Congratulations on your new job! As regional manager for Franklin Industries you will be responsible for visiting Franklin dealers far and wide. We’re talking a good 30k to 40k miles of pure American asphalt a year.
Your salary is top notch and with a wide assortment of other benefits (free membership to the Y!) comes the ultimate shangri-la for any road warrior.
A free travel card courtesy of Mr. Franklin. Your gas and maintenance are free. Food budget is a whopping $45 a day. Entertainment is… well… the open road. However the company will fork over a healthy $500 a year for whatever gadgets you want for your road trips. Sirius or XM. Radar detector or Android phone. That decision is yours alone.
There is one down side to this transaction: your car budget. The company will only provide a $5000 budget for your future ride. You can get whatever you want within reason, and the car is yours to keep of course. However Franklin ‘s accountants, penny pinching bastards they are, expect that your car will last four years on the road. No new wheels until 2016!
So what will be your next car? You can have anything that is priced at $5000 or less at Edmunds or KBB ‘private party’ value. Oh before I forget. No exotics. No grey market. Nothing too Yugoslavian or French. You don’t want your first day of work to be with nosy accountants and your immediate boss.
Let’s see, you’ll want a good chair and room to spread your legs. No fuel costs, and it has too last. You’ll want room to pack your stuff in. The obvious choice is obvious: panther, W-body. How about a 5.0l Explorer Limited/Eddie Bauer? That’s my pick.
I picked up my 98 3.2TL for just under $5k and it’s been flawless thus far, it’s a good ride but I don’t know about it going for another 4 years without becoming a money pit.
I’d also add dual exhaust to give a nice note when the torque converter unlocks while passing or going up a grade.
My folks have had Explorers for 18 years (and Ford wagons prior), mainly because we lived in the mountains, but the 98 5.0l EB was by far a favorite. Although the new 2011 Limited is very enjoyable for the 2 of them…my mom wanted the room for the grandkids. Whatever, it’s a nice cruiser and much better than the E430 4matic wagon she had prior.
I’d go for a 302 powered 96-01 Explorer/Mountaineer.
When I bought my ’95 4.0 powered Explorer it went an easy 100,000 more miles and 5 years before it had anything go wrong on it, after it had already covered 100,000 miles before I bought it.
Just lower it an inch if gravity hasn’t yet and keep good quality tires on it aired to 32-35 psi and the tippy feeling goes away unless you are really pulling a boneheaded maneuver.
After a quick survey of CL I’ll take a 2002 GTI. If maintenance is free I could see it going over 200k miles.
2001 Buick Park Avenue Ultra in white with 40k on the clock, all the available options in excellent mechanical and cosmetic condition. Edmund’s TMV: $4,755 private party for zip 55402.
Figure 160k miles before replacement in 2016, 200k on the GM 3800 is easily done. Get the Ultra (supercharged) model, since the required premium gas is paid for by company and the car will handle 80 mph all day long with ease, even in mountainous Colorado and Utah, all while obtaining 28-30 mpg.
I’ll go with a 2000 Cadillac Seville STS, only because maintenance is free. Good room, pretty quick when it wants to be, and rides smooth as glass. I could eat highway miles with a gold fork with that thing.
You either got to go Panther, LeSabre, Bonneville, or Park Avenue. Tough as nails and at lease enough room to take a couple of dealers to lunch every once in a while. Oh and decent hwy fuel economy for such large cars and just about any mechanic in any hick town (I say that having grown up in a hick town) can fix the greasy bits with his eyes closed.
1996 BMW Z3 roadster. Reasonably simple enough to maintain, fun as hell to drive in with the top down. Of course, I’ve only lived in California and South Georgia, so my pick would be different if I lived somewhere where snow fell. Forecast in South GA is 83 degrees today. Arguably, summer is the worst time for roadsters here (95-100 degrees every day, stifling humidity, random thunderstorms all the time, with next to no prior warning)
Lincoln LSC Mark VII, or a Buick Roadmaster wagon. Always loved those things for some reason.
My first car (the car I learned to drive in, later became mine when my Dad bought a new car) was a 1986 Mark VII LSC. I loved that car, it was fast, comforable and looked great in black. It excelled at chewing up highway miles for the 400 mile trip between college and home. I don’t know of any major reliability issues with them, other than the air suspension being troublesome and expensive to repair (never a problem with mine, however). After college, I sold it and bought a different 7, a Mazda Rx-7 GSL-SE. Super fun little car, though I did miss the power of a V8.
I did a quick scan of Cars.com and within 50 miles of my ZIP code, there were 430+ cars at or below $5K. Only considering mid-sized and above cars (FWD or RWD) I came up with a short list of last gen Tauruses, Sables, Grand Prix, Centurys and Regals. Oddly, very few Japanese, Korean or German cars in this price range in this part of the midwest.
My choice? For $4495, a 2000 Buick Regal 4 door with 3.8 and 4 speed autobox, leather interior and alloy wheels. 111K miles and looks like your Grandma drove it. With that particular drive train, it’s only on it’s first half-life and should be as comfortable as driving your sofa everywhere.
Well, this is better yet. I found a 2002 Pontiac Bonneville SSEi, triple black, leather, sunroof, alloys, HUD, all the toys offered back then. $4500. 140K+ miles on it, it could go another 140K with care.
This is my final answer.
Really.
If I’m racking 150k in the next four years, I certainly don’t want to do it in some clapped-out Craigslist heap. Use the 5g as a starter for a Prius lease.
No leases. You have to buy or keep what you have.
Don’t try to reason with Franklin’s accountants! But I have to give you special kudos for discovering the one fly in the ointment.
Low mileage 300M.
Being in sales this is almost an easy one for me.
First, you need room for four people – have to take the clients out to dinner and golf. So no coupes or convertibles.
Next, you need room for the golf clubs, plus room for your samples and literature. So has to be at least a ‘D’ Segment car. No Civics or Cobalts, or Focii.
And you have to be able to take into account bad weather – nothing sucks more when trying to find that odd-ball sample (that this one particular customer wants) buried the trunk when you are getting poured on. So a wagon of some sorts so you can stand under the liftback and stay dry. I’d say a CUV, but at this price point, you are getting unimpressive ‘C’ segment crap.
It has to be fairly reliable – company is paying for gas and maintenance, not repairs. But I expect to have to shell out some of my own money for a $5000 car.
$5000 wagon?
At this price point, you are looking at:
Late 90’s early 2000’s Volvos and Saabs (No thanks)
Mazda 6 Wagon
03-04is Legacy Wagon
Saturn L-series Wagon (sort of low grade interior – won’t impress the clients)
I’m going with the Mazda. But I need to put a disclaimer; I had a Mazda 6 Wagon. So I am a little biased.
It was the perfect car for on the road sales. Interior held up well, no major issues in the 100,000 that I owned it for. Comfortable enough that a road trip to Florida and back with the family was not a major issue.
The only downsides were the fuel mileage (but that is being paid for here) and the 215/50R17 tires took a beating on the potholed streets of Boston.
Good luck finding a good 6-er for $5,000 as the condition in the topic states. And this 5 Grand Mazda6 then lasting another 150 000 miles…
Edmunds listed 2004 with average condition and 70,000 miles as having $5000 (okay $5054) private party value in the Boston area. A quick check of craigslist list shows a 2004 with leather and auto and 160K at $3,400.
Wagons are a great value on the used car market. No one really wants them (otherwise they would still be making them instead of CUV’s.) Heck, even new you could get a deal. The dealer jumped at the chance to get rid of the one we bought new. Been sitting on the lot for close to 6 months.
+++ A quick check of craigslist list shows a 2004 with leather and auto and 160K at $3,400.
And you seriously think it will happily live through another 150 kmiles? I wish I had your level of optimism.
Realistically, I would expect to have to put significant $$$ into ANY car that I bought for $5000 and was using to drive 40-50K per year for the next 4 years.
5K should get me a 6 Wagon in the Boston area with less than 100K on the clock.
2001 Cadillac DHS (maybe score a DTS if you extend your search radius), Park Ave, or Panther.
The very best Volvo 940 you can find, and you can get a NICE one for $5K. Sedans are cheaper and usually in better condition for the price than the wagons. This is my first choice because if you are driving that kind of mileage you want a car with GREAT seats. And with the locking diff they are great in snow when properly shod. My very first Volvo was used for EXACTLY this – it was owned by a Caterpillar rep who put 250K on it in 7 years. ’87 744GLE. Actually, if the Boss is paying for repairs, go for a 960, waaay more power and refinement, but needs more maintenance.
My second choice would be a Panther. Not as good a car as the Volvo, and the seats suck, but I second Educator Dan in that you can get it fixed in any hick town in the country.
No question! A MKIV VW with the 1.8T or VR6. You said maintenance is free, right? Those cars are really cheap now, $5,000 with get you a very healthy example. It’ll need at least that much in maintenance money over those years, but again… free!
He said maintenance, not repairs.
You get your oil changes done, but when your injectors fail, it’s out of your pocket.
Work vehicle… Intergalactic mileage… Gas paid… 5Grand… No bad roads…
I’d settle on a Dodge Caravan SWB with a 3.8, and the rest of the budget would spend on a set of winter tires, tuneup and some semi-decent aftermarket mp3/USB-jacked stereo with a set of 4 speakers – to keep me entertained during those long drives.
Alternatives – a first gen Sienna or an Ody, but those may be difficult to find with a low(ish) mileage and decent condition.
Or a 2000-05 Taurus wagon with a 3.0L Vulcan, any late LH-Series Chryslers with a 3.5V6 or a Buick with a 3.8 as already suggested.
I’d also go with a van as well, and a Caravan would be a decent enough choice. Lots of room to stretch, move your legs, and so on, decent visibility, and you could even sleep in it once in a while if you had to.
Yep, exactly my thinking.
I had a 2002 Caravan as a company vehicle for a few years. The space was nice, but I found the seats to be too uncomfortable for extended driving. Good for a couple of hours, but anything beyond got tiring.
You’d have to find a van that wasn’t family owned. Nothing beats up an interior more than kids.
With Caravans you can be picky. Tons of them on the market. Seats comfort is subjective. Bad for one and OK for the other.
2003 Mazda6, 2.3/5 speed stick. Tons of parts available, reliable, fun to drive, and has the highest “natural” freeway speed of any car I’ve ever driven – it prefers to cruise at around 92. This is important. A car that you have to push to keep up on the freeway is much more tiring to drive than one that wants to crank off the miles. Try driving a long way in a Civic VX (natural speed 48), a Miata (natural speed 59), or a Pontiac Grand Prix (natural speed 68), and you’ll understand why the better freeway cars are things like the C5 Corvette (natural speed 79), your average Subaru (natural speed 83), or any Mazda3/6 derivative (natural speed 85-92).
I once drove my carpool driver’s Olds and discovered that this particular Iron Duke’s natural speed was 15 or 20 mph. Ech!
With fuel paid for this is an easy choice: late 90’s or early 2000’s F150 or Silverado 4×4. Both trucks are excellent highway cruisers, can get through big snow drifts easily, and are relatively simple to maintain and repair. With my $500 accessory budget I should have enough for a used camper shell to keep the rain off of my mountain bikes and camping gear.
Paid fuel = V8
40k to 50k miles per year = Comfortable and safe
$5000 budget = American iron
How about a 1999 Cadillac Deville DTS, or perhaps and Elderado ETC.
Also an option, a 1998 or 1999 Volvo V70, preferably an R model.
I dig the styling on those last gen Eldorados. i remember the right angle rear-side window being quite jarring to my eye when they were new, but it has grown on me, and is quite distinctive still today.
I had almost exactly this situation (except for company wasn’t paying for gas) a few years ago (2007) when starting my last job. I ended up with a 1 owner 1996 Mazda 626 with 96,000km on the clock. I got it as a trade-in fron the yard I had been working at, and scored it for NZ$3000, it needed a bit of maintenance work, but was sweet as. Ended up selling it 9 months later when I left that job and moved into a new companny car, but I still see it running around my are with the woman I sold it to.
Based on that much butt time I’m looking for a Volvo just for the seats. Several early 2000s S80s and S40s (even a few T6s) are available in my area for the budget requested. Fully loaded, leather, sunroof, etc. Sure they’ve got 100K miles on them, but since maintenance is included I figure it will run for another 100K.
The real answer is something boring, like a new Camry down south, or a new Legacy where the snow flies. If something American is indicated, Ford Fusion or Opel Insignia aka Buick Regal.
Four years = 130k miles, and I suppose Mr. Franklin would like me to be on time for all my appointments.
Given the constraints, I’d first plan to get really lucky. In used cars, you’re doing really well at 10 cents of depreciation & repairs per mile driven. We’re trying for something like 4 cents a mile, which I don’t think can be done consistently.
So: Grand Marquis/Crown Vic if I can find a suitable one cheap enough — 2003 with 80k, take it to 210k? — or even a late-90s Camry with low-ish miles and super maintenance. THAT might actually work; the hard part is finding it.
Anything else cheap that I luck upon that is a known mainstream contender… ’02 Prizm FTW, but that is quite the penalty box for long distances. Dto. a 2003 Vibe.
The most likely to make it is the Camry from the end of Toyota’s golden age. The easiest to find and easiest to live with is the Grand Marquis.
Cheers -Mathias
Your restrictions eliminated my choice.
Gas is paid for? Ford Expedition or Excursion V10 or a Lincoln Navigator.
Oldsmobile Toronado Tro-Fey-Oh
1996 Toyota Camry (last year of the “best” Camry ever made, first year for OBDII for easier repair diagnosis).
1996-1997 Honda Accord (last years of possibly the “best” Accord made, OBDII same reasons).
I know the Camry seats are comfy for me, I’d have to check the Accord. In either car, 4 cylinder with 5-speed manual, or V6 with automatic. I argue a clutch is a maintenance item.
For 5K$ , I can get a well sorted and sub 100k mile 528e. Good looking 4 psgr with a good sized trunk. More mainstream would be a Crown Vic or a Grand Marquis
….mz3autoxr nailed the important distinction…..maintenance and gas, NOT repairs. Assuming that’s what Steve was hypothesizing, Panthers, 3800’s, and Roadmaster V8 wagons are naturals. If these employers are foolishly throwing in repairs, gangway!…….lots of sub $5000 V12 Benz’s and BMW’s out there…..they might not like the down time, though.
Looking through my local Craigslist I found a 1994 Chevy Caprice Classic wagon in government navy blue through and through. 148k on the clock, can hold at least five of my fellow Franklin dealers and whatever samples I’m bringing to the party. And since it is a Caprice, there are enough retired cabs and police cars to help keep it going for a good while to come. And it’s all for $3999!
Some of my choices.
Volvo 850 – found a black ’97 T-5 wagon with 111k on it, tan leather and all the goodies, for $4,995. Some of the best seats ever, plenty of highway passing power, etc.
SVT Contour- one on my local CL for $4,800. Has 112k, a giant stack of recent maintenance and repairs, leather and cruise, manual, all it would need is a baffled oil pan and we’re good to go.
Grand Prix GTP – 97 on the local CL for $2,950(!). 165k, had trans rebuilt at 150k, has new water pump/oil pan gasket/valve cover gaskets/ etc.
One of those.
love the old 850, shopped for one once but was put off by the reliability. One that I test drove had a glove box full of repair records, and as I recall it didn’t have more than 80,000 miles. After seeing that, I did more research and found that this was not uncommon (and the AWD models are even worse), so I started shopping for a Legacy/Outback instead.
yeah, there are a lot of minor but frequent issues, especially pertaining to the ABS system. If you get a non-turbo you have the option of a manual in the US, which eliminates some headaches and gives you an extra gears.
Other stuff: air pumps, traction control (related to ABS), rear main seal leaks, but i mean this is stuff that wears out on any car.
Look through your local CL and see how many running sub-1k 850’s there are, it’s amazing.
I’m biased though, I had one a few years ago, great car.
1996 Lexus SC300 5-speed with 110,000 miles in fair condition.
I would opt for the national car of Texas, the suburban. If I couldn’t find a good one for $5k I would look for a panther or a whale bodied caprice.
The american v8 with automatic (prefer a stick if I can find one) will go forever with pretty routine maint.
Panther
The 1994 Town Car listed in Iowa with 44K on it one owner, Grandma..True listing on Lemonfree.com
The 1990 Town Car I saw in South Chicago at a dealership, one owner, with records, 64 thousand and a block or two miles,, 3200 bucks out the door, put the extra 1800 in the bank..
I take back my second choice of a Panther.
Hertz stuck me with a Grand Marquis tonight in Denver. 1hr drive up to Greeley CO and my back was KILLING me! No way should anyone have to deal with this torture rack of a seat for 40K a year. RWD Volvo all the way. And these heaps are REALLY slow up here in the thin air.
And anyone who thinks these cars are quiet and ride well has obviously never been in a car that is quiet or rides well.
Whatever Nissan Versa or Cube falls into that price category. Especially Versa with the Renault 1.6L engine. Good enough to roar all day on road . Heck, might save you enough money from gas allowance to allow you to pay more upfront for wifey’s car or a future house. Cube to have alot of space efficient room
Or is that too French for you:)?
I’d suggest Ford Falcon or Holden Commodore. For that money we’re talking an end of 90’s, early 00’s (with some luck) 6 cyl with 150K+ kms. LPG system a plus.
I can see a 4 cyl Camry there too, but in this case they tend to be older.
A salesman with that budget doesn’t need anything complicated or fancy. That rules the Europeans out unless you’re Marcelo’s neighbor, in which case it’s a Fiat Palio or Siena or Uno. It has to be either domestic or Japanese.
A presentable car with a proven bulletproof drivetrain and plenty of spares/service support will do. Of course the person will have to shop around to find a well taken care of example.
I’m not sure about the Versa which has been in the states a little longer -couple years, however you won’t find a cube in that price range unless something is very wrong with it. I think it’s been here two years. Your point is well taken by me anyway. About a year and a half ago, I bought a demonstrator Cube that had about 2kmi. Now it has about 36kmi of mostly country driving. 30 miles round trip to dine out.
I have had absolutely no problem. Lots of room. Never less than 30mpg even if all city driving. You are the first mildly positive statement I’ve heard on TTAC. I once bought a Saturn that turned out to be an Opel. Now I hear that I’ve bought a Nissan thats really a Renault. This one has turned out better so far.
Maybe I should go to Brazil for my next car. Lots of luck getting it back to the States.
Hi wvstarvingteacher!
In Cube’s case I think it’s mostly Nissan, though it coud share its platform to its EUropean mates (not sure about that one though). And the Cube? Love it! Would have it in a heartbeat. Much more interesting than say Kia Soul… That’s just me.
Now, old versa in America was interesting. It was on te Renault-Nissan BO platform. This was derived from the B platform. The original B gave rise to Dacia/Renault Logan/Sandero/Duster – Nissan Livina line. The BO underlies current Renault Clio – Nissan Tiida/Versa. Now, new Versa is not supposedly on said platform. The new Versa is just a March stretched into a sedan. It was jointly developed by Renault – Nissan and will fit all smaller cars from them.
So Cube, is Franco-Japanese. But if you had a Versa it’d be Romanian/French/Japanese. Now that’s the state of the world auto industry. For better or worse. IMHO, in this case, so far so good.
Enjoy!
Free Maintenance and Fuel? Why not a high mileage E39 540i?
90% of the materials are first rate. It’s too bad about the remaining 10% plastic parts.