Car shopping: Day one

[TheMightyFavog]

Tried out a 1996 Contour. it's 2.0 IL4 meant the car had decent pickup, some cool extras like a CD Player, kickass sound system, had 94K on the ticker, very nice, very clean, halfway decent pickup, no ABS, dealer was willing to go under 3K, Kelley Blue Book puts it at $4145, definetley on the top of the list so far.

Next was a 1995 Escort Wagon. Had trouble getting the key in, had a little over 45K on the ticker, exterior looked like shit, lots of dings and scratches, 1.9 4 cyl, Ok pickup, the wagon would come in handy for when the time comes for me to move to UWSP this fall, the driver's side sun shade had a rip covered up with duct tape, it had an aftermarket towing package :wtf: BTW, it was windy today, and this Escort was a bitch to handle on the test drive. They're willing to go below 3k, Bluie book puts it at 4100. IMHO, with the crappy exterior, low milage, and shabby interior, I beleive this car was abused quite a bit, and I wouldn't trust this car as far as I could throw it.

What say you? Any of you ever own one of these machines? Have oyu had any problems with them?

[dweller]

1. i don't know either model

so can't comment on them, not sure if the contour is US/foreign make? So if you are set on US, ignore me.

but if you are looking used, and considering foreign makes, i'd recommend taking a look at Subaru used. Since 90-91 wagons came with 2.2 ltr. very responsive pickup. I've seen 94-95 Legacy's (which is what i'm driving, 91) that are easily in the $2-3K price range. Some folks say the parts are expensive (as are most at dealer cost) but most aftermarket shops carry substitutes at somewhat lower prices. And if you are even amateur handy at tune-up, general repairs, the engine is a straight forward horizontally opposed flat 4, and easy to tune, change oil, etc.
All in all, a sturdy vehicle that are known for 200-300k miles without major problems. Normal replacements maybe of components that wear out on any vehicle are expected (shocks, driveshafts, brakes, etc.)

just my 2 cents, good luck.
dp

[TheMightyFavog]

2. Contour was made by Ford.

It was designed in Europe. The Contour was slated to be Ford's "World Model", that is, it was to be marketed worldwide. It replaced the Tempo/Topaz line.

[Droopy]

3. Man, I'd take the Contour

Sounds like a hell of a deal. Better get it before someone else comes along and buys it.

[ironflange]

4. We have a '96 Contour

It's decked out much like the one you describe. The 4 cylinder is plenty strong for the car, the V6 just makes more noise. We love it, it's smooth and steady, and can out-handle nearly anything on the road. We haven't had much trouble with it, except for the water pump, which we've replaced twice recently, and it's starting to leak again. Just bad luck.

Recommended.

[TheMightyFavog]

6. Hmmm...

According to the customer reviews on edmunds.com, Water pumps seem to get replaced quite a bit.

I'm also going to look elsewhere, if I can catch a ride, I'll go t another dealership and check out a '96 Concorde.

[Hand]

5. Forget the Escort...

I've got a 94 hatchback that I really like, but that's because the guy I got it from was VERY fussy about keeping it properly maintained, since he had to drive a lot of miles in his work. However, the one you're looking at has obviously been abused and will likely be nothing but trouble.

"If it looks bad, it IS bad" is a good guideline for used car buying.

[ConcernedCanuk]

7. I couldn't tell ya right off, I'm a V-8 kinda guy - BUT

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.
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Heres some on-line resources for ya -

http://auto.consumerguide.com/auto/used/reviews/full/index.cfm/id/2033 ESCORT



http://auto.consumerguide.com/auto/used/reviews/full/index.cfm/id/2159 CONTOUR



At each site you'll find information from reliability, gas mileage, and approximate value

Scroll way down on each page, there's LOTS of info there for ya !

Good Luck

[TheMightyFavog]

8. What is it...

With the steering wheels on these cars at dealerships? You can't get a good grip on the fucking wheel! It's like someone went and coated the steering wheel with Astroglide or something! Not only does it make it more difficult to drive the damn car, that shit stays on your hands and they keep feeling greasy until you wash your hands!

[CanuckAmok]

9. Do not, I repeat, do NOT buy a compact car with a towing package.

They aren't designed to tow squat. You have no idea what the lat owner was towing; it could have been a pup traiper full of yard waste, or a small sailboat, or a freakin' full-sized camper.

The drivetrains on compacts aren't designed to tow anything. Stay away!

Whichever car you go with, do yourself a favour and spend the extra $$ to replace the timing belt right away, unless you have solid evidence as to when it was last changed, if ever.

[TheMightyFavog]

10. Wisconsin can suck sometimes...

Didn't go looking today. Wisconsin has this idiotic blue law that says that Car dealerships must stay closed on Sundays.

This has to change. I'll bring this up to Sen. Hansen when I see him next month. I could even get our Repug Assemblyman to go along with this. He's coming to our campus on the 30th.