My baby is all done (advice)

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95MARK8LSC

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Hello again everyone. Haven't posted here in QUITE some time, but I'm back, and I need some advice.

It's time to put my baby to sleep. Just tooooo many problems to deal with....where to start? It has almost 142,000 on it right now. It just failed inspection due to safety issues (major front suspension problems). Also, it needs motor mounts, TPS, possible power steering box, the tranny is starting to slip, etc. etc. I'm not willing to put ANY money into this car right now. First of all, God knows how much it will run me, second, I wouldn't even know where to start.

Soooo, I was almost completely decided on a 2001 LS, silver w/ light gray interior, 48,000 miles. Dealership is asking 15K. I just went on the LS section of this forum, and nobody really had anything good to say about the LS. Not as much power (don't care), expensive repairs (care a lot)...what common problems do LSs have? I love the look, don't mind 4 doors.

Anyone have any other suggestions for a new (used) car that I might not have thought of? I prefer American, but it doesn't NEED to be. My options are wide open, but I don't want any car w/ more than 50K miles, and I don't want to pay more than 15K. I want a visually appealing car w/ decent power. I prefer a lot of options, leather, power everything, etc. From what I can think of, the LS is the best option. I'm just very concerned about expensive repairs.

Thanks for any advice.
 
RE: My baby is all done (advice)

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Anyone have any other suggestions for a new (used) car that I might not have thought of? I prefer American, but it doesn't NEED to be. My options are wide open, but I don't want any car w/ more than 50K miles, and I don't want to pay more than 15K. I want a visually appealing car w/ decent power. I prefer a lot of options, leather, power everything, etc. From what I can think of, the LS is the best option. I'm just very concerned about expensive repairs.Thanks for any advice.
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{Sound of taps in the background}
Sorry to hear about the Mark. :( {/Taps off}

Town Car, dude! Town Car!

http://photos.imageevent.com/driller/2002towncar/websize/100_0830.JPG

Test drive one, you may be suprised. Options, leather, power everything, American, visually appealing car w/ decent power, etc... and it isn't the "boat" ride you may think. It's a fairly nimble steed with suprising driving attributes.

Dependable. Reasonable repairs. IMHO. You can get very nice representatives for 15K and under. You may want to re-consider the 50K mile ceiling though. Being known for longevity is one attribute but the other is a LOT of private owners trade them in when the warranty is up. I picked my 2002 up for a good deal as it had just over 50K on the odometer, the extent of the factory warranty.

LS? Nah, didn't do it for me. Definitely not the best on dependability or repair costs in my experience when compared to it's peers, let alone it's big brother, the Lincoln Town Car. ;)
 
RE: My baby is all done (advice)

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May I suggest, a Lexus GS400, or possibly a LS400. They are both very quick, instane amounts of reliablity, and look good with tons of standard features and options. Not sure if you can find a 99 GS w/50K for 15k, but you might want to take a look at these two.http://wvlc.uwaterloo.ca/biology447/modules/intro/images/Lexusrear2.gif
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Repair costs on Lexus cars are atrocious though.
 
RE: My baby is all done (advice)

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or maybe a caddy STS... those are really nice too, even for being FWD.
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Noooooo!!!!! ::nono::

If you think the Lincoln vs Ford repair costs are exponential, wait 'til you see the Cadillac vs GM costs! :B
 
RE: My baby is all done (advice)

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... Not sure if you can find a 99 GS w/50K for 15k, but you might want to take a look at these two.
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Moe, no disrespect, but I knew you'd be here touting Lexus. :D

I would need to look up the exact number, but the '02 Town Car w/ barely over 50K was under $15K. My wife will go with the '02 anything over a '99 any day. I tried hard to talk her from her 2000 Sable(gasp) to a '98 Mark VIII, but no way would she go 'backwards'. ::roll::
 
RE: My baby is all done (advice)

The town car was just talked about in Forbs as being one of the most dependable luxury cars. It is just not going to be sporty like the mark viii, but I rather have a town car then an LS. And they are a good bang for the buck since you have a 15k cap.
 
RE: My baby is all done (advice)

Hands down the best deal on a LS equivalent is the Orphaned Opel, the Cad. Catera.
00_cadillac_catera_2.jpg


00_cadillac_catera_sport_interier.jpg


Fortunately, lots of junkyard cars available so parts will be no problem for another 6 - 8 years.

I missed a 68,000 mile 1998 at a local dealership for $4800 the day before I bought my 100K mark for $3200 - and I'm in the business. It is possible in smaller communities to buy these Cateras at wholesale prices because consumers and dealers think Cadillacs are "too fancy"

It's basically a mini-Continental without the suspension issues. Can't go wrong.

Re the LS it is a great car, but wholesale prices have firmed recently and they just aren't worth the money. If you could find a five-speed though it would be cheap and super rare.
 
RE: My baby is all done (advice)

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Hello again everyone. Haven't posted here in QUITE some time, but I'm back, and I need some advice.It's time to put my baby to sleep. Just tooooo many problems to deal with....where to start? It has almost 142,000 on it right now. It just failed inspection due to safety issues (major front suspension problems). Also, it needs motor mounts, TPS, possible power steering box, the tranny is starting to slip, etc. etc. I'm not willing to put ANY money into this car right now. First of all, God knows how much it will run me, second, I wouldn't even know where to start.Soooo[/div]



Welcome to the wonderful world of USED CARS.

Any car you buy will require work, no matter linoln, lexus, caddy.. whatever.

at 142,000 miles your mark 8 has lasted longer than most cars would.

The repair you quoted come to around 3000.00 and would make your car "WHOLE AGAIN" for atleast another 150,000 miles.

front end parts about 600.00
trans replacement about 2000.00
rack n pinion around 300 dollars.

If it were me, I'd just go ahead and replace the aging parts and continue to drive the car.

Unless of course the real issue is you've got the "I NEED ANOTHER CAR" bug..
if that's the case, no matter what anyone says.."you need another car".

I'd much rather spend 3K and have my mark 8 "like new" than to spend FIVE times that much on some generic looking LS, Lexus, {insert semi popular new car name here}

Just MY humble opinion.
 
RE: My baby is all done (advice)

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[div class="dcquote"][strong]Quote[/strong]Hello again everyone. Haven't posted here in QUITE some time, but I'm back, and I need some advice.It's time to put my baby to sleep. Just tooooo many problems to deal with....where to start? It has almost 142,000 on it right now. It just failed inspection due to safety issues (major front suspension problems). Also, it needs motor mounts, TPS, possible power steering box, the tranny is starting to slip, etc. etc. I'm not willing to put ANY money into this car right now. First of all, God knows how much it will run me, second, I wouldn't even know where to start.Soooo[/div]Welcome to the wonderful world of USED CARS.Any car you buy will require work, no matter linoln, lexus, caddy.. whatever.at 142,000 miles your mark 8 has lasted longer than most cars would.The repair you quoted come to around 3000.00 and would make your car "WHOLE AGAIN" for atleast another 150,000 miles.front end parts about 600.00trans replacement about 2000.00rack n pinion around 300 dollars.If it were me, I'd just go ahead and replace the aging parts and continue to drive the car.Unless of course the real issue is you've got the "I NEED ANOTHER CAR" bug.. if that's the case, no matter what anyone says.."you need another car".I'd much rather spend 3K and have my mark 8 "like new" than to spend FIVE times that much on some generic looking LS, Lexus, {insert semi popular new car name here}Just MY humble opinion.
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I thought about that Tommy, but it's also smelling like burning oil, and I don't have the technical skills to do the work myself, so I think your estimate on repair costs might be on the VERY low side.

Anyway, here is where I am at right now.

Thanks for all of the suggestions, but now I seem to be more confused than ever. LOL

So, I have it narrowed down to these options:

1. New(er) Mark VIII. Probably the cheapest option, but I would rather avoid the suspension and other issues that these cars have, plus I would prefer something a little newer/cheaper to fix.

2. 2001 LS8. Not as likely now due to the negative response that I've gotten in my research. Don't want expensive repairs, etc.

3. Oldsmobile Aurora V8....Aybody have anything to say about these cars? Yeah, I know it's switching sides, but looking objectively, these cars are pretty cool overall. The one drawback is FWD. Any major issues to look out for?

4. Jetta GLI is in the very back of my mind. What kind of problems are common with those cars?

I think I'm going to go for some test-drives and see what I think.
 
RE: My baby is all done (advice)

what are the specifcs on the LS problems? My mark is getting up there and it is time for me to start thinking about new options as well. I was really looking into a well kept LS, but now i am a little curious to what everyone has been saying.

I'm loving the lincoln interiors, and i am most familiar with ford engineering. I want to stay somewhere in that range.

The Jaguar X-type's are also low in price. But like any lux car, more gadgets means more things to break...

4sa-4.jpg
 
RE: My baby is all done (advice)

Understood.. that's cool.

My suggestion would be a newer Mark 8, unless it IS the "new/different car bug" that's gotcha..

Either way in the end it's up to you as to what you do.

What color is your car interior and exterior?
How much you looking to get for it?
 
RE: My baby is all done (advice)

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Hands down the best deal on a LS equivalent is the Orphaned Opel, the Cad. Catera.
00_cadillac_catera_2.jpg
00_cadillac_catera_sport_interier.jpg
Fortunately, lots of junkyard cars available so parts will be no problem for another 6 - 8 years.I missed a 68,000 mile 1998 at a local dealership for $4800 the day before I bought my 100K mark for $3200 - and I'm in the business. It is possible in smaller communities to buy these Cateras at wholesale prices because consumers and dealers think Cadillacs are "too fancy"It's basically a mini-Continental without the suspension issues. Can't go wrong.Re the LS it is a great car, but wholesale prices have firmed recently and they just aren't worth the money. If you could find a five-speed though it would be cheap and super rare.
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I have heard nothing but bad things about those Cateras. They didn't sell to begin with and they are Wrong wheel drive V6 powered near econo boxes. They are NOT an LS equivalent, apples to oranges really.
 
RE: My baby is all done (advice)

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[div class="dcquote"][strong]Quote[/strong]May I suggest, a Lexus GS400, or possibly a LS400. They are both very quick, instane amounts of reliablity, and look good with tons of standard features and options. Not sure if you can find a 99 GS w/50K for 15k, but you might want to take a look at these two.http://wvlc.uwaterloo.ca/biology447/modules/intro/images/Lexusrear2.gif[/div]Repair costs on Lexus cars are atrocious though.
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Biggest thing is prolly the timming belt change every 90K. Nothing really stands out as expensive that cannot be done in your garage, or bought off Ebay for a fair price.
 
RE: My baby is all done (advice)

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[div class="dcquote"][strong]Quote[/strong]... Not sure if you can find a 99 GS w/50K for 15k, but you might want to take a look at these two.[/div]Moe, no disrespect, but I knew you'd be here touting Lexus. :D I would need to look up the exact number, but the '02 Town Car w/ barely over 50K was under $15K. My wife will go with the '02 anything over a '99 any day. I tried hard to talk her from her 2000 Sable(gasp) to a '98 Mark VIII, but no way would she go 'backwards'. ::roll::
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Once you go to Lexus, you never go back to anything else. They are solid cars :7 :7

We currently have a '00 Town car (signature series) with less then 65K for $11K. Very clean, and maintained to the fullest. My father really wanted to get rid of it after he drove my LS400. He’s been looking at the LS430’s for sometime now… just waiting to sell it first. The LS redefines word “Smooth”.
 
RE: My baby is all done (advice)

Here's the latest:

I've been shopping (online), comparing prices, options, book values, etc.etc. I've found that the LS, in general is being listed for at the very least 2K below book value. What does this mean? On the other hand, the Aurora is being listed almost right at book value. Although I like the Aurora, I haven't test driven one yet, and I'm afraid that I'll find it somewhat cheap compared to the Mark VIII, and/or LS. I had also added the Regal GS (which seems to be a rare breed), and the Volvo S80 to my list.

Here is the BIG news though. I found one LS that looks to be far above the rest. It is $1K more than what I was looking to spend, but it might be worth it. I'm looking for opinions. This baby is a 2002 w/ 49K on it, certified pre-owned with a 6-year, 75,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty. It's a V8, sport package. It is being sold at a Lincoln dealership which claims to have sold it originally, and serviced it. It is listed for 5K BELOW BOOK VALUE. Since my major concern was/is repairs, this seems like it's too good to be true.

I'm pretty sure that this is the car that I want. If I get a 5 year finance program, the payments shouldn't be too high, and since I won't have to worry about repair cost, I should be golden.

Do you guys think I should haggle since the price already seems so low? Do you think I would be making a mistake buying this car?

Thank you so much for any advice. Even though I may not be buying a car that anyone recommended, I posted here because I really value your opinions.
 
RE: My baby is all done (advice)

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... If I get a 5 year finance program, the payments shouldn't be too high, and since I won't have to worry about repair cost, I should be golden.
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My remark would be that in 2011 you would still be paying for a 9 year old vehicle. You may be buying more than you can afford if you have to stretch it out 5 years. I don't know the numbers, but it appears to me you would be upside down in short order owing far more than the value of the car.

The V8 sport package is apparently a better LS to own. Just make sure the test drive is sastifying. I always say drive it, walk away and come back in a couple days and drive it again. The time to reflect upon your initial impressions will open your senses for the second test drive. And yes, always haggle if you're serious about the car, but don't waste their time if you're not.

As far as the repair costs, make certain the warranty is a FLM warranty and double check the terms. Is it covered 'til 2008/75,000 miles or is it an extended 6 years/75K miles from the date/mileage of the sale? I think the original warranty was 5/50. Just be sure the warranty terms are clear and there is no underhand dealing going on. Even then, it will suprise you what isn't considered covered under a 'bumper to bumper' warranty.
 
RE: My baby is all done (advice)

Pretty hard to beat the looks of a two door vs a four door. Boils down to what you need vs what you want. I'll take 2 doors for style almost every time. I too have become more partial to Ford interiors. Dodge's inside are so cheap! GM's have an over abundance of plastic too. Anything with a timing belt is potentially bad news unless you change then frequently. Front wheel drive repairs seem to be constant on FWD cars too.

I really like my '98 Mark 8 LSC. They seem to be a really good buy if you're looking for something you can drive 'til it drops, seeing as the resale is pretty bad. 98's have better tranny's, HID's and other lighting extras. I hope to keep driving mine as long as I can. Good luck no matter what you choose.
 
RE: My baby is all done (advice)

Certified pre-owed are always from the original date of purchase. So that would be until 07 or 75k, which will probably give him one more year of no repairs. I don't see any reason for ford to give out a warranty on a 9 year old car, financially it doesn't make any sense.
 
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