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I have two cars right now… they all have poor fuel economy. My chevy truck which currently needs the engine fixed and new cats. I have my 1989 Ford Econoline E150 which runs but it gets 10MPG.
I would like to know what your opinions and educated thoughts are about used Ford Crown Vics.
Why am I interested in this type of car?
1. It’s a big car. I hate small cars. For example I’m literally fearful of driving mom’s 95 Accord because I feel like I’m sitting on the road. I have no idea WHY I dislike small cars but oh well 🙂 The crown vic is a fairly large car if you know what I mean.
2. Fairly recent ones can be got fairly cheap. For example there’s a 2007 for $1650 on Craigslist near me. I checked the Carfax and it looks to have several non-airbag-deployed accidents so it doesn’t seem like a big deal. Here’s a link if you’re interested: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/4795405515.html
3. They get better gas mileage. Fueleconomy.gov claims 15 city/23 highway for a combined 18MPG. That’s double what my van gets. Sure, it’s not a Prius but the Crown vic is a very heavy thirsty V8 but that’s WHY I like it.
4. Parts are easy to find. These things are everywhere!
Thank you all for your input!
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[quote=”mstk415″ post=123258]I have two cars right now… they all have poor fuel economy. My chevy truck which currently needs the engine fixed and new cats. I have my 1989 Ford Econoline E150 which runs but it gets 10MPG.
I would like to know what your opinions and educated thoughts are about used Ford Crown Vics.
Why am I interested in this type of car?
1. It’s a big car. I hate small cars. For example I’m literally fearful of driving mom’s 95 Accord because I feel like I’m sitting on the road. I have no idea WHY I dislike small cars but oh well 🙂 The crown vic is a fairly large car if you know what I mean.
2. Fairly recent ones can be got fairly cheap. For example there’s a 2007 for $1650 on Craigslist near me. I checked the Carfax and it looks to have several non-airbag-deployed accidents so it doesn’t seem like a big deal. Here’s a link if you’re interested: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/4795405515.html
3. They get better gas mileage. Fueleconomy.gov claims 15 city/23 highway for a combined 18MPG. That’s double what my van gets. Sure, it’s not a Prius but the Crown vic is a very heavy thirsty V8 but that’s WHY I like it.
4. Parts are easy to find. These things are everywhere!
Thank you all for your input![/quote] At that price, I would be cautious. How many miles we talkin?
EDIT: Just looked at the listing. You may be asking for a problem with that many miles…and by problem I mean moneypit.
Here’s the Carfax…
http://www.carfax.com/viewEmailReport.do?a=cz%2F7rVJguo%2BHM09q0ySf%2F5yG2AOAB2waNU6191t1YpHxCuaBHL0DpjsShjk9Z88G&language=ENAnyway I didn’t think that was really that many miles. My 89 van has 222k right now and runs fine on what I assume to be the original engine and transmission.
I also assumed that a newer car was going to be built better. I do understand that cop cars/taxis are driven hard but aren’t they maintained on a schedule or am I making too many assumptions about these things?
[quote=”mstk415″ post=123301]Here’s the Carfax…
http://www.carfax.com/viewEmailReport.do?a=cz%2F7rVJguo%2BHM09q0ySf%2F5yG2AOAB2waNU6191t1YpHxCuaBHL0DpjsShjk9Z88G&language=EN
I also assumed that a newer car was going to be built better. I do understand that cop cars/taxis are driven hard but aren’t they maintained on a schedule or am I making too many assumptions about these things?[/quote] Too many assumptions. As a used car, you have no idea how it was treated by it’s previous owners. Also, newer cars are more “disposable” as they are designed with cost in mind and not so much durability. Just my .02Eh, good point. Anything specific to check on these cars before buying one? In addition to the usual of course… Is this engine the same as the 4.6L V8 entry level engine on Ford’s trucks and vans for many years? If so are there any particular problems known with this engine that manifest themselves in the milage range this cheap one has.
Here’s the thing – it’s a big car that I would feel safe driving, it’s got double the fuel economy of my van, it’s cheap, and it’s new. That’s a tough combination to find 🙂 I just wish it wasn’t so damn ugly. LOL!
[quote=”mstk415″ post=123312]Eh, good point. Anything specific to check on these cars before buying one? In addition to the usual of course… Is this engine the same as the 4.6L V8 entry level engine on Ford’s trucks and vans for many years? If so are there any particular problems known with this engine that manifest themselves in the milage range this cheap one has.
Here’s the thing – it’s a big car that I would feel safe driving, it’s got double the fuel economy of my van, it’s cheap, and it’s new. That’s a tough combination to find :)[/quote] It’s a tough combination to find for a reason, you get what you pay for. Now the first thing I would check on a car like that are the engine and the frame integrity(they have a real frame). The trannies in the crown vics are bulletproof.
What do you think of the older model ones like this one?
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/4821438645.htmlI read that the 2004 or newer has a better transmission but the source is dubious (random kid on YouTube) I also read that in 2003 they did some improvements that make them more desirable so I’d probably pass on the 99…
[quote=”mstk415″ post=123326]What do you think of the older model ones like this one?
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/4821438645.htmlI read that the 2004 or newer has a better transmission but the source is dubious (random kid on YouTube) I also read that in 2003 they did some improvements that make them more desirable so I’d probably pass on the 99…[/quote] The older ones like the 99 are even better, however I would pass on that one in particular.
What makes them better? Just trying to figure out the pros and cons of the different years.
And I really should find a black one they look better…
[quote=”mstk415″ post=123337]What makes them better? Just trying to figure out the pros and cons of the different years.[/quote] They were built even studier, trust me. Much easier to work on too.
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