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Just made this post about my recent purchase since I know many ask a question what car to buy.
So the plan was... to probably buy some sort of Crossover at the end of 2012.
But the wife being unemployed for 8 months, worried me about the stability of her job, and well... She became pregnant. So down to 1 income, still paying 2 student loans, we have a 2 year old in daycare, and eventually will have a newborn in there as well(yes, its cost effective for us to do the daycare thing and my wife work)
So currently we are paying $1300 a month on student loans, and once both kids are in daycare that will be $1200.
So basically $2500 a month for student loans and daycare. That is before everything else.
All of our cars are paid off. Our main car was a 2007 G6, which was my commuter car. I gave this to the wife when we had our first kid. I had bought a 2000 Camaro as a DD, that has served me well. 2 years, 25k miles, and averaging 22-24 mpg. Never left me stranded, needed some work and tweaks but overall not too bad. It was fine for one kid. But now 2, and associated strollers/etc... is getting rough. I am 6'5" so sitting behind me in most cars isn't ideal. I had planned to get rid of this car by now anyways.
Of course I looked at all the common suvs/mini vans etc... but I wanted to do another cash vehicle.
In the past I had looked into Crown Vics, and I decided to do it again. I am a car guy, RWD, V8, is fun for me, big land barge trucks, no so much. So in my journey of police interceptors, ghetto hoopties,, and grandpa cars, I eventually found a great deal on a single owner 2002 Ford Crown Vic with 92k.
Was listed at $7900, $5500, I got it for $4300 (from a dealer they took it in on trade) I am sure they probaly only paid $2500 out on it. But the used car market in my area is kind of priced high imo.
While test driving it, I got a flashing CEL(typical misfire), googled it at home, they are pretty common, on the return test drive got the codes scanned. I obviously used this as a bargaining tool, along iwth fuel door switch is bad. Other then that car runs and operates flawessly.
I put a new coil and plug in, car runs great, good pickup, and comfy as driving a Sofa down the road. Actually handles alot better then you think a car its size would.
Either way I love it, big roomy, and I honestly would bet that the trunk holds just as much as a small hatchback or small crossover does. Also honestly, I hate most small SUvs, and trucks, they are generally slow, crappy brakes, and crappy handling, and a high center of gravity.
Of course gas mileage won't be ideal, but I drive a little less then 1000 miles a month.
With kids, I could fit 3 babyseats across if I wanted to in the back seat with the front seat adjusted how I want it to.
Parts were cheap, Crown vics are known to be decently reliable, it was cheap, car is quick, and slightly fun to drive.
It was 1 owner owned, carfax had a good history, lots of routine maintenance, inside and out car was pretty dang clean.
I do need to change the wheels and I might go to a different style grill, but I felt I did good for a cheap DD.
Those AC* cars are great deals. They tend to sell cheap becuase people think they get terrible gas mileage, but they do not. At least not most of them. Many get 18-20 city and 26-30 highway (yes there are a few 13 MPG hogs out there, don't buy those). A lot of them are little old lady cars that sat in a garage 90% of their lives and were well cared for. They are more comfrtable and safer than most cars. You can often find a lightly used one for very low prices (just watch out for ones used as limosines, they are usually abused). Performance is not impressive, but they are not slouch cars either. Many of them are reliable, especially fords with the 4.6 l v-8.
Sure you cna get a beat up honda with 180,000 miles on it for the same price and get better mileage, but the exra gas expense is more than made up for if you get a sub 100,000 mile well cared for comfortable car for the same price. Plus you ar emore likely to car pool with one of those, because your passengers are not crammed in so they don just say they will drive themselves in their little Honda. An AC car with three people in it is getting 75 MPG per person freeway. Beat that Honda!
* AC car = Aircraft Carrier car.
(I am not intentiaonally picking on Honda, any small caar could be put in there. I acutally like Honda the best of the little Japanese cars.)
So down to 1 income, still paying 2 student loans, we have a 2 year old in daycare, and eventually will have a newborn in there as well(yes, its cost effective for us to do the daycare thing and my wife work)
So if your family is down to one income (as you state here) and your wife works (as you state here), does this mean that you are unemployed but somehow not willing or able to take care of the kids rather than pay for daycare? Or is there a typo in here somewhere? Just curious, none of my business and totally off-topic, I know.
Anyway, nice car. I've had a Grand Marquis and a Crown Vic, wouldn't mind having another. You should check out Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis, Marauder, and Towncar if you haven't already, great community of Panther owners.
I used to drive an old Police Interceptor as my work car (worked for the City) almost every day and I thought it was a good car. Great for longer business trips. Pickup was good as you'd expect form a former cop car and handling was actually reasonable for a car its size. I'm sure it will serve you well, and the best part is NO car payment!
So if your family is down to one income (as you state here) and your wife works (as you state here), does this mean that you are unemployed but somehow not willing or able to take care of the kids rather than pay for daycare? Or is there a typo in here somewhere? Just curious, none of my business and totally off-topic, I know.
Anyway, nice car. I've had a Grand Marquis and a Crown Vic, wouldn't mind having another. You should check out Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis, Marauder, and Towncar if you haven't already, great community of Panther owners.
I probably didn't convey my thoughts well.
I work full time, well beyond full time, I worked an entire extra quarter of overtime last year.
The wife was working contract with the school system, summer came, her contract wasn't renewed and by the time she came back she was showing pregnant so interviews were not going so well. She eventually got a job and all will be well, but then went on maternity leave after a month
We will be fine, and can scrounge on a 1 income house, its just real hard since we are paying down student loans quickly @ $1300 a month.
I used to drive an old Police Interceptor as my work car (worked for the City) almost every day and I thought it was a good car. Great for longer business trips. Pickup was good as you'd expect form a former cop car and handling was actually reasonable for a car its size. I'm sure it will serve you well, and the best part is NO car payment!
Actually, pickup - assuming you're referring to acceleration - is the same for either standard or P71 versions. All the "cop chip" does in these cars is raise the top end.
Actually, pickup - assuming you're referring to acceleration - is the same for either standard or P71 versions. All the "cop chip" does in these cars is raise the top end.
for the most part they are the same but 04+ got a hp bump do to a different intake manifold and get like an extra 20 hp
Congrats, great cars...and I dont think the MPG is to bad either.
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