Crown Victoria or a Camry/Accord/Fusion?

[twinrider1]

It's time for a new, to me, vehicle.
Part of me wants old and dependable...full frame and RWD.
The other part of me is saying embrace modern technology and gas mileage...four banger and FWD.
I'm not looking for a driving experience. I just want to get from A to B.
I'm a big guy. Also, my mom is 77 and I have to take her mobility into consideration.

2011 Crown Victoria
I've rented them before, and I'm fine with the ride, acceleration, steering. And the mileage is better than what I'm getting now.
But it looks like they were strictly fleet sales after '07-'08. Who was buying these new in 2011?


2011 Camry or Accord.
Even better mileage. But smaller. And I'm cautious about dependability. I hear talk about imports getting 200k all the time, but I also hear other accounts of imports having problems just like domestics.

2014 Fusion
New. More money than I want to spend, but I'll know it wasn't abused.

 

[kitatech]

Re: Camrys...2011 is the last year of that generation that began with 2007...end-of-generation models are nearly always a best bet.
...They had some problems early on...but by 2011 they were "debugged" and the 2011 has the newer 2.5 I4 engine that improves MPG...it comes in a variety of "vanillas" meaning that they are all basic transport...

My 05 now has 114k miles and based on 16 months/16k miles, I can say that it feels like it just came off the showroom floor...only parts replaced have been an engine mount, a stabilizer bar, and plugs (with valve cover gasket)....with the older 2.4 I4, it gets 24-25mpg off the highway (in suburban-like Florida), and 34-35 @ sustained 75-80mph...I did get 36 @ 68mph, but couldn't keep THAT pace for very long.

There are few considerations...
...the 2011 I4 comes with either a manual tranny or automatic on the I4 but only an AT on the V6...
...the I4 gets better MPG (20-25% more) than the V6 around town, but the gap closes a LOT on the highway to 10-15% difference....and the V6 runs more quietly, something more appreciated on extended highway miles.

...16" rims are standard, but 17"s are available, and having just upsized to 17"ers on my 05 (from the then-standard 15s), I can say unequivocally that the difference is considerable...

17's make the Camry MUCH better in terms of rock and rolling under acceleration (between gears in my MT Camry, less a consideration on an AT Camry), and braking (more a function of high performance tires) and cornering is much flatter...no more corner dipping and diving under stress (THAT likely a function of the larger rims)...

As for those performance tires...In upsizing rims I also went from "passive" passenger tires to high performance tread...Hankook Ventus V4 ES, that, with the larger rims give the Camry a "heft" and stability it lacked before...it allows the car to be "pushed" a bit more and still have very good "manners"...with significantly improved safety...

Of course, it's still basic transport...it's not a "sports" sedan, though a manual tranny makes a case for being "sporty", something people who (understandably) have never driven this less known and even less readily available model can understand, and that's too bad, but you can blame Toyota for that...for going down the basic transportation road rather than any Formula 1 roadway with a lot of switchbacks...

 

[aShufflinZombie]

If you are buying a crown Vic, buy an older one. Not much has changed in decades.

 

[Kroze]

I hear nothing but greatness on the 2013+ Honda Accord. Reviews after reviews, it's THE car to beat in the segment.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

If your a big dude a crown vic is going to fit the bill. After 2009 it was fleet only so state/local municipality sales, rentals, cabs, etc. I've got a 2007 ex-cop car and it's a basic vehicle. Not really comparable to "modern" rides. If you've got the money I think the fusion is a good bet.

I owned and liked the previous generation Accord. Very comfortable and capable vehicle. It had some weird electrical gremlins with the brakes the dealer could not sort out in a timely fashion so I traded it on a G35.

 

[shortylickens]

Crown Victoria.

Put shit on it to look like a cruiser.

Ride behind people all day.


:biggrin:

 

[monkeydelmagico]

Crown Victoria.

Put shit on it to look like a cruiser.

Ride behind people all day.


:biggrin:

yes, I have one and it doesn't need anything additional to have people react. It's fun merging onto the highway when there is a left lane for people to move out of. Not nearly as much fun when it's single lane and everyone drops to 5 under the limit. Getting stuck behind a law abiding citizen can be a pain.

 

[Sluggo]

IMO Crown Vics are bulletproof, but deceivingly small on the inside for the overall size of the car.

My sister bought a Fusion, and just loves it to death. Don't know how easy the entry/exit is though.

 

[Throckmorton]

The Crown Vic is a piece of crap compared to a modern car. Due to the body on frame design it has bad rollover protection, terrible in a crash, and the live axle prevents it from having a smooth ride. So WTF is it good for? Ford just refused to modernize for too long. The Crown Vic being sold up to 2011 shows exactly what was wrong with the US carmakers.

Keep in mind, in 2011 the Explorer, a TRUCK, was unibody and independent suspension. Talk about backwards...

Buy a used Fusion

 

[Dr. Detroit]

Get a Impala LTZ - these are getting down to $15K on the used market for 2012's now, less for higher mileage and less for lesser models. LTZ is the loaded up model. 2013's too!

Big, reliable, you'll average 24-26mpg, and 28-30mpg hwy. The 3.6L + 4spd is a reliable workhorse and its quick. With near 300HP on tap.

 

[dbk]

Not sure how a crown vic can compare to camry/accord... I drive an Accord (13) and a Crown Vic has never entered my mind when I was trying to pick a car to buy. Camry/Accord 2011? They're the same cars basically only difference being the handling and the need of timing belt maintenance on the V6 Accords (not sure about Camry). FWIW, we have a 2010 Camry LE in the family.. zero issues whatsoever but I prefer the "newer" amenities of my Accord and the handling (more "feel" or "bumpiness" depending on who you ask).

You can prob get a 2013 Accord EX i-4 with a plethora of features used..(maybe new) for the price of a 2014 Fusion (SE). 2012 Camry SE V6 could be had for that price as well (shockingly quick). Maybe a used Avalon? It's basically like an Lexus ES and bigger, more comfort for your mom.

 

[twinrider1]

lol, I know, they're really different. It's a battle I'm having in my mind.
Stick with the old, tried and true. Hey, tractors run forever because they're dirt simple and under-stressed.
Or embrace modern technology. I don't care about back-up cameras and crap like that. But modern engine designs, being able to get 27mpg city, that would be nice.

Operating costs (gas/insurance) on a new Accord would be $1000 less per year compared to the Crown Victoria.

 

[SandEagle]

Accord
Camry



Crown Vic
Fusion

 

[nerp]

Get the crown vic. I can read between the lines. You want it.

 

[halik]

Accord
Camry



Crown Vic
Fusion

Dollar per dollar, Crown Vic wins hands down. Aside from the fusion (barely), they're all equally terrible when it comes to driving dynamics. With a used Accord/Camry you'll pay the idiot premium for essentially the same experience.

 

[SandEagle]

^ wrong halik. have you ever owned a honda or toyota? they are miles better in quality and reliability. you pay a slight premium, but they depreciates waaay slower.

 

[halik]

^ wrong halik. have you ever owned a honda or toyota? they are miles better in quality and reliability. you pay a slight premium, but they depreciates waaay slower.

Quality? In what way?

I've put on like 1500 miles on an '03 Civic EX and couple hundred on the hatch version of Civic SI (actually did like it, even though it was gutless and bit disconnected). Civics/Accords and Camrys are cheap appliances and are essentially on par with everything else (fusion/cruze/mazda 6/whatever). The idiot premium only exists in the used market, msrp-wise they're on par with competition.

I would love to see you back up the quality/reliability claim with any meaningful numbers, especially to the point where you can explain someone paying $10K+ for a 100K mile 8 year old civic

 

[tortillasoup]

if you get a i4 Camry, get the 12 cause it has the better mpg engine and more power. if you get the v6 07+ all the same except they had transmission issues till 09 unless the transmission has already been rebuilt. v6 Honda's have timing belts so avoid those. Honda's mpg only starts improving in the 2013 model year. fusions are underwhelming to me, neighbor has one. maybe consider a hybrid 07+ Camry as they should be cheaper now.

 

[dguy6789]

Snip

Toyota and Honda have been at the top of literally every single study I have ever read on auto quality and reliability. They're more expensive because they're better cars.

 

[tortillasoup]

Dollar per dollar, Crown Vic wins hands down. Aside from the fusion (barely), they're all equally terrible when it comes to driving dynamics. With a used Accord/Camry you'll pay the idiot premium for essentially the same experience.

I don't know by what metric you measure the value of the crown Vic compared to others but by purely an economic standpoint, crown Vic loses. a USED Camry hybrid with a max cost premium over the vanilla Camry of like 2k would be the winner in TCO in this segment. A used prius would win overall assuming you paid like 5k for it and had all the maintenance done to it and it runs perfect. an 04-09 prius is likely a car I'll buy in the future for that reason.

 

[kitatech]

Quality? In what way?

I would love to see you back up the quality/reliability claim with any meaningful numbers, especially to the point where you can explain someone paying $10K+ for a 100K mile 8 year old civic

There are many criteria for measuring quality other than trade-in value...

I paid $7K OTD for my 8-year old 97.5k mile Camry (albeit with new clutch/slaves) and as I've noted before, it runs as tight and fit as it did when it came off the showroom floor...some parts have needed replacement (I mentioned the clutch) including an engine mount, spark plugs and valve cover gasket...and fluids as part of preventative maintenance...

...but it is likely running better now that it's got synthetic oil and 17" (vs 15") rims/performance tires...getting 24+/+34mpg, 7K mile OCIs without having to add oil, and quietly runs down the road on factory-installed struts and brakes with nary a rattle...that's more than one criterion for measuring quality in this type of car...other criteria more suited for another type of car need not apply.

 

[twinrider1]

--There will be no hybrids in my driveway. I want fewer systems, not more.

--Halik touches on a point. Used prices seem very high. Not so terrible for 1-3 year old cars, but the older stuff is just crazy. It's pushing me towards new or CPO.

 

[halik]

There are many criteria for measuring quality other than trade-in value...

I paid $7K OTD for my 8-year old 97.5k mile Camry (albeit with new clutch/slaves) and as I've noted before, it runs as tight and fit as it did when it came off the showroom floor...some parts have needed replacement (I mentioned the clutch) including an engine mount, spark plugs and valve cover gasket...and fluids as part of preventative maintenance...

...but it is likely running better now that it's got synthetic oil and 17" (vs 15") rims/performance tires...getting 24+/+34mpg, 7K mile OCIs without having to add oil, and quietly runs down the road on factory-installed struts and brakes with nary a rattle...that's more than one criterion for measuring quality in this type of car...other criteria more suited for another type of car need not apply.

JD Power dependability? Buick has been beating both toyota and honda for most of the decade...

 

[halik]

Toyota and Honda have been at the top of literally every single study I have ever read on auto quality and reliability. They're more expensive because they're better cars.

Maybe in the 80s and early 90s, certainly not per any data I've seen in the last decade.

Again, paying 48% of msrp for a car 10 year old 100K mile is just idiotic. I suspect that whole segment is bidded up by low income south asians that for whatever ethnic/cultural reason are convinced civics and camrys are made out unicorn farts that make them magically go to 200K miles with zero maintenance.

 

[Pacfanweb]

JD Power dependability? Buick has been beating both toyota and honda for most of the decade...

Yep, and the Crown is going to last as long as any Accord or Camry will.