Sometimes, when you look at a used car, you can tell what it was used for, and how it was treated. Completely stock, worn-out driver’s seat, other seats immaculate? Commuter. Unicorn stickers on the inside of the rear windows and Cheerios in the cracks of the seats? Kid-hauler. Huge aftermarket stereo and flashy wheels on a base-model car? First brand-new car of a fast-food restaurant manager. Today we’re looking at two vehicles both priced at $2,300, and I’m going to take a stab at guessing the lives they led up to this point.
Yesterday was all about cheap cars, as we took a look at what a stack of ten Benjamins will get you these days. The idea of a nearly 300,000-mile Jaguar scared a lot of you, as it should. But then, a lot of you disagreed with my assertion that a basic 2.0/manual Golf should be plenty reliable. But enough of you liked it, or disliked the Jaguar, to give the little VW a comfortable win.
I’m definitely on Team Golf here. The best cheap cars are simple ones, and a manual gearbox with a new clutch should be pretty much foolproof. I mean, there was that one time I was leaving a Guns N’ Roses concert in my old Golf, and fifth gear went out on the highway, but that had to have been a fluke, right?
Now then: For your consideration today, I have an economy car with really low miles and a bit of body damage, and a V8 SUV with a bunch of aftermarket parts for sale at a junkyard. Let’s see if we can suss out their backstories.
1995 Ford Aspire – $2,300
Engine/drivetrain: 1.3 liter OHC inline 4, three-speed automatic, FWD
Location: San Diego, CA
Odometer reading: 86,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
The first time I saw a Ford Aspire, I was giving it its first oil change, at the garage where I used to work. An older gentleman had bought it to tow behind his RV. “They call it an Aspire,” he told me, patting the roof of the shiny white hatchback. “They can call it whatever they want, as long as it doesn’t expire.” I saw quite a few more while I worked there, and while some were driven by college students, the majority of owners were elderly. I’m guessing that this one had an elderly owner as well, based on the low mileage, the generally excellent condition, and the wrinkle in the driver’s door, which could have come from an altercation with a garage door sill.
The Aspire was the replacement for Ford’s tiny captive-import Festiva, and like the Festiva, it was built in South Korea by Kia. It’s powered by a Mazda 1.3-liter four-cylinder making all of 63 horsepower. Two transmissions were available, also both from Mazda: a five-speed manual or a three-speed automatic. If you’re hoping for a manual in this one, you’re in for a disappointment. It does, however, run and drive just fine.
The Aspire is still an economy car, but it was a huge step up in refinement over the tinny little Festiva. I mean, its door panels actually cover the whole inside of the door, rather than leaving a strip of painted steel at the top. This one is in pretty good condition, though the driver’s seat shows a little wear. It has air conditioning, and it works, though I bet switching it on feels like dropping an anchor.
Outside, it looks good, except for the aforementioned dent, and one missing hubcap. The Aspire came in some good colors, like all Fords in the 90s; this one is literally called “Blueberry.” One thing I have started to notice about cars this age, though, is that the paint on the bumpers seems to fade more quickly than the rest. Maybe it has something to do with the additives in the paint to make it stick to the flexible bumpers.
2000 Dodge Durango SLT – $2,300
Engine/drivetrain: 5.2-liter OHV or 4.7-liter OHC V8, four-speed automatic, FWD
Location: Stockton, CA
Odometer reading: 205,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives
The SUV craze was in full swing by the time Dodge introduced the Durango in 1998. It followed the same formula as its Ford and Chevy counterparts: it was based on the Dakota mid-sized pickup. Like the Ford Explorer and Chevy S-10 Blazer, it was meant more for suburbia than for the trails, but of course, it could be modified for some better off-road chops. This one looks like its modifications are more for show than for ruggedness, though. My guess is that this one was owned by a young guy who came into some unexpected money and lavished his truck with gifts.
2000 was a changeover year for the Durango’s engine; some had the old 5.2-liter Magnum V8, and some had the new 4.7-liter overhead cam V8. I can’t tell you which one this one has, because the seller has provided neither an underhood photo nor a VIN. It’s being sold by a self-service junkyard, and while they’re awfully enthusiastic about it, they’re a little light on the details. They do say it runs well, and “sounds mean.” Of course, since it has gone into a wrecking yard, it’s coming out with a salvage title, but that’s not a big deal on something this cheap.
It’s pretty fancy inside, with leather seats and a bunch of power options. From what I gather, that means it’s an SLT Plus model. It’s in surprisingly good shape inside, though there are two replacement door panels in the back. Does that mean they need replacing? And how many of those power goodies still work? Your guess is as good as mine.
It has a bunch of modifications outside, including a slight lift, a roof basket, a brush bar, lots of extra lights, and a truly appalling set of aftermarket wheels. Really, who thought those were a good idea? Fortunately, some people pay good money for foolishness like that, so you might be able to sell them and recoup some of the price after you replace them with something more appropriate. It’s a good color, though, and it’s not beat-up or rusty.
My favorite description of a used car’s history comes from Douglas Adams. In The Long Dark Tea-Time Of The Soul, he describes a Citroën 2CV as having had “one careful owner but also three suicidally reckless ones.” It’s such a great description, because you know exactly what such a car looks like. You can never know everything a car has been through before it got to you, no matter how many service records it comes with. And sometimes, ignorance is bliss, I think; just deal with the car as it is now, and try to treat it as well as you can during your stewardship of it. So which one of these could find a home with you?
I had an Aspire. Same year, same color. Not a bad little car. It’s a nice body over Festiva guts (the Haynes manual was the same book for both). Fairly low mileage. For primarily city driving (which is what I do) I’d go with that rather than a high-miles poseur truck with bad mpg.
Durango. I live in TN. You think I’m taking a 63 horsepower hatchback on these roads with all these trucks around? I feel I’m risking it enough in my Mazda 3 with over double the horsepower and double the gears.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha…
this is so easy…Durango! NEVER Aspire. It’s a Fix Or Repair Daily/Found On Road Dead piece of junk. I’ll have a ton of fun cruising off road in the Dodge…plus V8!
Those rims really are awful, and those would be 1st to go…I’m sure some fool will pay a pretty penny for them!
The comedy to the Aspire would be to drive it flat out until the engine or transmission expire. You’ll pretty much have to. The tragedy would be that it would go much longer than one expects.
The comedy to the Durango is…well…look at it. It’s part Mad Max coming out of a junkyard. The tragedy is the salvage title, fuel bill, and having to explain why you bought it or why it’s broken in your driveway.
Rolling Pepsi can for me.
Durango because towing.
That’s literally the only reason.
The Aspire is a phenomenal value at that price. It will run for a long time for next to nothing, and it doesn’t look like it’s owned by a meth-head. You’ll be invisible for the cops and bullies alike. The perfect commuter.
The Durango could be make decent just getting some steelies, but those things are not my thing.
I Aspire to an honest, low mileage, well cared vehicle this time.
I voted for the honest little Ford over the mystery-meat Dodge. I could see buying both just for giggles, though. At that price, both cars are pretty close to disposable.
The Aspire is an honest car that would serve as a perfectly fine daily driver.
I had driven a Ford Aspire on a few occasions and I honestly could find no fault with it. That was a stick shift car and it was actually moderately fun to drive. So for sure the Aspire gets the win over a 200k Dodge Durango.
I seem to recall that this generation of Durangos sometimes came with a transfer case that lets you select full-time 4WD. This particular car though doesn’t seem to have that option.
Neither….OK, for arguments sake, the Aspire. I would never aspire to own one and the miles are likely a result of taking 30 years to get up to speed to cover them. But that era of Durango, while not the most hideous, still has the terrible Dodge OD trans, and somebody went and festooned it with mall crawling camping gear and accessories.
Aspire! Even with a slush box I’d take it any day over that sketchy Durango
The Aspire was so damned horrible. Had one for a rental, and we joked that it aspired to even be a riding lawn mower.
That Durango, on the other hand, having the 4.7, makes it immediately appealing to me. I know the 4.7 has a reputation for certain reliability issues, and Lord knows I fixed enough of them between the two Chrysler dealerships I worked for, but I had one for five years and 100,000 miles in a 2003 Ram 1500 that never broke down once, delivered UNBELIEVABLE fuel economy for a half-ton pickup (all-time best was 28.8mpg following my sister’s Suzuki Reno home for 100 miles on her mini spare at 55mph, but I averaged 22+ on the highway with that thing), and when I ditched the stock muffler for a Thrush Welded 2-chamber muffler had the sexiest sound of any vehicle I’ve ever owned.
I don’t care if that Durango has a dropped valve seat, the exhaust manifold tick, or a blown head gasket, I’d buy it out of these two, rebuild that 4.7, swap the muffler, and enjoy the HELL out of it.
The Durango might be more vehicle for the price, but I had to vote for the Aspire. It’s economical and in decent shape.
While I like those Durangos, that one is nasty and the salvage yard aspect means more headaches getting it titled and registered than it is worth. The Aspire wins by default, not because I actually have even the remotest interest in it.
I Aspire to put a U-Haul behind that purple hatch and act out my favorite Always Sunny in Philadelphia episode
Hopefully it has a cassette player for that Soul Asylum tape
Aspire for me. It’s in much better condition, has way less mileage and will cost less to operate.
Plus I’m not a fan of the faux-overlanding look that Durango has. Nor am I fan of the dreadful fuel economy that thing likely gets… or the salvage title.
Yes the number of people with immaculate cars but those trendy flat-folding rooftop tents is really amazing.
Am I losing my grip on reality or does the article say the Durango is FWD? Does that mean the 4WD system janked out and now it only powers the front wheels like a clapped-out Audi?
Aye, that made my brain stutter.
It’s a typo, sorry.
The fact that I wouldn’t put it past this specimen of a Durango shows how low you stooped to scrape the bottom of the barrel 😉
Manual swap and turbo the Aspire. It’d be hella fun for about 8 minutes.
So after the careful owner you aspire to be the first suicidally reckless owner?
I aspire to perspire before I expire.
An automatic Aspire is probably the antithesis of an enthusiast’s car, but I can’t believe 40% of people have voted for the Dodge. It is a tastelessly modified high mileage Durango sold at a junkyard. “Exhaust sounds mean” is code for “previous owner abused this vehicle,” not that this isn’t obvious by looking at it. If the Durango was unmodified (or at least tastefully modified) I would probably have voted for it over the Aspire. But it isn’t.
If you need an car to do an car things, the Aspire is the obvious choice. I really don’t know what that Durango is good for at this point.
“Exhaust sounds mean” is code for “rust holes in muffler” or “serious timing issues”
Why not both?
At first I saw Durango and thought “aw hell no!”. But on closer inspection I was pleasantly surprised. Still a no, but closer than I thought. That little Forkiazda ironically doesn’t aspire to be more than it is and will probably just keep running. The Durango though probably has some unpleasant surprises in store.
In store? It appears to be made entirely of unpleasantsurprisium.
COTD
The confidence in getting this and driving it any where is Unobtainium
The Durango is still at the yard, so it does not come with a salvage title, it comes with a salvage certificate (also known as a junk slip.)
To get the salvage title, the vehicle must:
have the VIN verified by a peace officer or other certified inspector (expect to pay $50-75 for this)get a “brake and lamp” inspection. Verifies that the brakes and all lights are working properly and are present – expect to pay $150+ for this for the base fee and any problems they find – if you take it back to fix the failures yourself, you’re gonna pay the inspection fee all over again for the second try.pass emission inspection (expect to pay another $50-75 for this + any failures found.Pay for brand new registration and plates (minimum $250)
Gonna be minimum of $500 to get this registered assuming everything is in order and since it was at a wrecking yard to begin with (I have experience with that yard and I guarantee they paid less than $500 for it)… there is something significantly wrong with it.
Aspire 1000%.
I think all that depends on the state you are in.
Well, its in California and thats what you have to do to register it here so I’d call it relevant to the conversation.
Sorry for the lousy formatting – It looked good in preview but alas – it was not
Yeah, it’s there for a reason. Since it runs and drives, I’m assuming it refuses to pass smog.
Granted, I had pulled the engine and transmission, but Pick-N-Pull paid me all of $88 for my BMW parts donor. I ended up selling it privately, but I also looked into selling an E320 wagon that ran perfectly (low miles, too) but had crash damage, and I think they offered me $120. So they paid nothing for that Durango, guaranteed.
LOL – I did the same with an Escort ZX2 parts car years ago. I kept the converter, bumpers and transmission and their online tool offered me $-2. Yes, NEGATIVE 2 dollars. I actually would have paid the $2 since they got rid of it for me but apparently their system couldn’t process negative numbers and the tow truck driver gave my wife a $2 check.
For fun I just fed it my 2011 Ram 1500 that runs drives and works 100%. Said it was all good so that there would be no deductions from the maximum offer.
$406.
So it’s one step below a salvage title!!! Got it!
If the scrap yard gives me $2,000 to take the Durango or takes off those godawful wheels and gives me something better to drive on, then maybe.
But I have to buy it as is, so I’ll choose fuel economy instead.
Those Aspires are though as hell. I’d look into manual swapping it, but in the meantime I know it will get me where I’m going reliably.
And frankly, throw some snow tires on it, and I bet it’ll go off-road anywhere that silly Durango will.
I always kept the idea of an Aspire in my back pocket if I needed something dirt cheap and hard to kill. For a 90s econobox I always thought they even had nice interiors for what they were.
No Aspire is worth $2300. Especially with an autotragic transmission. Even if it was minty fresh it would not be worth $2300.
At least the Durango can do some truck things, including some mild off-roading. Plus if something goes wrong, just email The SWiG for advice.
FYI, Mark, might want to update your notes on on the Durango to say 4WD instead of FWD. Or was there something in the listing about the rear driveshaft missing?
The F is for “Four”, duh!
/s