoboost, as so far, there have been very few complaints, and it's still a pickup... . with some potential and less emission headaches than the newer diesels... . Gasoline emission systems have been thoroughly de-bugged, for the most part, over the last 30 years or so..... But then again, Mike is looking for a car, and again, something with better mileage..... I got sidetracked. Again. The reliability issues with the Pentastar is not isolated to the 200; that was only one example.

It is funny you should mention this, when they were offering me a great deal on a Chrysler 200 with the 3. 6 in it there was a fairly new Grand Caravan in the shop that was powered by the same Pentastar engine.

It needed a new cylinder head, not many miles on it. The heads are on "Intergalactic" backorder from Chrysler.

That does not bode well, I would think.



Mike.

And that worries me even more about the POS in my driveway, luckily, still under warranty..... :{



I was going to get to the point that the VW was the best looking option I could see out there, just from my point of view, but I got sidetracked. Again.

 

[HBarlow]

I have had but not voiced the same doubts Edelheit expressed above about the Furd Ecoboost. It sounds like a high tech nightmare ready and willing to provide financial disaster to some unknowing buyer once the warranty expires.

I never owned one but the old inline 300 ci Furd six cylinder was apparently a very good reliable engine, even for service in UPS trucks. I don't think the same can be said for the Ecoboost.

 

[Simplysmn]

Hand's Down I would go with the Jetta I'm not your average guy and we just bought a JSW tdi and I love driving that thing it has lot's of get up n go and handles really nice in town we are picking off mid to high 30 mpg and on highway as long as I don't run 90 + we can get high 40's or better drove a Gas jetta yesterday and I know now we made the right choice going with the TDI

 

[HBarlow]

The VW TDIs seem to hold their value and are in demand as used cars. The worse the economy gets and the higher the price of diesel fuel, the more attractive VW TDIs will look to commuters, soccer moms, and as family cars.

 

[AEdelheit]

Hmm, incomplete and crossed thoughts, there..... I was thinking of the Cherokee and it's redesign ties in along the lines of the Durango I bought the wife, but I also wanted to mention the quality of the old one... . but Mike's not interested in used that much, so I strayed off subject... . again... . I mentioned the Ford Ecoboost, as so far, there have been very few complaints, and it's still a pickup... . with some potential and less emission headaches than the newer diesels... . Gasoline emission systems have been thoroughly de-bugged, for the most part, over the last 30 years or so..... But then again, Mike is looking for a car, and again, something with better mileage..... I got sidetracked. Again. The reliability issues with the Pentastar is not isolated to the 200; that was only one example.



And that worries me even more about the POS in my driveway, luckily, still under warranty..... :{



I was going to get to the point that the VW was the best looking option I could see out there, just from my point of view, but I got sidetracked. Again.

Ahh, I agree neither vehicle applies to the OP, sorry for the derailing! Sorry to hear how you feel about the Durango, every person Ive talked to about the Pentastar has been very happy, the news about stalling and head gaskets doesnt sound good but I also know every engine has its fair share of issues. Just did a quick search of the ecoboost, there definitely far from trouble free engines!

 

[HHhuntitall]

No worries, except about the one in my driveway..... should have researched it a little more..... I was judging the Eco-boost on what's been coming in the door at the three large dealers in my area. I've seen two transmission problems, but no engine problems, other than bad gas..... Meh, really a moot point, I guess. I just kinda think I might want one, but I'm getting off the subject... . again. Sorry Mike, don't actually mean to hi-jack your thread.....



Let us know how it goes tomorrow... ...

 

[AEdelheit]

Is there anything actually wrong with the Durango or just worried from what you have read online?

 

[mwilson]

Hey, you guys are not hi-jacking anything. I enjoy all of your comments whether it relates to what I am shopping for or not.



Most of us have cars now or are considering one to end run the Diesel prices and keep our trucks for when they are needed... .



I had no idea that this thread would build up posts so fast, it's great.....



Mike.

 

[jgillott]

Hey, you guys are not hi-jacking anything. I enjoy all of your comments whether it relates to what I am shopping for or not.



Most of us have cars now or are considering one to end run the Diesel prices and keep our trucks for when they are needed... .



I had no idea that this thread would build up posts so fast, it's great.....



Mike.

Heck, you are certainly not the only one out there doing this. It's no secret that we have been running a 1/2 ton gasser quite a bit anymore. We have been through 2 since '05. There is a couple of things contributing to this for us in my opinion. First, when many of us started with these Cummins powered trucks ~ 20 years ago, they were extremely efficient, simple to work on, fuel was cheap, and they were really not that expensive in comparison to suv's or large sedans that were being offered at the time. I purchased my '92 a year old used with 21K on it for $13,500. Everything 4 wheel drive was in the low to mid teens at a minimum. I think my '01 was just shy of $28K new.



The second factor is the EPA regulations that we all need to face, like them or not. Unless you really are going to work them hard, the new ones simply don't pay in efficiency and reliability like they did in the past, especially with the current fuel prices. I don't know about how you all feel, but these $50K-$60K sticker prices have me a little turned off, especially when the ones I have are handling their duty quite well. Our '04. 5 is just about whipped at this point, but we'll have to jump off that bridge later.