So I’m wanting to buy a used car, probably on ebay. My budget is 11K or preferably less. My main concerns are comfort and reliability. I have had good experiences in the past with buying Ford Crown Victoria retired police cruisers. They are cheap, roomy and reliable. I have more money to spend now though and heard Lincoln town cars are similar to the Crown Vics, but even more comfy. Here is a listing for one on ebay I’m interested in.
The problem is, there is this ‘autocheck’ score of 70 on it. It also said it was in one accident. Some other cars I was looking at had much higher scores, such as this Impala
Well, I know the Lincoln Town Car’s reputation for longevity, but I don’t know as much about the Impalas. Are they just as good? I also found one that is a Super Sport variety that seems like it would be just as powerful and maybe as roomy and comfy as the town car.
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Any opinions are welcome. It is 100s of miles from me, so I cannot go check them out in person, but I have bought 3 cars off ebay in the past without inspecting them and those all turned out fine, so I’m happy to take the risk. Which would be the better buy, more comfy, more reliable?
I thought someone might have experience with both types of cars, to know which is more reliable, comfortable, or have a reputation for issues I might not know about.
Rear drive grandpa car vs fwd salesman’s car. They still have salesman? Or is everything online? Like eBay?
Newer impalas are same as Ford Taurus. Cheap crap that falls apart. And has low value in 6-7 years.
As for the “autocheck” … Just like CarFax, do not assume everything posted is correct. It is a guide and nothing more. Not every shop reports every accident repair. I see the posted numbers for each car you listed as the same. Within the error band of my skepticism.
Personally I would never buy a 13 year old car sight unseen, but that’s me.
Yes, I’m very granda-like, so the town car probably suits me better.
Thanks for the info about impalas depreciating fast.
I probably won’t be selling the car though, so resell value won’t matter.
It is concerning if they have a reputation for being cheap and falling apart.
You are going to take the post by Cavell as real ? Maybe he just does not like some vehicles or brands . They are both older vehicles and it does not appear they have fallen apart .
Depreciation is nearly meaningless in cars this old. Find something you like, drive it and do your own inspection. The inspection should include the body, interior, trunk, engine bay, and under the car. The under car inspection is difficult unless you can put it on a lift. Condition is more important than brand at this age. You should get it inspected once you decide which one you like. You pay for the inspection, but it could be money well spent despite your good luck in the past. If you decide you don’t like either car after you drive them and look them over, keep looking. They aren’t the only cars for sale.
I think impalas might depreciate faster because it is a fleet car and lots of them on the market. It’s been a while but the last impala I rented was among the most boring cars I ever drove. It was right up there with the Toyota. Only owned one ford so can’t really comment on the reliability. One of our posters here had quite an issue with her impala a few years ago if memory serves.
well I drive a 97 crown Vic that lived in Georgia 20+ years of it’s life and just broke 100,000 miles on it has the 4.6 liter 281 so u know what I’m going to tell ya good luck and check everything when shopping for either one…