Can I get some recomendations for some 5-10 Year old luxury cars?

[Shaftatplanetquake]

Well, I want to know what AT OT thinks about some different luxury cars.
Price Range- $4,000-$8,000
Thinking 92-97
Leather seats necessary- Comfort is paramount--
Comfort with speed-I want to go fast and not feel the structural integrity of my car faultering like it does in my current Mazda 626.
Power is High on the concern list as well- I want something that hauls ass
Fuel Economy a concern-- I don't want something that get 12mpg for example.
I also want something that is known for reliability. IE cars that are known to make it to that 250k+ mark without major work having to be done on them.
Auto Transmission

A search through ebay motors revealed the following cars:

Oldsmobile : Eighty-Eight
Oldsmobile : Ninety-Eight
Acura : Legend
Buick : Roadmaster
Buick : Regal
Buick : Park Avenue
Cadillac : DeVille
Cadillac : Fleetwood Brougham

I was going in alphabetical order, and after I hit Cadillac I got sick of compiling a list and figured I would just come here and ask some of the car buffs (with hands-on experiences with luxury cars) for their opinions.

Thanks!

 

[fastz28]

A vote for Caddy. An used Caddy is a great bang for the buck.

 

[Shaftatplanetquake]

Can you elaborate any as to why you like cadillac? I've never driven one so some detail would be great!

 

[mAdD INDIAN]

Dunno if this is in your price range but a Acura Legend Coupe 6-spd with the Type2 V6...if you can't get that..then go for a '90-'96 Infinti Q45..its was underrated at 290hp...said to really have 300+hp..and absolute flys as well as handles pretty damn good.

Its ironic, its said that the new Q45s are overrated while the older ones were underated.

btw, the new Q45s aren't overatted..they were dynoed and did produce the expected amount of hp...just that their gearing was garbage...1st gear went up to 60mph!!!

 

[fastz28]

<< Can you elaborate any as to why you like cadillac? I've never driven one so some detail would be great! >>



Cadillac has a great engine, ride is smooth , roomy, and reliable.

 

[Shaftatplanetquake]

Anyone else?

Good opinions here, thanks a lot.

 

[Jerboy]

:Q:Q:Q You mean you're calling something worth more or less the same as my crap van a luxury vehicle?



Anyways some luxury vehicles for you:

Cadillac DeVille

Jaguar XJ

Mercedes-Benz S500

Rolls Royce

 

[Shaftatplanetquake]

LOL

I do my finances smart... I am not going to make an outrageous purchase and plan to pay a chunk of my money every month for years.. I would pay right out.

Ford Thunderbird

What do you think about this car?

 

[thedarkwolf]

Lincoln town car
"" Mark VIII if you can live with a 2 door and 280-290hp

Crown Vics/Mercury clone that I can't spell aren't bad either but won't be a loaded as the lincoln TC.

 

[b0mbrman]

I can't believe no one's said anything about the Lexus ES300 yet. A '93-'97 should fit right into your price

 

[Vortex22]

Yeah I was going to say Lexus also.

 

[thedarkwolf]

<< LOL

I do my finances smart... I am not going to make an outrageous purchase and plan to pay a chunk of my money every month for years.. I would pay right out.

Ford Thunderbird

What do you think about this car? >>



Thunderbirds are great. My dad has a 96 4.6l auto with 270k miles on it that he just retired from being his roadcar. It is still running great but with that many miles on it and the 0% intrest he was affraid to wait any longer. These really only have 2 problems; cracked intake manifolds that are covered by a recall if it happens(was on my dad's anyway), and you MUST change the trans fluid on time and with the proper synthetic fluid or you get a shudder going into second gear.

On his car we have went through
1 alternator
1 electric fan
1 evap canister
1 EGR valve
and I think thats it other than normal maintenance. It still gets 26mpg highway and it burns 1 quart of oil ever 5k miles .

You can buy his if you want . I think he is planning to give it to a charity cause nobody will pay what its worth with that many miles on it.

 

[Lvis]

Check out the caddy or a lincoln, you can get a heck of a lot of car for not much money. Because they depreciate so fast, you can get a nice deal on a used one.

They aren't as bad quality wise as people would have you think either.

 

[vi edit]

I've seen some later '90s Olds Auroras going for the upper limits of your price range.

 

[Shaftatplanetquake]

Yeah, checked out those Auroras on ebay. They look really nice. Meet all the specs I asked for it seems.

 

[heartsurgeon]

i would stick with a lexus or an old infiniti or acura.

the lexus is freakishly reliable -

just make sure you don't get one that has been water damaged or in a car wreak

 

[blueghost75]

I wouldn't even consider domestic.

BMW
Infinity
Lexus

those are the only three I would consider.

Also take a look at Nissan Maximas, if you get them fully loaded, they are quite nice, haul ass and are reliable.

As far as BMW goes, I would check out an older 5 series, preferably manual. BMWs are incredibly wreckable. I have heard so many stories about people rolling the car x number of times and walking away from it.

personally, my next car will be either a mid 90s 7 series, or a slightly newer manual 5 series.

I currently own a 97' nissan maxima, 5spd.

 

[fatbaby]

oldsmobile and buick luxury cars now? i've been living under a rock for quite a while i guess..

 

[toant103]

don't buy domestic used car. my friend just bought a 1997 caddy deville and have to dish out $2000 for something.

But the parts are so expensive

 

[isekii]

Acura Legend..

2nd Generations look really nice~

 

[JEDI]

'93 nissan sentra. i'm at 200k miles! bought at 36k. unscheduled repairs: 2 alternators, 2 batteries, a starter and flywheel. (and i think flywheel caused by the stupid dealership installing the starter incorrectly )

'93 toyota corolla. girlfiend's car at 200k! bought at 85k. no unscheduled repairs!

edit: oh luxury cars...get a Mercedes

 

[BaliBabyDoc]

Another vote for Auroras. I would avoid 95, 96. The 1997 was probably the first reliable one. But ANY repair will cost you. I just replaced the alternator on my Ex-GF's '97 . . . $500+.

 

[QTPie]

Acura Legend
Lexus ES 300 <=== maintanace is too expensive compare to Acura

 

[MoMeanMugs]

Look for the guy that dropped an LS1 into his Rolls Royce.

 

[VirginiaDonkey]

I can second what thedarkwolf says about the T-Bird.

Possible cracked intake- replaced under recall
shuddering trans- must use synthetic fluid....changed on time

I owned one with leather,power everything and the 4.6L V8 and it is a very solid car. 28 mpg on the highway....about 16 in town. A poor mans Lincoln Mark 8, and the price should be right in the ball park. If you need more formal styling, the Mercury Cougar is the same car with different rear styling ( not as Aero)