I quite agree.

I just bought a 2009 Mercury Grand Marquis LS Ultimate edition in May of this year for $15,988.

It had a mere 13,150 miles on it, when I bought it for cash;
and the balance of the 3 year / 36 month factory warranty on it when I purchased it from a Ford Mercury dealer who cherry pics good examples from dealer-only auctions.


MSRP was about $29,800 on it new.

This unit was built and put into service in April 2009 as an Avis daily rental in Los Angeles and retired in January 2010.

I paid cash and let someone else eat almost 50% of the depreciation it took after a year.

I added a cat back clone Crown Vic Police Interceptor dual exhaust, and a Police Interceptor full sze spare tire and matching stock wheel, and couldn't be happier, as it is a paid off next to new car, and LOOKS new after I claybarred it, and waxed and detailed it.


At about 19-24 mpg on cheap regular, it has run perfectly and just turned 21,000 miles and is smooth, comfortable, roomy, (room enogh in the back seat too, not only for 3 kids, but room enough back there for them to FIGHT !!), pretty safe, and spacious and I expect to keep it for years. Police and taxi versions prove its durability and toughness.

If I were you I would consider a one year old one, as true dollar for mile value, including depreciation, repairs, insurance, gas mileage, loan interest, etc. (which is the true cost of actual ownership,) they can't be beat by anything out there.





just put a pair of new, regular issue CA. alphanumeric, NON personalized plates on it.




The dealer that sold me mine just scooped up 5 more of them, in various colors. All 2010 models, identical to my 2009 one from this same dealer.

http://gridleycountryford.com/powersearch.cfm

They are extremely common in Florida where you are. The last of them (production ends by December 2010 and the St. Thomas Ontario, Canada factory will permanently close then) are beginning to be retired as lightly used rentals right now.

Think outside the box. Pick your color.

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

My approach is to have a nice, higher-mileage car and a beater car. The beater car fills in when I need to carry something nasty and when the nice car needs work. Next spring for example, while my nice car (1999 BMW 528i, 145,000 miles) spends a week or so on jack stands getting some DIY suspension work, my 1985 300D will get me around.

Not a practical approach for most people, but I like older cars and it works out to be dirt cheap on a cost per mile basis.

When you drive 20K miles / year and you live in an area where there are no subways, and public transportation is a POS, a car is a "need", lol... My daily commute just to and from work is 50 miles round trip.

The thought of getting a new car came about 2 weeks ago...after coming out of the dealer with an $1,100 repair bill for a new a/c compressor, belt, labor, tow bill, and taxi ride (reminded me of the evaporator a/c issues back in the day with the '95 E320, lol) ...I have had my Mustang since it was two years old, so Original owner ate the initial depreciation, car was bought with about 30K miles.. It's been great, no issues, just a battery earlier this year, and now the a/c... (which my two prior MBs would've been so reliable)... car now has 92K... When I got stranded last week with the a/c issue the a/c locked up, and belt snapped, it was pouring rain and I was with my 10 yr old. .. So, I went back and I thought, I typically drive my cars until they roll over 100K miles, drive them to the ground, then just trade it in..after a few repairs and breakdowns lol... NOW I have $1100 invested in the car, so it would be ideal if I could drive it for another 12 months so I can use up my $1,100 investment, lol..

It is my personal opinion that I rather remain liquid vs put all my money in a depreciating asset. I don't think there is a right or wrong answer, but that is the system I use... finance a used car every few years, drive it a few years and replace and start the cycle all over again. The $4K-$6K in finance charges that it costs me is acceptable.

I am only at my initial "entertaining" stage of the car replacement, hence the choices are so different. Ideally? There is no ideal, due to the miles and the $350 monthly gas expenses I should be driving Yaris or a Smart car, lol.. but that is not my thing. The choice of the MB or BMW are for personal choice, not for flash.

I do get a car allowance, which I can just pocket the whole thing or use to pay a car payment, but at the end of the day it's a car payment period. Again , I prefer to pay it little by little and KEEP the cash on my end vs just writting a check for the whole thing, and my net worth goes down by that amount.

OLD MB as I did with the 1995? Not an option any longer.

Looking at the forum this am and remembering when I was on here before, I think this forum is more geared towards the do it yourselfer and older MB's... as there is not much talk on money factor, leasing, the new models, etc.. that's fine, but I guess that why the opinions possibly.

On a side note.. this a.m. when I left to work, my brakes had no pressure, I had to make a u turn and go back home. As I was filling in the master cylinder with brake fluid, I glanced over at my neighbor's drive way and thought "if this would've been my prior MB or possibly a new one" , it might end up costing me a trip to the dealer and $1K lol.. scary thought.

BTW, if anyone is concerned of where I have listed that I live, I DO NOT live there, lol.. the demographics where I live are slightly different.. lol

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1995 E320 smoke silver / parchment

I drive between 40k and 50k per year in a 28 year old car with over 500k miles for a total cost of about $0.30 per mile, including the occasional $1000+ repair. The current IRS/GAO rate is $0.50 per mile, so you can do the math.

Driving 20k miles per year is really nothing, but it's probably still too much to stay within the limits of a lease (another reason not to lease). If you want (not need) a new(er) car, start putting $700 per month in your cookie jar until you can afford one; or you can join most of america and go into debt for your toys; your money, your choice.

IIWY, I'd be in a brand new leased 2011 E350 by sundown. There's not one chance in haites that I'd drive a car that unsafe, none whatsoever.

I went a similar route for my truck. I needed something newer and reliable since I'd be taking so many trips with it.

2003 Cadillac Escalade EXT with 45,000 nukes (avalanche style with odd truck bed)

Original MSRP. $55,000. I paid $16,500. Only repair in 6,000 miles of driving is a $180.00 alternator.

Then again, when I got my BMW X5 a few years old at 24k, and sold 3 years later with 75k, it would have been cheaper to have leased a new one. Once the warranty went off, the car was a nightmare! Originally paid 34k, once it went off warranty I had to sink $5000 in unscheduled repairs to keep it running, and unloaded it for $18000. Thank goodness I sold when I did, though. I ran into the next owners, and the transmission was giving them troubles, the stereo display was giving out, and they couldn't open the driver's side door from the outside.

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1985 500SL Euro w/ AMG bits 130k
1984 300SD Turbodiesel 192k
1980 240D Stick China 188k
2001 CLK55 AMG 101k
2007 S600 Biturbo 149k Overheated Project, IT'S ALIVE!!!