Is it better to purchase a car like a 2006 Taurus for about $12,000 that has 30,000 miles or a 2001 Lexus that has 110,000 miles for the same price?
Six of one and a half dozen of the other. That Lexus is still going to need worn out things replaced. The Taurus may be so hard to keep on the road that the previous owner had to get rid of it. The Taurus is a little high, considering that program cars of the same model have 17 to 20 thousand miles on them and sell for about that price. You will have to check the Lexus price yourself and have your mechanic check it before you buy it. For myself, I would say that the Lexus was way too much money. I don’t know how much money you have or how much you value it. Save your money for a new Taurus. They are better cars than the 06.
$12000 is way overpriced for a Taurus. Even brand new they gave away these cars at $12000 due to heavy incentives back in that day.
The Lexus no matter how pretty the name is partially used up, IMHO beyond 7yrs/150,000 miles expect anything to fail or be worn out. Many cars go well beyond that point but don’t expect it to be maintenance/repair free is my point. I have gone 200k+ on two cars, and my parents on all their cars. They are require work that gets pricier like just off the engine exhaust, suspension, radiators/cooling system and other odd items that fail.
A well-optioned SE could cost $12,000 at a dealer. A well optioned ES300 would sell for a lot less than $12,000 on a dealer’s lot. This one has high mileage; that accounts for a $1200 deduction from average. But it is hard to give you an answer because you told us so little about the cars.
They are different cars. If you want the luxury offered by the Lexus, get it.
The Lexus probably has a lot more doodads to break.
Ford has way more dealers than Lexus. The Taurus might need them a little more often but at the Lexus mileage, maybe not. If you live in or near a big city, you might have two or three or even more Ford dealers to choose from if one proves to be unsatisfactory. Many small towns across the country have a Ford dealer but Lexus dealers are not easily found in rural areas. Check KBB.com or NADA to check on the Taurus price.
Both sound way overpriced to me.
If you want to find real world prices to use as a guideline then check eBay, both current and completed auctions for comparable cars.