Sometimes you make plans and just can’t follow through on them, due to circumstances beyond your control. I had hoped to subject you to that blue PT Cruiser all week, but it appears that somebody actually went and bought the damn thing. Since the one hard-and-fast rule here is that the cars have to actually be available for sale (at the time of writing, at least), the PT is out. So instead, I found two new cheap cars.
The PT won again yesterday, which comes as no surprise to me. As some of you might have guessed, this whole week was going to be stacked in its favor – in fact, this would have been its next competitor today, so consider yourselves lucky to have been spared. I’m not sure how I would have topped that, though.
Even if that BMW were in good shape, I personally wouldn’t want it. As it sits, wrecked to an unknown degree, it’s at best a parts car, and that’s assuming the parts you need are still good. The overwhelming majority of you agreed with that assessment. But hey, if the seller really can fix it up this weekend and sell it for three grand, more power to them. But I don’t see it happening.
What was so great about that PT Cruiser is that it’s really hard to find a good-running car for $1,000 these days. You basically have to be in the right place at the right time, because they don’t stay for sale long. In fact, I fear that one or both of today’s competitors might already be gone by the time you read this. But both ads are still live at the moment, so I’m going with them. Here they are.
2003 Toyota Matrix – $1,100
Engine/drivetrain: 1.8-liter DOHC inline 4, four-speed automatic, FWD
Location: Castro Valley, CA
Odometer reading: 643,000 miles (!)
Operational status: Battery is toast, but will run and drive fine with a new one
“Toyotas run forever” is common wisdom. And indeed, a Toyota badge on a car is generally a good indication of longevity, but everything has its limits. What about a Toyota that has already run practically forever? The seller of this Matrix claims it has covered more than six hundred and forty thousand miles – an average of 28,000 miles a year over its lifetime. That’s a lot, but it’s what I would expect for a car owned by someone who works in sales and drives a lot, or something like that. But does it still have anything left to give?
The Matrix is basically just a Corolla wagon, powered by the same 1ZZ-FE four-cylinder engine and four-speed automatic transmission. It’s generally a reliable combination, but some of them have a very un-Toyota-like appetite for oil. Considering the advanced mileage, either this Matrix never had the oil consumption problems, or it was fixed ages ago. It has been sitting for a few months, though, due to a dead battery. The seller swears it will run and drive just fine with a new battery, but you know the old saying: “Trust, but verify.”
There are no photos of the interior in the ad, so I can’t comment on its condition. After six hundred thousand miles, I have to imagine it’s pretty tired. Probably trashed, actually. If it’s too bad, you might not want to put it back into daily service, but gut the interior, and it could make a good rallycross car or something.
It’s banged up outside; in fact, I don’t think there’s an entirely straight body panel left on it. The paint isn’t great either. But it’s a Toyota, it (allegedly) runs well, and it’s eleven hundred bucks. Who cares what it looks like?
2006 Ford Crown Victoria LX – $900
Engine/drivetrain: 4.6-liter OHC V8, four-speed automatic, RWD
Location: Everett, WA
Odometer reading: 200,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
Here’s another car known for longevity: the Ford Crown Victoria. As the default cop car and taxi for decades all over the country, Crown Vics have racked up some astonishing miles in downright abusive conditions. Ford made improvements along the way; this 2006 model is almost the final iteration, and the best. This is a civilian-spec LX model, not the Police Interceptor, but it does have the revised chassis with rack-and-pinion steering and other refinements.
Like all of the big Panther sedans, this Crown Vic is powered by Ford’s 4.6-liter “Modular” V8, driving a solid rear axle through a four-speed automatic. It’s a strong drivetrain, if not a particularly efficient one. But when it comes to cheap cars, fuel economy matters less than reliability, and the seller of this one says it runs and drives well. It has been driven daily until recently, it sounds like, and 200,000 miles is peanuts for these things.
It’s a little grubby inside, but in good condition. It’s a whole lot fancier and nicer than the police versions, with leather seats and all kinds of power goodies. There’s no word from the seller on whether anything is broken in there, but on a $900 car, do you really care?
The paint is fried, but it doesn’t show any signs of rust or damage. It has nice nine-spoke alloy wheels, which, if my information is correct, means it could have the “Handling And Performance Package,” with a little more horsepower, a little stiffer suspension, and a lower rear axle ratio for better acceleration. If so, it’s a nice bonus.
A thousand bucks won’t get you much these days, especially if you miss out on a really great PT Cruiser. But I guess either of these would be a good substitute. So which will it be: a Toyota with a bazillion miles, or a tough old Ford sedan?
Crazy thought but, maybe the mileage on the Matrix is incorrect? Maybe it’s 64,300 miles? That’s a lot of rock chip damage for that mileage, but, it seems at least as plausible as the thing having been to the moon, back, and almost all the way back to the moon again. In certain urban areas, cars can wrack up a whole lot of damage just being basically abandoned in street parking.
It’s not stone chips – it’s the blue paint. My daugther’s ’09 Vibe was the same color. The hood and roof looked to have been sandblasted down to the primer. Vertical surfaces still had shine and clearcoat. Bought at 268k for $800 with a bad misfire. A coil and set of plugs later she ran like a champ until T-boned. Never did verify the 299999k odometer.
Kid was fine, the side airbags did their job. She has an ’08 Prius with Moon mileage at this time.
Nice! I’ve helped some friends into Vibes over the years – great choice for someone who needs practical/frugal/reliable, but also dirt cheap. Matrix/Vibes and xA/xD are great choices in that category.
Also, what I’m hearing from you is that it’s even more likely that it’s just a banged up 64k mile car.
I had already ran my OBDII scanner and was 95% sure it just had a bad coil. Coil, plugs, oil and filter, trans and coolant flush. It needed surface rust cleaned from the rotors, but pads were good. I reassembled and greased the slide pins. Passed PA state and emmisions. I used rubbing compound on the headlamps.
They are robust and don’t seem to rust badly. Her’s honestly just needed a good interior cleaning. The plastics and fabrics held up well, aside from the fabric inserts in the door panels. The seats had no tears or major wear.
Dad had a pristine ’90 Lincoln Town Car, midnight blue. At about 10 yrs old the paint literally started falling off in sheets and flakes.
I would actually feel better about this car if it was confirmed to have 600k miles. Getting to 600k means the car was treated well and maintained diligently. This car is rough, but I can forgive a lot of cosmetic defects in a car that is 20+ years old and has driven enough miles to have gone around the world 25 times.
If a car looks this bad after 64k miles, this car had to have been neglected (or worse) from mile 0. Low mileage but terrible condition is a massive red flag.
My guess is 264k, maybe 364k. At that milage these are just earned battle scars.
I would like to see the original ads before voting but both have been taken down. Based only on the information available, the Ford is the clear winner. 900 dollars is a low number of dollars. Assuming this thing actually runs and drives, that is a steal. This thing is a bit rough, but I’d say it is closer to $2000 rough than $900 rough. The ad is currently down, so part of me wonders if this is even legit.
I believe the Toyota ad is real, though. I don’t care how Toyota a car is if it has 600k+ miles, innumerable dents, yellow headlights, faded/peeling paint, a hood that won’t close all the way, and a mechanical problem that keeps it from starting (“It’ll run great with a new battery! You believe me, right????? Oh, and the sale is final if it ends up needing more than a battery…”) – this car is junk and needs to be taken out of its misery.
I bought my daughter a 268,000 mile Vibe as her first car. I grew up around Panthers, dad owned 4 or 5 all told. I’m going Ford solely based on mileage and condition.
Cut a hole in the roof in the jesus bus for the rapture!
Better safe than sorry…
Would that be the new Hanging Dead – raptured people trapped under roofs and ceilings for eternity as survivors roam the streets?
I came into this one ready to vote for the Matrix and then take my leave, but over 640k miles and no pics of the interior? Vs a Panther platform for under $1k? Oh, and the Matrix is currently non-running while the CV is functional?
I ended up going the other way entirely. And I’d do it again, and twice on Sundays.
Keeping the Matrix running would be a fun experiment, but no interior pics is scary. The Crown Vic is crispy on the outside but soft on the inside.
Like a good french fry.
Maybe it’s worth it to buy the Matrix and get it to 1 million miles. Toyota has given away a few new vehicles to million-mile owners.
I imagine you’d need to be the original owner, but it’s almost worth a shot for $1000.
I think they only do that when they can get some good press (“a million miles and it still looks brand new.”) ain’t no one bragging that way about this thing.
I vote for the Jesus bus.
I almost put it as a poll option.
My word that is a lot of miles. I know those Matrixes (Matrices?) are like cockroaches, but damn, who would have thought a 6 digit odometer almost wasn’t enough?
Anyway I think the Crown Vic will be a nicer place to be and I can’t remember the last time we had a running, driving car under a grand.
It still has almost 360,000 miles to go before the 7-digit mark. That’s almost twice the effective lifespan of some cars and this Matrix doesn’t look like it has what it takes to get there.
It’s like seeing someone at the 16.5-mile mark in a marathon crawling on their bloody hands and knees, gasping for breath and whispering for God to please just kill them now to end the pain. Impressive on its own–I couldn’t run 16.5 miles. But you know they ain’t making it to the finish line.
Looks like both listings were taken down? Any who, without even looking at mileage, I was going Crown Vic because it actually looked decent in comparison.
Add the mileage, and as of 9:43am EST (where I am), and I understand why 94% of the votes were CV. Good god, if that Matrix’s mileage is real….. absurd.
Did the Panther thing. Not impressed. Hate the way they drive, their lack of actual comfort, and their space-inefficiencies.
Matrix. Still a car with a following. Much more daily utility, too.
I kinda want to see how long the Matrix will go.
Million Mile Matrix has a nice ring to it.
Unfortunately those wheels mean it doesn’t have HPP. In 2006 17″ 5 spokes were what the HPP cars received, which unfortunately were also what the Rental LX came with. That means this car is a Retail LX w/o HPP.
No question the CV is my choice today and well pretty much everyday.
I’ll go with the Crown Vic. It’s built like a tank and will run for another decade on junkyard parts and foul language. You can’t ask for more than that in a beater.
“Built like a tank” … you’ve gotta ask yourself WHICH tank. There have been some clunkers.
It’s got so many terrible design and engineering choices that lead to failures and make repairs a pain.
“…will run for another decade on junkyard parts and foul language…”
Stealing that to add to my lexicon. My usual take is “there’s no repair I won’t attempt, given the proper tools, a busted knuckle or three, and a healthy supply of f-bombs. Sometimes, I don’t even need the proper tools.”
Matrix. Toyota guy here. Know this engine well. Not afraid of the miles. YMMV
BTW the ad for the Matrix is pulled and “under review” at this time.
100% Crown Vic. It’s barely run in!
A) I think you deserve a commission for getting the PT sold
B) I wanna talk about the Jesus bus. . “Interior when clean will look brand new” is such a sad, beautiful selling point. It’s like saying “engine when fixed will run perfect.” God bless.
Jesus let go of the wheel and help me air these damn flat tires up so we can get the hell out of this desert.
BTW I heard the story about the loaves of bread and the fish thing.
How are you with old diesel engines?
“Pristine leather under the blood stains”
Yeah, that car would be getting seat covers right away and Lysol on every touch point. The low contrast interior pic could be hiding a lot.
I love the novelty of a car with over 600k on it but I don’t see the sense in spending money on it. 600k means you got your money’s worth, but only if YOU put it on the car.
That crown vic looks to have plenty of life left, and if you need to replace some of the aging bodywork, they’re everywhere…and it appears the front end has already gotten the treatment. Under a thousand bucks for a panther, and one that’s reasonably acceptable is an absolute no brainer.
Yeah it’s very different saying “i drove a car 600K miles” vs “I bought a car someone else drove 600k miles.”
Also, the seller gets to deduct the sales price from their total cost of ownership when they figure out how much they spent per mile. And the person who logged 300K via the trip odometer will absolutely be doing that calculation.
Crown Vic and a one way road trip to The Freedom Factory.
The Crown Vic can be kept going for cheap, and will last a very, very long time if it has had basic maintenance done throught its life. In addition, it would make a great Powerstroke diesel swap at a later date when the V8 finally wears out, which could be another 20 years from now.
I was thinking about building a sleeper out of it with a supercharger, but I don’t think it’s worth doing a $5K+ expense on a $900 car.
It’s difficult to put a value on a dream ride you have no intention of ever selling though. A diesel Crown Vic modified for the apocalypse is just such a car, at least to me.
Forget Bring a Trailer. Bring a Battery and if it runs, new rallycross car. When it dies, you have a few hundred $ worth of parts or junkyard scrap.
If it has the Handling and Performance Package, then It’s got a cop motor, cop tires, cop shocks.
Unfortunately those wheels, if they were what it came from the factory with, mean that it is not a HPP car.
Can’t see if has dual or single exhaust. Post is down so sold.
Yup I went to look at the listing to see if it had twice pipes but also found the listing removed. Doesn’t surprise me it went quick. It took about 3 hours to sell our last Crown Vic, also in the greater Seattle area.
I’d rather pass on the cop-spec Goodyear Eagle RS-As. Expensive, wore bad, and, in my fleet experience, had a propensity for shifting belts and/or blowing out a chunk of tread. The only model worse than the ubiquitous cheap Wranglers.
It doesn’t look like an HPP car, but it’s loaded with the LX Premier group
A Panther with 1/3 of the mileage, and actually a decent interior, for under a grand. Shut up and take my money!
Wish I was close enough to actually buy it.
I’m very confused by how they have tracked the 643k on the Matrix given that the odometer cuts out at 299,999.
I was thinking the same thing. Maybe it had an anal retentive owner who actually logged all the maintenance intervals using the tripometer? That would explain how it got to that kind of mileage, which is a lot for any vehicle no matter how durable.
Maybe, but the trip only goes to 999.9 so you would have to be crazy diligent to track more than 300k that way.
Yeah, that would be serious levels of anal retentiveness then. It’s possible if they kept a fuel log, but unlikely.
Maybe it’s a typo?
I wondered the same about the odometer and was about to say – if they log their fillups it wouldn’t be too crazy. I’ve logged my cars for years in Fuelly, Gas Cubby before. I plug in my odometer reading but I think it has the choice of odo or miles driven, so they could log by the latter. Download the data, add it together, and there it is.
Or they just estimated it based on daily commute. 150 mi a day or something x days per week x weeks etc.
If I did the math right, it’s “only” 77 miles a day (every day, for 28,000 days).
Even if only highway miles, that’s over 1,100 days (3.1 yrs) cruising in your Matrix.
Clearly they did. There’s no reason to list such a high number unless you’re being honest or wanting to brag how far it’s gone. Respect.
Yeah I tried to look at the ad to see if they said anything about it but it’s not pulling up.
Maybe that is why the ad was pulled for review.
I’ve thought a bit more about it. First, you’d still want to track mileage for oil changes and what not. Second, if I had gotten to 300K and knew I was nowhere near done, yeah I’d want to know how far I got too.
Both!
…but if I had to have just one, the Crown Victoria. Junkyard hood and both bumper covers would be cheaper than having them painted (though looks like that’s been attempted up front – accident fix?), and the interior is in almost alarmingly-good shape.
I would suspect the Matrix has some other electrical bugaboo that is more than “just a battery”. The lack of interior shots is also suspect. But it’s a Toyota, and even if it is a bit tired, it could make a good first car for someone, or do one of those $500 rallies.
Wish I could read the Toyota ad. I suspect the electrical issue could be just a crap battery ground, or other related grounds. Pretty common especially at that age and mileage. Could even be a crapped out battery cable, who knows…