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?
The interior is where my butt goes. No pics of that= No deal!
That Crown Vic presents well for 200K miles and twenty years.
Duh
I would take a Crown Vic Panther any day of the week. For $900, I know I am going be looking at 1k of repairs to start. Throw a 10 foot MACCO paint job at it as well
The plate # on the Matrix came back as registered to a 2006 Matrix. In any case I doubt that is the original plate for the car.
Ford.
if I owned that matrix, I’d probably put a battery in it and keep going just to see where it dies. I wouldn’t buy it to find its end point, though.
I am almost always team Vibe/Matrix, but hot dang that’s a lot of miles.
The Crown Vic looks suspiciously good for the price. It’s the clear winner here if it’s legit.
I’ve always wanted a Panther platform car. My grandma has a 2002 Grand Marquis that she’s had since about 2004. Under 150k miles, always maintained. Her local mechanic said he couldn’t work on it much more because it’s hard to find parts…I have no idea why he said that because these things are everywhere.
Anyway she wants a new car and I told her I’d pay more than what they offer on trade for it. I’ll probably be able to get it for $2k or so. If she even gets a new car, she’s 85 after all. It would just be nice to have a big comfy spare car.
Crown Vic, and it’s getting kinda ugly for the Matrix at this point.
Crown Vic all day, it’s just much nicer than the Toyota. Plus, a worn out Toyota is just a worn out Toyota, but a tired Crown Vic has stories to tell. So I’ll settle in to that cushy leather bench, breathe in the stench of cigarettes and cheap bourbon, and let the experiences of that old Ford wash over.
I’m all up for some cheap bourbon.
I can’t be the only one thinking the Autopian fleet needs a Toyota Matrix that’s been to the Moon and back again with enough miles left over to orbit the Earth a few times. Buy it, put it through its paces, generate some awesome content. JUST DO IT!
I know. If it was nearby I’d want it just to see how much more it would go before big repairs were needed.
Send it to Adrian!
You got me. I thought from the start that this was a Matrix win until I saw the miles and the condition which is explained by the miles. It’s done but you can’t complain if you got over 600k on it. Hell, I’d be happy with 300k. So today, it’s the Vic that was probably dallied to the Boeing plant down the road.
Crown Vic for sure. Drive it like the grandma that once owned it and you’ll get nearly the fuel mileage you’d get from the Matrix. I dailyed a 2005 Town Car ex-livery car with over 400K on it that gave me 20-24 mpg.
My mom had a Matrix, it’d easily get mid-30’s for economy.
I wish you had included a button to vote for the Jesus bus
Amen, brother.
…unpopular choice apparently, but even sun-blasted, that blue paint on the matrix looks good in those photos. I don’t need a V8 or people asking me if it’s a cop car. And I owned an ’88 Nova, built where that Matrix was. I’m sticking with ’00s tall wagons today.
Looks like 600k miles of bugs and rock chips. That li’l wagon has SEEN some things.
I mean yeah but there’s purple coming through that blue for some reason and I’m kinda here for it.
Nobody’s asking if the Panthers are cop cars anymore. The newest ones are now 16 years old.
An ex-cop car then. So-rry. Geez, I feel like I just called a stepladder just “a ladder”.
I’ve seen Panthers in livery duty approaching 400K miles.
$900 for the Ford sounds like a good deal to me.
(This is why you garage your cars, Kids)
Close to 10 years ago I intentionally went looking for ex-livery long wheelbase Town cars. I bought a 2005 with 400K on it but did drive one with 770K on it. Would have bought it but they just wanted too much for it. Drove really well.
The Matrix is the better car.
See above.
not this one, though
What in god’s name is causing the window slime on that Vic?
Cold humid weather.
It’s just morning condensation – just like every other car on the street..
For some reason the interior shot made it look like this was a film of cigarette smoke or something, which was then partially smudged away by a handprint… but I’m with ya now
Welcome to the Pacific Northwest.
Finally, something in my price range.
Tough choice. I’m a Toyota man, but the crown vic is practically a collectors item and will likely increase in value. So, I’d jump ship and take the vic.
Below are the lyrics to the Bottle Rockets’ Thousand Dollar Car
A thousand dollar car, it ain’t worth nothin’
A thousand dollar car, it ain’t worth shit
Might as well take your thousand dollars
And set fire to it
A thousand dollar car ain’t worth a dime
You lose your thousand dollars every time
Oh why did I ever buy a thousand dollar car
A thousand dollar car is gonna let you down
More than it’s ever gonna get you around
Replace your gaskets and paint over your rust
You still end up with something that you’ll never trust
A thousand dollar car, its life was through
‘Bout 50,000 miles ‘fore it got to you
Oh why did I ever buy a thousand dollar car
A thousand dollar car ain’t gonna roll
‘Til you throw at least another thousand in the hole
Sink your money in it, and there you are
The owner of a two thousand dollar thousand dollar car
If you only got a thousand dollars
You outta just buy a good guitar
Learn how to play and it’ll take you farther
Than any old thousand dollar car
If a thousand dollar car was truly worth a damn
Then why would anybody ever spend ten grand
Oh why did I ever buy a thousand dollar car
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzim1iYhmGA
Brooklyn Side is in regular rotation here.
Castro Valley is less than 20 miles from the former NUMMI plant in Fremont. I bet this 23-year old Matrix still hangs out with its high school friends.
Had the same thought about that.
The Matrix wasn’t made there. It was made in Canada 😛
The Vibe was made in Fremont
Both of these cars are one component failure away from the scrap heap. But the Crown Vic is already drivable and looks like most of its issues are cosmetic, while the Matrix is definitely on borrowed time.
Much like most of the daily commute fleet.
Crown Vic.
“Just needs a battery” to see the Christmas tree on the dash.
I think we’ve all seen enough of the ads where they say the car will be fine after a cheap and easy fix to know that there is definitely more wrong with the car than the cheap and easy fix that the seller hasn’t done.
Ooh, I like both options! It would be really interesting to try driving such a high-mileage vehicle and keeping it running, and Matrices are just nice vehicles. However, I think the Crown Vic is going to have to win. A legendary, end-of-an-era car, and an experience that might be hard to repeat in the future. Plus it’s $200 cheaper!
The Matrix is a great car, but in this price range running beats not every time.
Vickie.
No, 200K isn’t “peanuts” even on a Bronze Age truck chassis sedan like this, but 3x that much on a battered Matrix is a far worse proposition.
One nice thing about a big sedan this hairy and ugly–if you want that lane and start making a move towards it, traffic will move to let you have it. They know you don’t care about some paint transfer.
Also parking your car wherever you want is now a viable option. Bro-dozer half over the line, who cares, what are they gonna do, scratch it? That’s the biggest thing I miss about driving near junk status cars, not giving a damn about parking lots.
When I bought my beat up ’89 XJ in 2002 it was a revelation. Just parking in the city and not giving a F***. Door dings, who cares? Of course, I then proceeded to fix it up and actually repainted it in my dad’s driveway.
My last who gives a shit car was a 97 Volvo 940, with all the horizontal clearcoat gone. Thing drove great, but looked like a green atrocity on wheels. I loved cramming that thing into whatever spot I could find. I sold it off in 2019 though as I really wasn’t driving it.