>poorfag
>/g/entooman
>need reliable car
Seriously considering this 2003 Taurus SES. 2 owners, very good condition from what I can tell, leather and shit, asking $2500. Is there anything I should look out for? What price should I try to get? Will I regret this on the basis that it's not Japanese? Big thanks to anyone who responds.
>>15059944
Forgot to say, 119K miles, only 1 fender bender, and a rebuilt transmission from 2 years ago at a Firestone.
They're good, reliable cars. As sedans go they get pretty poor gas mileage, about 20 or so. The 3l Vulcan is a pig with all of 145hp but the Duratec 30 has a good amount of scoot. The automatic transmission is notoriously poor but if you go easy on it will last forever. Things like not shifting from reverse to drive while moving will help it last a lot longer. All in all a nice commuter car, my dad bought one in 2004 and is still driving it with 188,000 miles. No major work needed. One interesting tidbit, the starter motor is right under the oil filter, so you will probably kill it while changing your oil. Get one from O'Reilly's or Vatozone and keep the receipt so you can blame it on them when it fails.
>>15059944
>Ford
>generic sedan
>automatic
>over 100k miles
Why are you even considering this? It's shit.
>>15060110
Not saying that car is a good idea but it's clear you're just parroting what other people said rather than making any sort of informed post
>>15060110
What do you suggest I look for at this price? All the Camrys and Accords seem to have higher miles and need repairs.
>>15059944
Check to see if the gas temperature stays in the middle while you're checking it out and test driving. If it does then you should be good because the only thing really bad about this is the gas
>>15060154
No shit, everyone just repeats information. Ford never even sold this model in my country so of course I'm just going to give my opinion based on the little information I have.
>>15059944
shut up and buy a civic.
>>15060024
More or less everything this anon posted is true. Owner of an 03 SEL since new with the Duratec and it's a pretty quick car. I suggest looking for Duratec equipped models as they have a lot more bang for buck than the Vulcan, while getting pretty much the same mpg, which to be frank is kind of lousy.
Best I got was about 27 mpg and that is with strictly highway cruising on flat planes. However it won't beat you up too bad city wise, at around 17-18 mpg. Also I believe the SEL is the only one that got 18 gal tanks rather than 16, if that means anything to you.
The transmission is known to shit itself when it gets near the 100k mark but I attest it to the stereotypical owners that live around me (mostly poor people with even poorer sense to take care of their vehicles, and the 4th gen taurus is a popular poor man's car). What the other anon said about coming to a complete stop before switching directions is very true for this car, it's not as robust as other transmissions to take that kind of abuse, so use your brakes to stop!
My tranny is still going fine at 72k (which is pretty low to be fair) but it's been babied it's whole life and has never needed any major repair in 13 years.
Last thing is, if you're a shade-tree mechanic, be prepared to cut up your hands and wrists when doing major maintenance or repair. It has a notoriously cramped engine bay. But I've never had a problem fucking up the starter like the other anon said.
Sorry for the lengthy write-up. This car doesn't get much conversation and it's fun when I can contribute.
>>15061077
Then don't say anything you know nothing about, eurofool
