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We lost our family hauler due to an accident and I've got to find a replacement soon. It was a '99 GM sedan we've had since new and was holding up very well and was very reliable and we had plans to keep it for as long as it lasted.
I've been renting a Hyundai Elantra and its a decent enough car, but just a little small for me. And my 80+ year old mother has back issues so a smooth ride and easy entry /exit are a must.
I looked at a Honda Element out of curiosity and while I liked it there was no way she could get in and out of the backseat. Also a 2008 2009 Taurus met most of my criteria but seem hard to find.
I was very interested in a 2003 Impala but it was sold the day I inquired about it. I've also found a 2003 Buick Lesabre with low miles and that car has a good reliability record. The dealer just seems kind of shady so I'm leery, although a carfax check indicated it has been serviced and has no history of damage.
Basically I'm looking for something comparable to what I had( seating for six with a front bench seat) , nothing flashy with a good safety score and reliable. Something I can drive to work everyday and not be overly worried about door dings. I really wanted something with side curtain airbags, front and back, but that's mostly newer models. MPG isn't an issue since I have a really short commute.
Any advice? Am I missing another car with good ride quality, maybe one that's a little smaller? A Malibu or a Fusion? Let's put a price of $5,000 at what I can spend.
We lost our family hauler due to an accident and I've got to find a replacement soon. It was a '99 GM sedan we've had since new and was holding up very well and was very reliable and we had plans to keep it for as long as it lasted.
I've been renting a Hyundai Elantra and its a decent enough car, but just a little small for me. And my 80+ year old mother has back issues so a smooth ride and easy entry /exit are a must.
I looked at a Honda Element out of curiosity and while I liked it there was no way she could get in and out of the backseat. Also a 2008 2009 Taurus met most of my criteria but seem hard to find.
I was very interested in a 2003 Impala but it was sold the day I inquired about it. I've also found a 2003 Buick Lesabre with low miles and that car has a good reliability record. The dealer just seems kind of shady so I'm leery, although a carfax check indicated it has been serviced and has no history of damage.
Basically I'm looking for something comparable to what I had( seating for six with a front bench seat) , nothing flashy with a good safety score and reliable. Something I can drive to work everyday and not be overly worried about door dings. I really wanted something with side curtain airbags, front and back, but that's mostly newer models. MPG isn't an issue since I have a really short commute.
Any advice? Am I missing another car with good ride quality, maybe one that's a little smaller? A Malibu or a Fusion? Let's put a price of $5,000 at what I can spend.
you could also check out a V6 Crewcab 2WD PU truck like a 2004-2008 F150..I know not a car but only thing I can think of that for $5K will have a bench seat and the base model V6 2WD trucks get pretty decent fuel economy pretty much on par with a full-size V6 powered car but are also built alot tougher and last alot longer and are cheaper to repair and maintain then a car.
Also a 2WD truck will be easier for someone to get in and out of then a car that sits really low and the Full-Size truck offers more head, shoulder and feet room in the cab for 3 people using the front bench seat as well as have ample room in Rear for elderly parents to be able to easily enter and exit from OP
Hard to find Mid-Full size cars these days that come with a bench seat Op anyways Goodluck and let us know what you find since even I cannot really come up with many model outside of the Early-Mid 00's Impala that have a decent sized front Bench seat and decent room in the read for elderly parents and a decent comfortable ride in the used $5K Range
Buick
LeSabres are great cars. Pretty reliable. And relatively big. Have you looked at Crown Vic's? Or better yet Loncoln Grand Marquis or Continentals! Those Contis can be had really cheap fir low miles, they are typically driven by older people who maintain and do not abuse their vehicles
I agree, the Buick sounds like a very good bet. The LeSabre and Park Avenue are known to be good vehicles with long service life, especially as many were originally purchased by older people who may not have driven much, and probably gently, stereotypical older drivers.
Another vehicle that is a good bet, and you could find one around $5k if not picky about age is the Toyota Avalon. Avalons are also a favorite vehicle among those who are older and look for a comfortable cruiser. Prior to 2005, I think, Avalons had timing belts, that should have been changed before 90k miles or 7-8 years of service life. You would want to make sure that the Avalon had a new belt, or the price reflects the service, which can be a few hundred to around $1k, but easy enough for a good independent mechanic to do -- no need to go to the dealer. Earlier Avalons did have a bench seat option with wheel shift.
The Town Car is also a good consideration, as they are comfortable, and fuel economy is not that terrible for their size and the V8 engine.
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Buick
LeSabres are great cars. Pretty reliable. And relatively big. Have you looked at Crown Vic's? Or better yet Loncoln Grand Marquis or Continentals! Those Contis can be had really cheap fir low miles, they are typically driven by older people who maintain and do not abuse their vehicles
yep, these cars are all excellent cars, and are all very comfortable. find yourself something like a 2003+ crown vic or grand marquis, you should be able to pick those up all day long for around $5000. and i can tell you from experience that the grand marquis i had, an 83 model, was like driving your living room couch around all day long, and the later cars are even more comfortable than mine was.
Somehow Crown Vics are not that plentiful . Most are the Police Interceptor kind. I have seen more Town Cars but for $5k it is going to be tough. You'll be looking at 10+ year old and 100,000+ miles.
Somehow Crown Vics are not that plentiful . Most are the Police Interceptor kind. I have seen more Town Cars but for $5k it is going to be tough. You'll be looking at 10+ year old and 100,000+ miles.
That's because most of the production the last few years they were made went to police and other contracted customers. Ford even made them a couple of years after public sales stopped to complete the agency contracts.
Somehow Crown Vics are not that plentiful . Most are the Police Interceptor kind. I have seen more Town Cars but for $5k it is going to be tough. You'll be looking at 10+ year old and 100,000+ miles.
true, but grand marquis are all over the place and at reasonable prices.
An Impala with a 3800 would be ideal if you could find one. Otherwise a Buick with a 3800 is a good bet. It's a rock solid engine.
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