# A certified tree hugger's advice for buying clunkersšŸ˜† **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [September 4, 2026, 2:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-certified-tree-huggers-advice-for-buying-clunkers/206195 "2026-09-04T14:45:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2026, 2:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-certified-tree-huggers-advice-for-buying-clunkers/206195/22 "2026-11-08T14:34:14Z")
> [@ChrisTheTireWhisperer](#): > > Demand for ā€˜simpler cars from a simpler timeā€™ What demand? The VAST majority of car buyers want features. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/48514_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2026, 2:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-certified-tree-huggers-advice-for-buying-clunkers/206195/23 "2026-11-08T14:59:07Z")
> [@MikeInNH](#): > > The VAST majority of car buyers want features. +1 The new Slate EV pickup has hand-cranked windows, but it is the **only** vehicle like that in the US marketplace at this point, and this was done just to cut costs, rather than to satisfy an actual demand for non-power windows. Its side mirrors are also manually adjustable, in order to save a few $$. Similarly, I seriously doubt that drivers nowadays would want to do without A/C, or power seats, or backup cameras, or any of the other modern devices that make vehicles more comfortableā€“and saferā€“to drive. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2026, 3:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-certified-tree-huggers-advice-for-buying-clunkers/206195/24 "2026-11-08T15:09:57Z")
> [@ChrisTheTireWhisperer](#): > > Demand for ā€˜simpler cars from a simpler timeā€™ Nonsense !!! ---
**Author:** ![ChrisTheTireWhisperer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/christhetirewhisperer/32/34798_2.png) [@ChrisTheTireWhisperer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ChrisTheTireWhisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2026, 6:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-certified-tree-huggers-advice-for-buying-clunkers/206195/25 "2026-11-08T18:27:57Z")
> [@MikeInNH](#): > > What demand? The VAST majority of car buyers want features. Then what explains a 2000 or so model year Taurus demanding $10,000, as long as the odometer resides below 100,000 miles? ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2026, 7:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-certified-tree-huggers-advice-for-buying-clunkers/206195/26 "2026-11-08T19:50:06Z")
> [@ChrisTheTireWhisperer](#): > > Then what explains a 2000 or so model year Taurus demanding $10,000 Price and reputation as an extremely reliable vehicle. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2026, 8:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-certified-tree-huggers-advice-for-buying-clunkers/206195/27 "2026-11-08T20:30:26Z")
> [@ChrisTheTireWhisperer](#): > > Then what explains a 2000 or so model year Taurus demanding $10,000, as long as the odometer resides below 100,000 miles? Anyone can ASK any price they want. The only completed sales I found on Ebay for that era Taurus were for $400, $500, and $2000. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2026, 8:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-certified-tree-huggers-advice-for-buying-clunkers/206195/28 "2026-11-08T20:39:05Z")
@ChrisTheTireWhisperer If you were to have that 26-year old low-mileage Taurus, youā€™d be better off keeping it as a spare car or giving it to an NPR-affiliated radio station as a tax write-off Itā€™s still got some use . . . but itā€™s not worth several thousand. If itā€™s ultra clean and in tip top shape mechanically, it might warrant a few grand, but youā€™ll still have a very hard time trying to convince someone . . . except YOU . . . that itā€™s worth more than, letā€™s say, $2000 we still have a few low-mileage Tauruses of that vintage in our fleet and theyā€™re considerably more expensive to keep going, versus a much newer car anything that old, things will be breaking down frequently. And many of the parts are becoming increasingly hard to get. Many parts arenā€™t available from Ford, and some of the aftermarket parts are very low quality ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2026, 8:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-certified-tree-huggers-advice-for-buying-clunkers/206195/29 "2026-11-08T20:45:05Z")
> [@db4690](#): > > youā€™ll still have a very hard time trying to convince someone . . . except YOU . . . that itā€™s worth more than, letā€™s say, $2000 Exactly right. There are two of that era with under 100k miles that failed to sell, one at $3500 (82k miles) and the other at $5500 (49k miles). And a nutjob listing a '96 with 51k miles repeatedly (and unsuccessfully) for $15,000. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2026, 8:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-certified-tree-huggers-advice-for-buying-clunkers/206195/30 "2026-11-08T20:49:16Z")
some of the guys use our fleetā€™s low-mileage Taurus for burger runs šŸ” šŸŸ šŸ„¤ But I brown bag it, save money and eat healthier šŸ˜ƒ @bcohen2010 you need to come to southern california to pick up your holy grail 1997 Camry. I still see several being used as daily drivers ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2026, 9:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-certified-tree-huggers-advice-for-buying-clunkers/206195/31 "2026-11-08T21:35:11Z")
You should start an auto collection: ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/8/1862582c678e417be8a6320d49de416bf1cf5687.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![ChrisTheTireWhisperer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/christhetirewhisperer/32/34798_2.png) [@ChrisTheTireWhisperer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ChrisTheTireWhisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2026, 9:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-certified-tree-huggers-advice-for-buying-clunkers/206195/32 "2026-11-08T21:41:07Z")
> [@No more Cybertruck!](https://community.cartalk.com/t/no-more-cybertruck/206573/24): > > When i told my DIL DIL? Translate ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2026, 10:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-certified-tree-huggers-advice-for-buying-clunkers/206195/33 "2026-11-08T22:04:53Z")
Daughter in law. New generation. Some years ago. Maybe we were talking similarities with computers or something. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2026, 1:30am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-certified-tree-huggers-advice-for-buying-clunkers/206195/34 "2026-11-09T01:30:49Z")
> [@MikeInNH](#): > > > [@ChrisTheTireWhisperer](#): > > > > Then what explains a 2000 or so model year Taurus demanding $10,000 > > Price and reputation as an extremely reliable vehicle. I had just watched a video on Toyota Grand Highlander when I read your comment and for some reason I read thought you had said Tacoma instead of Taurus. So let me answer the question again. You must be smoking something very special to think a 2000 Taurus us anywhere near $10,000. You are not doing any research and or you did and youā€™re lying. Taurus was at BEST - AVERAGE in reliability. I can buy 10-20 Taurusā€™s for $10,000 - if you can find them. Most are in the salvage yards. [Value Breakdown for a 2000 Ford Taurus | CarMax](https://www.carmax.com/value/ford/taurus/2000) ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2026, 2:09am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-certified-tree-huggers-advice-for-buying-clunkers/206195/35 "2026-11-09T02:09:23Z")
> [@MikeInNH](#): > > I can buy 10-20 Taurusā€™s for $10,000 - if you can find them. I can find them, but not for $500 each (no rust here). If you can buy 20 of them, there must be plenty. ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/4/a/4af21ee608fbf1a4e6f6eb6f210b95295def7b6c.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2026, 2:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-certified-tree-huggers-advice-for-buying-clunkers/206195/36 "2026-11-09T02:16:19Z")
> [@Nevada\_545](#): > > If you can buy 20 of them, there must be plenty. I havenā€™t seen one on the road around here in years. I was just pointing out the price discrepancy of the $10,000 Taurus Chris thinks exists and reality. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2026, 2:43am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-certified-tree-huggers-advice-for-buying-clunkers/206195/37 "2026-11-09T02:43:53Z")
There are plenty of Camrys and Accords of that vintage still being used as daily drivers here But VERY few Tauruses, Malibus and Impalas ---
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2026, 1:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-certified-tree-huggers-advice-for-buying-clunkers/206195/38 "2026-11-09T13:14:43Z")
The U.S. is a huge country with varying geography and climates. Itā€™s human nature to apply personal experience to a given situation. When it comes to cars, there are widely different environmental conditions across this country. For example, I was visiting my brother who wanted to fix something on his 20+ year old van. He lives in an arid climate and has almost no tools. I was able to remove the bumper using a crescent wrench. Everything was in pristine condition, especially compared to where I have lived. The van was in impeccable shape and no rust to speak of underneath. That same van would be a junker around here and need a blowtorch to remove those bumper boltsā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![ChrisTheTireWhisperer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/christhetirewhisperer/32/34798_2.png) [@ChrisTheTireWhisperer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ChrisTheTireWhisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2026, 5:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-certified-tree-huggers-advice-for-buying-clunkers/206195/39 "2026-11-09T17:53:45Z")
> [@bing](#): > > Daughter in law. Apologies if I ā€˜cracked your knucklesā€™ making you type all that out. Personally Iā€™m quite allergic to abbreviations and acronyms, and even go so far as to type out the full names of national TV networks (Columbia Broadcasting Service) and federal agencies (Federal Bureau of Investigation) to eliminate any doubt as to their meanings. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2026, 6:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-certified-tree-huggers-advice-for-buying-clunkers/206195/40 "2026-11-09T18:13:50Z")
I didnt think it was a big deal. Thought was common knowledge. Yeah i was taught how to write a business letter but i still just use the to, from, subject. I just think it saves time for everyone. I always state the purpose in the first line so a quick look tells you everything without reading two pages. I hope they appreciate it. Life is too short to have to wade through a two page letter to try to figure out what they want. They dont teach that in English class and a lot of trees have died because of it. Im old enough that ill just do what i want. Like what Janie used to say, tough blank said the kitty . . . ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2026, 7:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-certified-tree-huggers-advice-for-buying-clunkers/206195/41 "2026-11-09T19:14:31Z")
> [@bing](#): > > Like what Janie used to say, tough blank said the kitty . . . I donā€™t know who Janie is a donā€™t care !!! [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-certified-tree-huggers-advice-for-buying-clunkers/206195.md?page=1) [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-certified-tree-huggers-advice-for-buying-clunkers/206195.md?page=3)