Thread 28565397

Anons, I come to you needing advice. I have a problem. My Grand Marquis might be on it's last legs, and I may have to get another car soon. I am fairly poor, and not looking to spend more than $5k on a car. Even that seems like a lot to me.

My first car was a 99 Buick LeSabre, and while it was a fine vehicle, once I got my Lincoln Town Car, I realized the innate superiority of rear wheel drive. I basically made a personal vow never to drive a front wheel drive car again. Also, the only time I ever got in an accident was in a fwd vehicle.

However, due to my current situation, and the lack of good cheap rwd cars, I am thinking about betraying my principles and getting a front wheel drive car if I can find one that either looks interesting or is supremely comfortable.

For the purposes of this discussion, I don't really consider FWD-based all wheel drive systems to be any better. It's all front wheel drive to me.

Also, before anyone asks, yes, I could just get another panther platform car for a good price with low miles, but I'm tired of the panther platform. I got a Town Car when I was 17, and I got rid of that and got a Grand Marquis when I was 27. I'm 34 now. I want to drive a non-panther platform car as my daily driver for the first time in 17 years

>>28565397 (OP)
i mean, miatas and mustangs are all right there, 2-series for about 10k more
honda/acura makes nice fwd cars
i think the cooper s is also fwd? there's also the elantra n

>>28565397 (OP)
Just get the nicest Honda Fit you can find.

>>28565397 (OP)
You don't need to drop down to FWD levels of misery. $5k will get you a nice GMT800 which will be just as comfy as the Panther.

>>28565397 (OP)
If you're really so allergic to FWD and poor, couldn't you just buy a F20 bimmer?

>>28565450
>bmw product
>poor owner
what could go wrong?

>I won't spend the money to maintain my shitbox
>So I'll spend more money on buying another cheap shitbox

>>28565397 (OP)
The lincoln mark 8 is avaliable, cheap, quick, rwd, and it's not panther

>>28566239
>cheap
kinda
>quick
lmao no, but faster than OP's previous cars I guess

>>28565397 (OP)
Stick to your principals man. If your car is not dead yet, you don’t know. Put your money in bitcoin until the right ride comes along.

>>28565397 (OP)
Why don't you just make more money? Make better financial decisions. Get an education. Stop doing drugs. No more funko pops. EZ.

>>28565412
Toyota Avalon is not RWD

>>28565397 (OP)
Buy a cheap truck and lower it hombre

>>28565431
>mean, miatas and mustangs are all right there, 2-series for about 10k more
>honda/acura makes nice fwd cars
>i think the cooper s is also fwd? there's also the elantra n
The only thing mentioned here that OP could afford would be a 15-10 year old Civic.
Which would be fine as long as it's not a CVT car.

>>28565529
Who?

>>28565397 (OP)
Tesla Model 3 rwd
They're very comfortable and rwd but the cheapest ones are like $13k

>>28566174
>>I won't spend the money to maintain my shitbox
>>So I'll spend more money on buying another cheap shitbox

Didn't want to go into the details in the OP but here's the situation. I actually did put money into it, but it developed another problem and I'm just kind of unwilling to put more into it. Keep in mind, car is 16 years old with 184k miles.

In March I decided, after putting it off for months/years, to get suspension work done on vehicle. I paid a shop $1000 for new control arms, stabilizer bars, bushings, and perhaps a couple of other things, I can't remember.

A day before I took it up there to get that done, it developed an oil leak and started smelling like burning fumes when I drove it. I opened the food and there were oil stains all over the the top of the engine/rocker cover area as well as side of the engine. Thought it was a clear case of valve cover gaskets and shop agreed. So I paid them $800 to do that.

It helped mitigate the issue but there was still a leak and I was still getting the burning smell. Took it back, shop said it was a "loose grommet" and fixed it for free and it was fine for a bit but started leaking and smelling like burning oil pretty much immediately.

I then took it back to the shop and they said the issue is worse than they realized, and that the oil is leaking from the engine heads themselves, and that the only surefire solution is to remove the engine heads and send them into a shop to be re-machined, which would cost $3000-$4000 in which my car would be parked at the shop. My mechanic actually said that due to the age/condition of my vehicle and it's value that he would not recommend this service, but would do it if I really wanted to

And so this is why I'm considering selling it. At this point I'm just hoping I could get 2 grand for it which is about what I've spent on it this year

> I'm poor
> I have principles on cars I drive
pick one

>>28566914
>Tesla Model 3 rwd
>They're very comfortable and rwd but the cheapest ones are like $13k

I'm not ready for an EV although I don't hate the model 3. I test drove one once and I liked it but found it a bit boring. Still, a lot faster and better handling than my panther platforms car. With Tesla's financing I actually think I could afford it, the only issue is that I live in an apartment and thus do not have a garage to charge it in, otherwise I'd be seriously considering one.

>>28566532
>Why don't you just make more money? Make better financial decisions. Get an education. Stop doing drugs. No more funko pops. EZ.

I'm just bad at getting jobs, idk what to say. I have an education, graduated from university 12 years ago...I've just never made more than $22 an hour. And I don't care about hustle/grind culture. I don't want to put miles on my old car driving around doing Doordash in my pothole-riddled city.

I agree I should stop doing drugs, but that only costs me like $100-$200 per month tops, and some months I'm totally sober besides booze.

>>28566239
>The lincoln mark 8 is avaliable, cheap, quick, rwd, and it's not panther

I have considered this, if I found a good one for a good price I might buy it if I liked the ride quality. I just wish they made Mark IX - would be so nice to have Lincoln luxury and ride comfort with a 300+hp mustang engine

>>28565431
>i mean, miatas and mustangs are all right there, 2-series for about 10k more

I'm tall so a Miata is out of the question for me. I am considering a 2005 or later Mustang GT if I could find a good one for around 5 or 6 grand. However, I worry that the mustang may have a rougher ride than my grand Marquis since it is a sports car

Elantra N

>>28569196
I'm 6'1 and fit in NC and ND Miatas just fine, if you're tall in the torso you may have trouble though. Mustang is pretty soft as sports cars go, but it'll definitely ride rougher than a Grand Marquis. Unfortunately pretty much any modern car will, you could try a Cadillac sts, DTS, or CTS depending on what's for sale around you. Buick regal GS is also pretty nice for the price

>>28565397 (OP)
FWD are worse as drivers cars but I feel like a lot of people ignore that FWDs tend to be better when it comes to cabin space

>>28565397 (OP)
toyota cressida? manual swap is worth it too. beware of the head gasket though, make sure that's been addressed
>>28566607
but OP said that he might be considering it...it's an option.

>>28565397 (OP)


The V6 EX/LX trim Accords are real nice, fifth gen was the first and eight gen was the last. Acura TSX and Euro R/Type S/R are badge engineered versions.

>>28569763
Excuse me, the 9th gen Touring/EX versions were the last ones with the v6. RLX and TLX all had versions too.

>>28569301
>I'm 6'1 and fit in NC and ND Miatas just fine

I want a car that would be comfortable for road trips if and when I need to take them. I'm sorry, I don't hate Miatas but, as someone who is 6'2" and 250lbs I just feel like I would be ridiculous and uncomfortable in that vehicle.

>>28569315
Cressidas are neat but so old. I know my budget is low but if I was gonna get a jap car or Toyota product it'd probably be a Lexus LS400 or 430, maybe a Toyota Century if I went really crazy

>>28569763
>>28569834
In general not interested in jap stuff. Plus, a friend of mine's previous car was a 2016 Avalon. And another good friend of mine currently has a 2021 Accord Sport 2.0t

I'm not going to buy a used car that is a worse version of vehicles that my friends bought years ago. I'll get an old crappy used car but it has to be kind of quirky and neat in some way

>>28570900


I wouldn't say trimmed up sixth to tenth gen accords were a worse car than anything else south of fifty thousand, they just don't have 'cachet'.
Comfortable leather seats, lovely sounding six bangers, punchy acceleration that will beat any cuckover traffic including your neighbor's avalon at the light, handling that totally exceeds the category, and no street cred outside other automobile nerds.
Still up to you in the end though. Personally I don't think someone asking for a 5k car is in any place to be making demands for something to be 'impressive' besides delivering the deliverables they want. Know some shame desu.
There are lots of old cheap caddys and acuras and lexuses out there. Lots of old cheap mustangs and camaros and miatas and lots of aftermarket support for them for things like suspension upgrades, if desired. Anything under 10k is going to be 100K+ mile beaters that will need work to change parts as needed anyways so I hope you aren't a wrenchlet. Of course the biggest differences in road feel in any vehicle will come from your choice in rubbers (I'd recommend DWS06+, Assurance WeatherReady 2, or ExtremeContact Sport 2).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7xROFzVFWU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_O8nGiMs5E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRR806kP6ZU

>>28570900
the last gen cressidas share a decent number of parts with the 3rd gen supras, they're still very much dailyable despite being almost 40 years old now