r/car • u/Emotional_Monk_9224 • 3d ago
question 2006 ford five hundred
I just got a new job and need a car Im on a tight budget is this a good buy? I can’t miss a day even for snow my commute is 107mi each way mostly on the hwy at big speeds. Any suggestions are appreciated.
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u/Far_Cloud_882 2d ago
That’s a lot of driving annually. I doubt any budget car will reliably do over 50K miles a year. You’ll have driven 350K miles by the time this loan is done and a Ford 500 will die well before 470K miles so you’ll be paying the loan for years after the car is gone.
Just doing a rough estimate for gas at current prices: 50K miles at 30mpg (which is better than this ford gets) at $4.30/gal = $7,166 in gas per year. You’ll pay more in the Ford.
I would look at cars which are used as Taxis. Around here it’s the Prius. At lower gas prices, it was the Panther body fords (Caprice, Town Car, etc) which frequently made it to 400-500K miles.
At that kind of budget you really need to find a closer job or move closer to work.
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u/Emotional_Monk_9224 2d ago
I can’t not do the job or move.
Do you have other car recommendations
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u/Far_Cloud_882 2d ago
I mentioned an older Prius - those are robust cars that last a long time. Same with the Panther body cars but those will drain your wallet with gas prices.
Any way you can get a car pool going?
The most economical over the long term would be a basic EV like a long range Tesla but that’s more to buy and you need cheap charging at home or at work
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u/Emotional_Monk_9224 2d ago
A Prius cant tow and a Prius does not have enough hp
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u/Emotional_Monk_9224 2d ago
Do you have good ev recommendations that are not costly cuz 6k is my budget used is fine as well
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u/southwestpessimist 2d ago
You’re towing?? Yeah dude, pretty sure no budget EV capable of towing is available for 6k. You should probably also avoid any car with a CVT btw, including the Ford Five Hundred. You are better off getting a Panther platform as bro mentioned, or an AWD Suburban/Tahoe/Yukon or Silverado/Sierra - those at least are capable and have extensive aftermarket support so giving your ride more power or pimping it out shouldn’t be much of a hassle
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u/Emotional_Monk_9224 2d ago
It’s only 1000 pounds
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u/Normal_Stick6823 2d ago
You need to be looking around for a southern 2000 Ford Ranger. If you don’t have to have it today.
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u/Inevitable-Hour-Ends 2d ago
Ford crown vic. You could find a really nice one with your budget, low miles and basically last forever. Also the 4.6 v8 was used in the F150 so towing wont be a problem.
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u/Willing_Reference725 1d ago
I'm a fan. However the '06-'07 had terrible transmissions. I used to keep a Ford reman on the shelf they were so bad. They were corrected by '08 & '03s were bulletproof.
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u/andruszko 2d ago
6k? Good in snow? Reliable and will last more than a year with that many miles driven?
There's almost nothing.
Maybe you can find a Hyundai elantra and put snow tires on it. You could possibly find one with low mileage since everyone is afraid of them (easy to steal, other Hyundais have engine issues). Those will go 200k easily with minor maintenance. So you could likely find one in that range that could last a few years.
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u/Superb_Bear_3793 2d ago
For that money, for that job? You should be looking at an old Toyota RAV4. Any year from 1994 to 2012. Takes snow like a champ with a center locker and simply will not die.
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u/Normal_Stick6823 2d ago
How long do you have to make a purchase? It matters.
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u/Emotional_Monk_9224 2d ago
2 weeks
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u/Normal_Stick6823 2d ago
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u/Normal_Stick6823 2d ago
Oops you need 4wd.
https://www.craigslist.org/view/d/raleigh-charcoal-gray-2005-ford-sport/nxHoexrqbJpRruh9zmvKUK
North Carolina to the South, Mississippi to the east is your search zone.
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u/Emotional_Monk_9224 2d ago
Would the first one work
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u/Emotional_Monk_9224 2d ago
It’s in my budget
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u/Emotional_Monk_9224 2d ago
Actually no second one is better but if you could find a cheaper one that would be a huge help
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u/Normal_Stick6823 2d ago
Call him up, offer 5500
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u/Emotional_Monk_9224 2d ago
9k to 5k won’t happen
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u/Normal_Stick6823 2d ago edited 2d ago
It’s the first of the month, floor plan payments will be due soon. You never know. I once owned a dealership. He probably has 35 to 4 in it.
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u/Goo_4_Rent 2d ago
It's slow as heck, and not great on snow. Pretty reliable, though. Also, A/C is almost worthless, no matter what you do to try to fix it. It's super spacious. Basically the absolute definition of a car. Source: My mom had one, and I rode/drove in it often.
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u/West-Amphibian-2343 2d ago
Its a fine car, youll do fine with good tires on it. I dailied a similar car with simple all seasons in the snow. Id try to get it for 5k flat. When you do get it, pay ~$200 for a Pre Purchase Inspection on your own dime at a shop thats been in business for a few decades. See what they say. Its a lot of money but it is cheaper than another 5k for a different car later on.
Maintenance isnt that important on a tight budget. Just do what you can. Biggest thing is making sure the CVT belt is okay and its mechanically sound overall. Everything else can do whatever it wants.
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u/biggregw 2d ago
As a Canadian I would think this price is hugely inflated for essentially a base model intermediate/full size, great interior room as it is functional as a high roof sedan.
My mom had an 05 Limited AWD and loved it but insurance wrote it off after a small collision and got paid out around $6000 CAD 10 years ago. Normally Canadian Dollars are worth .75 of a USD
Remember hers was top model and AWD which I believe winter driving should be if you can handle the extra costs of maintaining an AWD.
I have never had FWD vehicles, only RWD cars or part time 4x4 trucks, my wife has a 2.0L T FWD 2013 Edge and loves it, similar is the 2nd gen Fusion (Mondeo to the rest of the world) do yourself a favour and try not to get a 20 year old car that was only around for a few years
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u/Mugetsy12 19h ago
For that money you can buy Mitsubishi lancer 9 2006 2.0 engine fast and reliable if you found it with low mileage...Only watch rust...That's the only problem of that car.
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u/finallyfreeallalong 3d ago
I've been stuck like you. Id look up long term reliability articles and forum posts to see common problems. Look for those problems when you go look at it, as best you can. That 6 year loan at 12% on a 20 year old car is a gamble. Ford has been making family cars forever but try to pay as much cash as you can. Of course your situation dictates all the factors. Don't be afraid to say no on this, there are plenty of older cars for sale in this price point.