So when I look at an ad on these websites, other than year and mileage, I’m not sure what to look at. Any thoughts on this ad?
Thanks,
Michael
I would avoid the police interceptor versions… look for a private owner, well-maintained version.
Police use is pretty darned abusive on a car. Even if they aren’t driving over curves, you’ve likely seen more than average amounts of hard acceleration, cornering, braking, etc… and above average amounts of idling… and idling a car in the heat for hours per day isn’t exactly friendly on the car.
I disagree, well kind of… I have owned many ex-police cars and all and all they have been great !! These cars are usually VERY well taken care of, and yes while they are abused at times and idle alot they get the maintenance to overcome that… I also try VERY VERY hard to only buy detective and supervisor cars. These cars are usually driven by one or two people, and are not used for every day patrols. There for are usually in better shape, as a bonus many are better equipped and have not been “marked”. Look for cloth back seats as a good clue, and no cage. Most patrol cars have vinyl in the rear so its easy to clean when perps have “accidents”.
As a for example I once owned a 96 Caprice 9C1 that was DGGM (dark grey green metalic), a civilian color, full cloth interior with bench seat up front, power seats, and cruise… For a 9C1 it was top of the line, it was the town managers car and it was FANTASTIC !!
Do you know whether the CV was used by the police? It may not have been. If not, the price seems decent. Be sure to test drive it to make sure that some of the undocumented features, like seat covers, are acceptable.
@jtsanders makes a good point for some reason it was very easy for a non police person to buy a P71 CV… I know of a few that never saw a day of service but were still P71’s
The police versions also aren’t likely to get as good of mileage as the civilian models since they are probably geared differently and have a higher HP engine.
Very good point about the detective and supervisor cars… they’ve likely led an easy life. I don’t trust the maintenance, however… at least around here, that is - the state has slaughtered funding to local governments and they’ve been operating on shoestring budgets cutting corners left and right…
@fordman1959 Nope they have the same motors as the civi cars, and basically the same gear ratios (I think it may be the towing gear ratio)… The differance between a Civi and a Cop car is the suspention, the seats (usually have stab shealds in both front seats), the carpet is vinyl alot of times, heavy duty cooling, powersteering cooler, high amp altinator, upgraded wireing, extra trans cooler, lifetime hoses (although I think they did away with them in the past few years)… Things along those lines.
and is mileage in general not a huge deal? If one VC has 120k miles and another has 160k miles, is that negligible?
OK, if you please, what about this one? I don’t know how hard these prices are; maybe this $7k price tag in a dealership really means $5,500 after a conversation?
http://www.covertford.com/2003-Ford-Crown-Victoria-Austin-TX/vd/9856373
Looks like a decent car, although I did not see a carfax. I doubt you could get to 5500 out the door, don’t forget you still have taxes, title, tag and I bet they charge a doc fee. It does not hurt to try though, sometimes flashing cash at someone makes all the difference.
Some information that might help you. I was going to purchase a new 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis GS in 2004 and even went as far as negotiating a price then didn’t buy it, because I had already negotiated a price then they wanted to add a $300. dealer prep fee which had never been mentioned, I found it on the contract before signing and told them I wasn’t paying more than the negotiated price and they refused to take off the dealer prep fee so I walked out. The sticker price was just over $25K, if I recall correctly $25,300. and I negotiated a cash sale of $15,300+ tax, tag. I personally think $5-$6K would be a fair price. My mom’s '99 Grand Marquis LS is a 2000 model and if I recall correctly when she received her tag renewal and tax bill it was listed for between $3-$3.5K for property taxes. I think $5-$6K is a fair price especially considering 121K miles. Start lower on your negotiations and work toward a figure you’re happy with. If they won’t come to your price there’s plenty more out there. Salesmen hate to see a customer walk out the door, because they know 90% of them won’t return. In '84 I negotiated a price on a car for my dad, the dealership and I got within a $100 of making a deal, we got up and walked out, but when we got home the phone was ringing saying they’d split the difference. Don’t let them know how much money you have or what you’re willing to pay, because they’re definitely not going to give you their best price right off the bat. Most likely the dealership has little or nothing in this car if they took it in trade on a new car instead of the buyer negotiating a straight out deal off the sticker price. When buying a new car and trading something in the dealer will act like they are giving you a lot for your used car when in reality unless you have a very new car they aren’t giving you much if any more than you could buy the car straight out for, that’s the reason I never trade in a car. When I negotiated the price on the Grand Marquis in 2004 I ask what they would take for the car, the salesman told me the sticker price then ask what I’d give, I said $10K, he said get realistic, I said you get realistic I’m not paying sticker price. I went back and forth between this dealership and two other Mercury dealers in Charlotte, NC negotiating on similar cars with each dealer for a couple weeks before I finally got them to rock bottom, but it would have been well worth the trouble if I’d ended up buying it. I’d suggest shopping around and finding 2 or more dealers with similar cars and start negotiating back and forth between them telling each one what the other one offered to sell you their’s for. If there’s anyway they can afford to lower their price they will rather than lose a sale. They’d rather make a little than nothing at all.
Edmunds says it is worth about $6400 at a dealer. If you can get it for less, it is a good deal. Also, the CarFax says the car was offered for sale by this dealer on 4/1. They probably have had it for 3 weeks. Offer them $6000 and see what they say. Better yet, find other CVs, Buick LeSabres, and similar cars in the area and talk about them during the conversation at Covert. That will make them more anxious to make the sale. Maybe they will get down to around $6000 on their own.
Thank you. Good to know; I do plenty of negotiating for a living but never when I have no idea what I’m doing, like with car buying.
So very disappointing experience today with the Grand Marquis. They didn’t have a Crown Vic or a Taurus to try, but they had a 2003 GrandM which 60k miles and the guy said it had the same body as a CV. Yeah, it drove like a boat, but I’m used to a '91 Camry and since cops and cabbies get used to doing plenty of significant maneuvering in them, I’m sure I could get used to it.
However, my eyes were level with the visor. I had to put the (power) seat all the way down and lean the seat back more than I like to be able to get full visibility. I mean, I have to lean back a bit in the old Camry, but not as much as this huge GrandM. The dealer suggested that the fact that it was a power seat might make a significant difference. (Said when he sells cars to basketball players, they always get manual seats.) This legit? Or does it mean that CVs TownCs and GrandMs are out for me? I mean, even if it goes down on inch, my visibility is still going to be mediocre or require I lean back more than is comfortable and it gives me less control.
This is what I’m seen with modern cars, meaning cars that are not boxy like 90’s cars. The more streamlined they make them, the less visibility in both the back and the front. I had better visibility in my tiny Camry because it had big erect windows. ]
I guess the torso height is a real issue, even more than expected.
Am I running out of options? The guy said I’d be more comfortable in a truck, and yeah, SUVs have always been very comfortable (the passenger side anyway). But I can’t get a car that gets that kind of millage. Even if I up my budget to around $10k (it’s plausible I could do that in a few weeks) I can’t imagine there’s a 20mpg truck out there with my name on it, ey?
Or was he totally wrong and I should still check out CVs and the Taurus (he said eh, it’s got a smaller interior than this) despite the experience today?
I appreciate you guys sticking with this thread and helping me out.
M.
Hi Michael,
Sorry to hear about your car. I drove a 1991 Camry for years, until I moved to a city, at which time I gave it to a family member. Loved that car.
Another family member, who likes driving sports cars, once said she didn’t like the car because it was boxy and, in her words, “the windows are so big and everyone can see me.” The flip side of that is good visibility for the driver.
If you’d be willing to get another “vintage” car, I wonder if a pre-1999 Nissan Maxima would work for you. My friend had one and, as best I can recall, there was plenty of space for the driver. It would probably come in under your budget, but reliability is probably not the greatest.
Or even a mid-90’s Camry (which must have been bigger than your '91) or Toyota Avalon.
Just trying to think outside the Crown Vic/Marquis “box.” I don’t think you’ll get better reliability from a mid-90’s Japanese car than from a 2004 Crown Vic, but you might save a bit of money.
MichaelDM
I have a similar problem and I have to try a vehicle on for size just as I have to try on a pair of shoes. Fortunately, I have an easier time finding a car that fits as opposed to shoes, since my shoes size is 14AA.
At any rate, my wife’s parent had a 1995 Mercury Grand Marquis which we had to sell when they gave up driving. I did not find the car comfortable to drive. On the other hand, I was comfortable in both the 1988 Ford Taurus and 1999 Mercury Sable that we once owned. The Taurus had a manual seat and the Sable had the electric seat. We once owned a 1993 Oldsmobile 88 which was a great car, except after 50 miles or so my legs would cramp up. For long trips, we drove our 1990 Ford Aerostar minivan instead because it was more comfortable.
My institution has various cars in its fleet that I have driven 300 to 600 miles to conferences. I found the Honda Civic Hybrid did not have enough legroom. The Ford Taurus and the Ford Fusion were comfortable for me, as was the Ford Escape Hybrid. On one trip of 600 miles, I had a Nissan Sentra and it was quite comfortable for me. On another trip I had a Hyundai Sonata that I could not find a comfortable seating position. My wife’s former boss is probably 6’3" and tips the scales at close to 400 pounds. He drives a Chevrolet Impala. On one long trip, he requisitioned a Dodge Avenger from the institution’s fleet.
Years ago, when I was looking at pickup trucks, I tested a 1968 Chevrolet C-10 and a 1968 Ford F-100. Both were bottom of the line 6 cylinder 3 speed column shift trucks. I didn’t have enough leg room in the Chevrolet C-10, but the Ford F-100 was quite comfortable for me.
We presently don’t have a regular car as we much prefer the seating position in our Toyota Sienna minivan and our Toyota 4Runner. I would love to have a Mazda Miata, but Medicare will not pay for leg shortening surgery.
Mike,
Are you long in the legs or long in the torso?? If the Vic did not fit you (I am shocked by the way), I am going to go in a compleatly different direction. Find a Kia Rondo… Good MPG, most should have a warranty on them still. LOTS of head room…
Thank you.
My legs are only 33.5" - my torso is very long - I’m 6’5". And my shoulders are problematic in 90% of cars I’ve tried. Basically, I’m built football, not basketball–I’m not lanky. I think I’m about the average size and of an NFL QB but with an additional 40lbs of…weight that is not (yet!) muscle.
I have just enough leg room in 2000s Camry/Accord–I haven’t found anything older to try out. But the problem with the Mercury was the slope of the windshield. I had enough headroom, but it seems like somewhere at the end of the 90s the world decided that visibility for the tall was less important than streamlining (for mpg?) for the majority of the market.
I had thought about the minivans but the only ones that good reliability records from consumer reports stats were (I believe) the Odyssey and the CRV. (maybe I missed the Toyota/Nissan options - I’ll check) They also seemed a few thousand more than anything else on the market.
I guess at this point I’m close to accepting that I’m going to be at the very least slightly uncomfortable in any car I can afford. Or maybe Kia will be my savior? If not, maybe going for an Accord or Camry (or Maxima?) pretty much as old and miled as necessary to suit my price range is the way to go. (Sentra and Fusion and Focus were all much too small when I tried)
Oh, since it seems from this and CR that Subaru became excellent but only somewhat recently (and before had all kinds of problems) I didn’t even think to consider them. But when I have sat in the driver’s seats of both a 2011 Forester and an Outback and as I recall they did seem to have just enough room to be truly comfortable. But they seem to be about $25,000 out of my range.
Thanks,
Michael
PS. three or four dealers said of the early 2000s cars oh we send most of those to auction. And they also said that they buy from auction–presumably not the same kind of auction. Maybe the thing to do is see if I can find one of those auctions and compete/bid as an end user against guys who are only willing to pay dealer prices for (blank modernish big interior car) or a CRV or something
Auctions are a mixed bag, you bid you win it’s yours 100% as Is. No oppertunitiy to drive it, much less have it looked over. Also most auctions are dealer only, not open to the public. Public auctions are usually, a scam or have the cars not purchased by dealers during auction day. At the end you may save some money but increase your risk.
AS a PS I am sorry I thought your budget was $10,000 for some reason… $5000 is much harder to work with… But I did think of another car that may work and that is the PT cruser or Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe twins… All of them are tall wagon type cars that should give you the head room/visibility you want.