Good car for about $11k?

[InlineFive]

Hey folks,

Found a little extra money so I'll be able to spend about $11k on a car. First thing that caught my eye is a used Ford Fusion with about 40k but I'm going to research and see what the competition is like in that bracket. Any recommendations for a comparable car?

Thanks!

I5

 

[Mojoed]

2007-2008 Ford Fusion would be an excellent choice. Keep in mind most '07-08 Fusions with 30-40k miles are former fleet/rental cars. I know this because every single one I have ever carfax'd clearly states "fleet vehicle".

This may or may not mean anything to you, just letting you know.

 

[InlineFive]

I'm somewhat ignorant to bear with me. What exactly might be up with a fleet vehicle? Would it have some issues that a non-fleet vehicle wouldn't have?

 

[StageLeft]

Fusion but you can do better on the price or miles than that. Fleet appears, among those who've actually owned ex-fleet cars, to be far less of a concern than one might think; I wouldn't sweat it too much.

 

[50]

I just got an '06 accord coupe EX-L w/60k miles fully loaded with nav for 11k. Took me about 2 months to find the deal though. There are good deals out there if you look long enough

 

[InlineFive]

My Mom purchased a fleet Volvo at 70k and it lasted her to 240k so I'm not too hesitant about it. The Fusion price I mentioned is worst case and before negotiations so I'd hope to get the price down a little lower. I was also looking at the six-cylinders instead of the four so that impacted things somewhat.

 

[Mojoed]

A fleet vehicle is owned or leased by a business or government agency, not an individual. People may tend to drive vehicles they don't own "harder", since well, they don't own it and don't have to worry about the cost of repairs.

Many 07-08's being sold at dealerships are also former lease cars. (hence the 24k-40k on the odometer.) Others are former rentals.

On the other hand buying from a private party may give you more comfort, but who knows? A privately owned car could have been beaten on more than a fleet/rental/leased car. It all boils down to what you're comfortable with.

Have a qualified mechanic check out any car you're seriously thinking about buying to cover your bases.

Whenever I'm car shopping, I buy the 30-day unlimited carfax report deal for $40. This helps me weed out cars I'm not comfortable buying, without having to deal with the expense of having a mechanic check it out.

Good luck!

 

[InlineFive]

Thanks for the tip on the mechanic! Honestly this is the first time I'll have purchased a car like this so I don't know how easy it will to be get a dealer to let me take it to another mechanic. Appreciate the feedback.

 

[Arkaign]

You can find V6 Fusions for that price with fairly low miles : http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/...st=1008&standard=false

Don't get one with the 2.3L if you can help it. I've driven them and it's a little frustrating with not much power down low or off the line, not that you'd try to race one, but it's just sluggish even if you floor it. The interior noise is also grating, not road noise, but noise from the 2.3L. I've heard the 2.5L in the '10 model is a significant improvement in both fuel economy and smoothness/power. The '06-'09 3.0L V6 is outstanding.

 

[sniperruff]

pretty sure you can get most V6 sedans built between 2004 - 2006 no problem. accord, altima, camry, fusion, impala, legacy, mazda6, etc.

you'd be amazed at what unpopular (but fundamentally sound) cars you can buy for a bit above $10k

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...trkparms=65%3A7|39%3A1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...trkparms=65%3A7|39%3A1

 

[Insomniator]

Originally posted by: sniperruff
pretty sure you can get most V6 sedans built between 2004 - 2006 no problem. accord, altima, camry, fusion, impala, legacy, mazda6, etc.

you'd be amazed at what unpopular (but fundamentally sound) cars you can buy for a bit above $10k

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...trkparms=65%3A7|39%3A1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...trkparms=65%3A7|39%3A1

Those are nice cars but not affordable to keep on the road. That's why they are unpopular.

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: Insomniator

Originally posted by: sniperruff
pretty sure you can get most V6 sedans built between 2004 - 2006 no problem. accord, altima, camry, fusion, impala, legacy, mazda6, etc.

you'd be amazed at what unpopular (but fundamentally sound) cars you can buy for a bit above $10k

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...trkparms=65%3A7|39%3A1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...trkparms=65%3A7|39%3A1

Those are nice cars but not affordable to keep on the road. That's why they are unpopular.

lulwat?

 

[Fenixgoon]

Originally posted by: Arkaign

Originally posted by: Insomniator

Originally posted by: sniperruff
pretty sure you can get most V6 sedans built between 2004 - 2006 no problem. accord, altima, camry, fusion, impala, legacy, mazda6, etc.

you'd be amazed at what unpopular (but fundamentally sound) cars you can buy for a bit above $10k

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...trkparms=65%3A7|39%3A1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...trkparms=65%3A7|39%3A1

Those are nice cars but not affordable to keep on the road. That's why they are unpopular.

lulwat?

full-size german sedans are often nightmares. that's why you can find 3-4 year old 7series and A8's for $30k or less despite the fact that a brand new one can cost close to $100k.

 

[RU482]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Fusion but you can do better on the price or miles than that. Fleet appears, among those who've actually owned ex-fleet cars, to be far less of a concern than one might think; I wouldn't sweat it too much.

good point.
Fleet vehicle means it may have been beaten on, but was regularly maintained.
Non-fleet vehicle means it may have been beaten on, and may or may not have been regularly maintained.

 

[krunchykrome]

Originally posted by: Mojoed
2007-2008 Ford Fusion would be an excellent choice. Keep in mind most '07-08 Fusions with 30-40k miles are former fleet/rental cars. I know this because every single one I have ever carfax'd clearly states "fleet vehicle".

This may or may not mean anything to you, just letting you know.

ford = :thumbsdown:

I'd go with a used Subaru Impreza

 

[InlineFive]

Just found some interesting information on the Fusion rear impact crash test ratings. Makes me think twice since I'm 6'2".

http://www.iihs.org/ratings/he...details_page.aspx?ford

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: Mojoed
2007-2008 Ford Fusion would be an excellent choice. Keep in mind most '07-08 Fusions with 30-40k miles are former fleet/rental cars. I know this because every single one I have ever carfax'd clearly states "fleet vehicle".

This may or may not mean anything to you, just letting you know.

ford = :thumbsdown:

I'd go with a used Subaru Impreza

??

Ford offers a ton of models and configurations. Some are good, some are mediocre, and some are below-average.

The Fusion uses the same Mazda Duratec series motor that is in the Mazda3 and Mazda6, with a timing chain and excellent reliability records. The car overall has been well-reviewed by both professional critics and owners. I'd take a Ford in a heartbeat over a Mitsubishi, Suzuki, or Hyundai/Kia competing product, and I'd judge them as on par with the other solid car companies.

Ford a few years back with the older Taurus, pre-Duratec Focus, Escort, etc, was indeed not that great, and Honda/Toyota/Nissan were decidedly higher quality. Now I don't think you can really say that in a lot of cases, particularly when you look for value for money. The higher resale on Honda and Toyota in particular mean that for the price of a 4-cylinder Civic with similar miles, you can snag a V6 Fusion.

Impreza? Unless you're talking WRX, that's a pretty utilitarian car, and they're smaller than the midsize stuff.

 

[VinylxScratches]

The Fusion is cheap quality.

 

[RU482]

Originally posted by: InlineFive
Just found some interesting information on the Fusion rear impact crash test ratings. Makes me think twice since I'm 6'2".

http://www.iihs.org/ratings/he...details_page.aspx?ford

those are some high neck numbers. kudos to them for addressing it on the new model, at least

 

[krunchykrome]

Originally posted by: Arkaign

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: Mojoed
2007-2008 Ford Fusion would be an excellent choice. Keep in mind most '07-08 Fusions with 30-40k miles are former fleet/rental cars. I know this because every single one I have ever carfax'd clearly states "fleet vehicle".

This may or may not mean anything to you, just letting you know.

ford = :thumbsdown:

I'd go with a used Subaru Impreza

??

Ford offers a ton of models and configurations. Some are good, some are mediocre, and some are below-average.

The Fusion uses the same Mazda Duratec series motor that is in the Mazda3 and Mazda6, with a timing chain and excellent reliability records. The car overall has been well-reviewed by both professional critics and owners. I'd take a Ford in a heartbeat over a Mitsubishi, Suzuki, or Hyundai/Kia competing product, and I'd judge them as on par with the other solid car companies.

Ford a few years back with the older Taurus, pre-Duratec Focus, Escort, etc, was indeed not that great, and Honda/Toyota/Nissan were decidedly higher quality. Now I don't think you can really say that in a lot of cases, particularly when you look for value for money. The higher resale on Honda and Toyota in particular mean that for the price of a 4-cylinder Civic with similar miles, you can snag a V6 Fusion.

Impreza? Unless you're talking WRX, that's a pretty utilitarian car, and they're smaller than the midsize stuff.

See I'm just not there yet, and I'm not sure I ever will be. I'd take a Sonata over a Fusion. The new fusions look nice, and the interior looks better than the Sonata as well. And although the new Fords may be more reliable than they were in the past, I don't consider Ford as a brand, including it's reliability and quality, to be up to par with Hyundai, Honda, Toyota, or Nissan. My family has owned plenty of Fords, as well as other american brands in the past, and I guess I've just have a sour taste in my mouth because of all of the repairs and the overall cheap feeling the cars had.

While Ford, and the other American car companies have been sitting around with their thumbs up their a$$, leaving their cars essentially unchanged for many years, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, and Toyota have consistently improved on their cars. Quite frankly, I think it's just too late for Ford to try to reinvent itself and compete with the Japanense/Korean brands (excluding Kia).

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: VinylxScratches
The Fusion is cheap quality.

Compared to what, a Mercedes?

I've driven same-gen Accords, Altimas, Camrys, Mazda6, and Malibu. Honestly I think the Ford and the Mazda have the best interior and assembly quality, with the Accord and Malibu close behind. I was disappointed with the '07 Camry I got as a rental a few years back.

As far as headrest safety and rear collision protection, it's hard to find something really solid.

http://www.iihs.org/ratings/he...restraints.aspx?toyota

http://www.iihs.org/ratings/he...drestraints.aspx?honda

The very newest Accord gets it right, but a huge number of Hondas and Toyotas get 'marginal' or 'poor' ratings

 

[Arkaign]

I think you've completely missed out. I agree about the older Fords, but they have improved massively, particularly in the compact and midsize segments. The Escort was a bad joke, the Tempo was atrocious, and then the mediocre to poor Contour, and the very hit-or-miss Taurus. The Mustang was also a mess, both in styling and in build quality. But the past 5 years or so have seen an epic improvement in every segment.

The F-series that launched in '04 went from poor interior and crash testing to being a class leader.
The Focus, already a competent and very well designed compact car brought over from Europe, got a world-class motor with the replacement of the Zetec/SPI with the Duratec.
The Fusion, sharing a huge amount of components with the Mazda6, is a well-rounded, good handling, comfortable and solid midsize contender. I did think the 2.3L a bit underpowered for it though, particularly with the Auto tranny.
The Mustang, I think they found the right recipe there finally. The styling is well-received, and they finally have a nice car to drive, in configurations from run-of-the-mill V6s to fire-breathing 500hp axe-murderers.

They also have the Fiesta and the Ka primed to go if demand for subcompacts increases. Another good point is their direct-injected ecoboost Turbo powerplants that are replacing the V8s in the Lincolns, offering more power and superior fuel economy, in configurations ready to go between 340-415hp for the 3.5L.

I don't think they're perfect, and the particularly glaring problem I see is the lack of an affordable family car for someone needing a larger car than a Fusion. The Taurus has become too expensive and fancy IMHO. But my GF has a Kia Rio, and it is night and day going back and forth between that and my Focus. Everything from the gear changes to the handling to the suspension is much tighter and crisper in the Focus. The Kia version of my Focus is called the Spectra, and I think it's a decent car, but again it feels number and softer. Ditto the Elantra.

I think you may be confused by both Ford's questionable past, and the very real crap that Dodge makes up to this very day, and that GM was making until VERY recently. Ford was the quickest of the big 3 to actually make vehicles that compete evenly with the biggest players in the world (Honda/Toyota/VW).

 

[sniperruff]

Originally posted by: Fenixgoon

Originally posted by: Arkaign

Originally posted by: Insomniator

Originally posted by: sniperruff
pretty sure you can get most V6 sedans built between 2004 - 2006 no problem. accord, altima, camry, fusion, impala, legacy, mazda6, etc.

you'd be amazed at what unpopular (but fundamentally sound) cars you can buy for a bit above $10k

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...trkparms=65%3A7|39%3A1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...trkparms=65%3A7|39%3A1

Those are nice cars but not affordable to keep on the road. That's why they are unpopular.

lulwat?

full-size german sedans are often nightmares. that's why you can find 3-4 year old 7series and A8's for $30k or less despite the fact that a brand new one can cost close to $100k.

i think it's mainly because of the required dealer services that kill it, rather than they being unreliable. as for the infiniti, it's cheap because nobody wanted it, much like the VW phaeton.

and as for the ford argument - yes ford's have became increasingly reliable (think early 00' taurus and late 90's escort vs. fusion and focus), but the problem is, ford's are no longer that much cheaper than its japanese rivals, just like the hyundai elantra's and sonata's are no longer a bargain.

for example, i bought an 05' altima SE for $2k less than the 06' fusion you showed earlier. yes it did have 15k miles more, but again that was 2 years ago and there is no comparison between fusion's V6 against nissan's VQ.

 

[RU482]

Hmm, the fact that every argument FOR the fusion has to be supported by the Mazda6 almost (almost) makes me wonder if this is a viral marketing effort

 

[InlineFive]

Originally posted by: RU482
Hmm, the fact that every argument FOR the fusion has to be supported by the Mazda6 almost (almost) makes me wonder if this is a viral marketing effort

What's wrong with a manufacturer taking a good product and distributing it throughout the product line? Plus if they have less individual components to produce they can reduce costs.