Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

Well the cheap engine is out then, anything else? She really likes the Caddy SRX(2nd gen), but not the price.

phoenixsac said:
What problems and what Mercury, if you don't mind me asking?

The reason I ask is because I am seriously considering a 2008+ Lincoln MKZ and if your mom has a Milan I may need to cross it off my list. (Or if she has a Montego with the 3.5 litre V6 - the same engine as in the MKZ)
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It is a 97(?) Grand Marquis. Right at 120k miles it started to fall apart. The interior is falling to bits, the electrical demons are starting to look like VW had a hand in the design, and it has started to have trans problems.
 
GRtak said:
Well the cheap engine is out then, anything else? She really likes the Caddy SRX(2nd gen), but not the price.
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US News seems to like these:
http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/rankings/Affordable-Midsize-SUVs/

I would avoid the Traverse for the same reasons as the Equinox. If the objective is a road-biased crossover, which it seems to be, I like the Murano and the Sorrento, among others. Or does she want a size smaller?

It is a 97(?) Grand Marquis. Right at 120k miles it started to fall apart. The interior is falling to bits, the electrical demons are starting to look like VW had a hand in the design, and it has started to have trans problems.
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Now that's surprising, Panthers are usually pretty solid and last longer than that. The electrical problems - is it that the lighting system is going bonkers?
 
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Does it have to be a domestic? Because otherwise I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Korean offerings, they're even percieved better in the US than they are here.
 
Her requirements are, newer mid size SUV with a good engine and it must be built in the U.S.A. or Canada. By newer, she means less than 5 years old. She like the Acadia, Enclave, and second gen SRV(just got off the phone with her).

Spectre said:
US News seems to like these:
http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/rankings/Affordable-Midsize-SUVs/

I would avoid the Traverse for the same reasons as the Equinox. If the objective is a road-biased crossover, which it seems to be, I like the Murano and the Sorrento, among others. Or does she want a size smaller?



Now that's surprising, Panthers are usually pretty solid and last longer than that. The electrical problems - is it that the lighting system is going bonkers?
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It started with the lights, but the car was in for a few other electrical problems related to engine management and had other demons inside the car. The rear windows have stopped working, the drivers seat will not move sometimes, and the stereo will occasionally stop working if you hit a bump. I took the car in for an oil change and to get the trans fluid and filter change last week. When they pulled the trans pan off there was a plastic bit that is used to prevent anything from entering into the trans case before it is put into the car (we know this because a Mustang was in and had the same bit in it's trans pan), and the filter was never locked in properly or was knocked loose when the plastic bit was knocked into the pan. The rear diff was clunking and had to be replaced. The headlights need to be cleaned and polished once a year(the plastic). The mirrors decided to pop off the mounts (not just the glass). There is more that has gone wrong with the car since they bought it, but I can't remember it all.
 
Wow. I had always thought the Panther cars were pretty reliable. Looks like I may have to pull the 2003+ Crown Vic P71 and Lincoln Town Car (Not to mention the Marauder) off my list as well.

For your Mom, I would recommend the 2007+ Hyundai Santa Fe. (The Santa Fe is built in Montgomery, Alabama.) I would recommend the second generation Saturn Vue, but that was made in Mexico.
 
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I have asked many times why anyone would want one. My Roadmaster is older and had fewer problems over a longer life and more miles than the MGM my parents have.(5 more years and about 45k more miles) Not to mention the difference in ride quality and handling.
 
GRtak said:
Her requirements are, newer mid size SUV with a good engine and it must be built in the U.S.A. or Canada. By newer, she means less than 5 years old. She like the Acadia, Enclave, and second gen SRV(just got off the phone with her).
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The Acadia has some pretty ugly transmission problems as does its sister the Enclave. Also has major climate control and steering system issues. http://www.edmunds.com/gmc/acadia/2010/consumer-discussions.html

About the only time I see the Acadia/Enclave twins is on the back of a tow truck or broken by the side of the road. They appeared to be selling well a few years back, but I haven't seen a 2010 or 2011 of them in the wild.

The Kia Sorento is made in Georgia.


It started with the lights, but the car was in for a few other electrical problems related to engine management and had other demons inside the car. The rear windows have stopped working, the drivers seat will not move sometimes, and the stereo will occasionally stop working if you hit a bump. I took the car in for an oil change and to get the trans fluid and filter change last week. When they pulled the trans pan off there was a plastic bit that is used to prevent anything from entering into the trans case before it is put into the car (we know this because a Mustang was in and had the same bit in it's trans pan), and the filter was never locked in properly or was knocked loose when the plastic bit was knocked into the pan. The rear diff was clunking and had to be replaced. The headlights need to be cleaned and polished once a year(the plastic). The mirrors decided to pop off the mounts (not just the glass). There is more that has gone wrong with the car since they bought it, but I can't remember it all.
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Wild. Most Panther owners will never see a tenth of those problems. Was it bought used? It really sounds like it was in a flood at one time.

Rear windows: Replace driver's side power window switch pack. Ford runs everything through that and if the window lock is stuck on or malfunctioning you get no rear windows.

Mirrors: Someone screwed with the mirrors and then slapped them back on when you weren't looking. They don't normally pop off.


phoenixsac said:
Wow. I had always thought the Panther cars were pretty reliable. Looks like I may have to pull the 2003+ Crown Vic P71 and Lincoln Town Car (Not to mention the Marauder) off my list as well.
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Thing is, most of the problems he's describing except for the lighting issue (it's a single module under the steering column, known issue, easily fixed/replaced/bypassed) are pretty unusual for Panthers. Check out the info over at Crownvic.net. The only one that is really common is the headlight thing, but that's common to all cars that use polycarbonate for the lenses. Fortunately, replacements are cheap and last for years.

Also, keep in mind that the CVPIs have reduced equipment manifests and what they do have is heavily reinforced in general - so problems with civvie CVs don't necessarily translate into problems with the P71s. We do not have the civilian air suspension, JBL surround sound system, electronics suites, digital dashboard, or anything else like that. Hell, even the wiring harness is different.
 
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That's a very good point - especially about the P71. It may still go off my list, though. I mean, I would like to have sex sometime.
 
phoenixsac said:
That's a very good point - especially about the P71. It may still go off my list, though. I mean, I would like to have sex sometime.
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Uh... given all the cop sex scandals, the P71 is not an obstacle to sex. (And are actually quite roomy if you wish to use them for that.)
 
All of the switches were changed in the door, including the seat adjuster. It still has problems. The car was bought used, but they know who owned it and the only reason they sold it is because they won a newer Lincoln and needed the money to pay the taxes on it. The car is kept in the garage mostly and I doubt anyone messed with the mirrors. Truthfully, I think this is the lemon that rolled off the line that month. This got all of the problem parts and had the pissed off peeps putting it together, maybe they just got told they had mandatory OT that weekend.
 
Just checked. 1997 was a strike/labor unrest year. That would account for it; among other things, there was a strike at a seat supplier and the other suppliers had to try to take up the slack. There also seems to have been some idiocy going on with additional unionized suppliers and the UAW as well.

:dunno: Behold the fun with the UAW? The car is assembled in Canada, but in 97 they were still drawing almost exclusively on US suppliers.
 
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Spectre said:
Uh... given all the cop sex scandals, the P71 is not an obstacle to sex. (And are actually quite roomy if you wish to use them for that.)
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That's cops, though - women love cops. Just ask my sister - she married one. Civilians driving P71s are generally perceived as cop wannabes - ie: weirdos. At least, according to LEO forum posts I've seen.

In other news, I need help. I am actually considering buying a 2008-09 Ford Taurus - preferably one in Limited trim. What the hell is wrong with me? I checked Consumer Reports to see how reliable it is, and they said it ranks above average in overall reliability, so no help there. Please, someone talk me out of this! For my overseas friends, this is what the 2008-09 Taurus looks like:
https://pic.armedcats.net/p/ph/phoenixsac/2011/05/29/40251129.jpg
Basically, it looks like someone stuck an air hose in a B5.5 Passat and overinflated it.
 
I think Blind_Io and Kiki just have good things to say about their Taurus, and i think it was a 2009.
 
phoenixsac said:
That's cops, though - women love cops. Just ask my sister - she married one. Civilians driving P71s are generally perceived as cop wannabes - ie: weirdos. At least, according to LEO forum posts I've seen.
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Only if you have it kitted out to look as much like a cop car as possible (lights on rear deck and front dashboard, antenna farm, etc., etc.) Most people can't tell the difference between a P71 and a regular CV if you don't have the spotlight and pushbar still fitted - yes, they're that oblivious. Also, judging by the people on CrownVic.net (who actively discourage the cop wanna-bes) - it's not an obstacle for sex for non-cops, either.

In other news, I need help. I am actually considering buying a 2008-09 Ford Taurus - preferably one in Limited trim. What the hell is wrong with me? I checked Consumer Reports to see how reliable it is, and they said it ranks above average in overall reliability, so no help there. Please, someone talk me out of this! For my overseas friends, this is what the 2008-09 Taurus looks like:
https://pic.armedcats.net/p/ph/phoenixsac/2011/05/29/40251129.jpg
Basically, it looks like someone stuck an air hose in a B5.5 Passat and overinflated it.
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That's because the guy who designed the Passat and the guy who designed the Taurus are the same guy - one J. Mays.
 
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I'm a bigger fan of the Fusion sport personally. Although the Taurus SHO looks awesome.
 
anti_theft_by_k_a_t_w_a_l_k-d3hj6mn.jpg

I have a new anti theft device.
 
phoenixsac said:
That's cops, though - women love cops. Just ask my sister - she married one. Civilians driving P71s are generally perceived as cop wannabes - ie: weirdos. At least, according to LEO forum posts I've seen.

In other news, I need help. I am actually considering buying a 2008-09 Ford Taurus - preferably one in Limited trim. What the hell is wrong with me? I checked Consumer Reports to see how reliable it is, and they said it ranks above average in overall reliability, so no help there. Please, someone talk me out of this! For my overseas friends, this is what the 2008-09 Taurus looks like:
https://pic.armedcats.net/p/ph/phoenixsac/2011/05/29/40251129.jpg
Basically, it looks like someone stuck an air hose in a B5.5 Passat and overinflated it.
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Theyre highly underrated cars. The powertrain improvements compared to the Five Hundred and improvements to quietness make it an even better option. Safe, roomy, decently handling, and sensible, it (and its five hundred/freestyle/taurus x siblings) just didn't sell.

BlindIo and Kiki have a Taurus, they might have more thoughts about them.

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GRtak said:
Her requirements are, newer mid size SUV with a good engine and it must be built in the U.S.A. or Canada. By newer, she means less than 5 years old. She like the Acadia, Enclave, and second gen SRV(just got off the phone with her).
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Honda Pilot, Dodge Journey, Hyundai Santa Fe and current generation Kia Sorento are all decent options. I'd check the ride on early current Sorentos: its pretty stiff, people complained and now later models have revised suspension tuning.

Ford Edge is nice...I'm not a fan of the interior of pre refresh cars but its not bad. Second gen SRX is built in mexico so it won't
match your list.

What about Mitsubishi Endeavor? It's not the first CUV that comes to mind, but it still manages to garner decent reviews and it's built in Illinois.

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