What do you guys think about the police cars and fleet vehicles? They had a bunch of crown vics all the same 2011 models with around the same mileage (160k). I would think they would’ve been maintained fairly well.
I think you’d be better off at a rental car sales place, where they sell their used rental cars. Buying a car where all you can is look at it and start the engine, I"d have to get a major discount for that. Like 50%-75% off what I’d pay if I could get a mechanic’s inspection first.
Me, I wouldn’t do it. Those kind of car auctions are good for someone who’s going to by 5-10 cars, like a used car lot owner. Then the discount on the cars that end up working ok hopefully more than offset the few that need so much work it’s cheaper just to scrap them.
If something good comes along they will bid it up to silly levels. Go to one for the experience and maybe get lucky.
Police cars are severe service, and while the odometer shows 160k, the actual run time for the engine is far higher. Also, insurance rates will be higher on retired crown vics. And considering the OP is looking for a car for a new teenage driver, I’d run away from them quickly. Fleet vehicles would probably be a good buy as they should be up to date with all requisite maintenance and maybe have repair records marked off in the owners manual.
So, the ones that I was thinking about was a state fleet vehicle (relatively low mileage) but given that it is state fleet vehicle, I would expect that they were well maintained. But, correct. Can’t drive it around. I know that it starts. Some of them have descriptions that clearly say they have problems. No Crown Vics because, IMHO they have too much power and they look to be super beat up. But a state fleet vehicle that was driven by a social worker might work. I’m leaning towards not doing it because given the number of active bidders on the cars and it looks like the prices of the Prius and Civics are going up. If I can get a car for $1000 or less, I might try for it, but above that, I don’t want to risk bad transmission, (needing to change the battery in the Prius, etc.)
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Look for a less popular car, like a Chevrolet, Ford, or Chrysler product. I’ve had good success with GM vehicles, and I kept the last two for 12 and 14 yearrs. The 14 year old is still going at 187,000 miles. Since the ones you look at were maintained by the fleet shop, they should have had filters, fluids, and any repairs made on time. The difference in reliability between Toyota and the Detroit Three has shrunk dramatically in the past two decades. This is not a knock on Toyota, but a recognition that reliability improved for just about all makes over that time period.
In 2005, I bought a new car and gave my 1998 Buick Regal to my oldest daughter to use. She would have preferred something like a Civic more, but she was happy to have anything, including the Buick.
Police cars? One year the Sheriff was trying to save money on buying new vehicles so they tried to do a complete overhaul on the old ones. Engine, trans, suspension, etc. overhaul. They dropped the program after one year and just kept buying new. Yeah they get hard use.
Have driven a sheriff dept Crown Vic, yes we drove it hard.
As far as Crown Vic’s being too powerful, not really. I think the max they ever got was 235 HP. Lower power to weight than newer 4 and 6 cylinder cars.
It depends on the year. If that Vickie was late 70s or 80s, it was decent power.
They aren’t exactly fast cars. A 4 cylinder Accord or Camry are actually noticeably quicker than a Crown Vic, as are most minivans.
Around here social workers, people that drive special needs kids to and from school, county techs, etc. use retired police cars. With that said, ack before I had a permanent post, my county car was a maroon 2001 Ford Taurus wagon, I called it Torro Rosso . it’s still in service. The county has replaced some of them with P71s, and old police Explorers but, we try to hold on to the wagons simply because they are very practical for what wee use them for, but they are dying off, we’re down to three of them last I heard.
Your best bet IMHO. Is to find a later Crown Vic (2008+) that was a detective’s car, those don’t see quite as hard use, and typically are bit better equipped (comfort-wise) than a patrol car.
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The later P71’s with the Marauder intake box were rated for 250 HP, but by 2008-2011 that really wasn’t anything to write home about, 0-60 was about 8 seconds, 1/4 mile was about 16 seconds; not terribly by any means, but very average numbers for it’s time, and a bit on the slow side by today’s standards. Today’s police cars are substantially quicker. The Taurus Interceptor with the NA 3.7L gets to 60 in little over 7 seconds, and the Ecoboost V6 model does it in a bit over 5 seconds.
The 80’s models were even worse, the engine of choice for the LTD Crown Vic was 351W (which wasn’t offered in the civilian model IIRC, or if it was it was exceptionally rare) it was carburated with an oddball variable-venturi carb, and had something like 180 HP, but still took about 10 seconds to get to 60, again typical for the family cars of it’s day.
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Personal preference, but if I was getting my kid’s first car, it’d be something the size of a Camry/Accord/Sonata. Not too big, not too small.
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Crown Vic or Grand Marquis would not be on my list for new teenage drivers . I just don’t think a large rear wheel drive vehicle is suitable. I feel the same way about people putting their kids in pickup trucks.
Eh, my parents put me in a 1974 F-100 as my first car, and I managed just fine 
Kids in pickups are fine, if you have the correct equipment.
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Kids will play with anything, won’t they?
My experience, generally, Toyota vehicles are excellent from a reliability standpoint. And my experience has been only with a new car. I agree with other commenters that as-is and without test-driving, getting a mechanic’s evaluation, etc. are high-risk transaction. If you are willing to take that risk, as I mentioned before, both Toyota and Honda (I have a friend who is a Honda-guy), are excellent cars.
Not to go off in a different direction but my folks never put me in anything. I would use one of theirs until I bought my own. Same thing with our son. He used what we had until he bought his own.