Deciding between 2 used cars

[ski_mom]

We are trying to decide between 2 used cars - situation:

We have 2 teenage drivers - 17 year old DD and 16 year old DD.

We currently have a 2010 Chevy cobalt that they are now sharing. Due to their different schedules, we have decided to get another car.

We have found a 2007 Ford Escape. It has 120,xxx miles. We have also found a 2009 Ford Focus that has 162,xxx miles. The focus is for sale by owner and the escape is at a dealership. After the taxes and everything is figured in, the Focus is about $2,000 cheaper than the escape.

I know neither one is great, but I think they will both serve our purposes. I am having a hard time because each kid has a preference as to what they want. so, I'm feeling like whichever car I choose to buy will seem like I'm getting the one that one girl wanted and I don't want that to be the reason for buying.

That being said, I think the pros of the Focus are the cheaper price and a little better gas mileage.

I think the pros of the Escape are that it would be purchased from a dealer, so it has a small short term warrenty and they will take care of the paperwork for use. It also has a lot less miles.

Anyway, if anyone would like to chime in with an unbiased opinion, I'd love to hear it!

Thanks!

 

[TAX GUY]

We are trying to decide between 2 used cars - situation:

We have 2 teenage drivers - 17 year old DD and 16 year old DD.

We currently have a 2010 Chevy cobalt that they are now sharing. Due to their different schedules, we have decided to get another car.

We have found a 2007 Ford Escape. It has 120,xxx miles. We have also found a 2009 Ford Focus that has 162,xxx miles. The focus is for sale by owner and the escape is at a dealership. After the taxes and everything is figured in, the Focus is about $2,000 cheaper than the escape.

I know neither one is great, but I think they will both serve our purposes. I am having a hard time because each kid has a preference as to what they want. so, I'm feeling like whichever car I choose to buy will seem like I'm getting the one that one girl wanted and I don't want that to be the reason for buying.

That being said, I think the pros of the Focus are the cheaper price and a little better gas mileage.

I think the pros of the Escape are that it would be purchased from a dealer, so it has a small short term warrenty and they will take care of the paperwork for use. It also has a lot less miles.

Anyway, if anyone would like to chime in with an unbiased opinion, I'd love to hear it!

Thanks!

First thing I'd suggest is getting a car fax for each. See if there was any damage reported.

Then, for me it would be which would better fit the current needs. Escape has more cargo room. Would there be a need to haul "stuff" or just people? Is the Escape 4 wheel drive? Do you need that or would the front wheel drive Focus be enough? Any history on recent repairs and maintenance? What about overall safety and reliability? Google each vehicle and see what reports have shown as well as owner comments.

Also, if you have a mechanic you trust, have them look it over. If you don't, ask friends if they do. Better to pay a little now to be sure its up to snuff than to pay dearly later.

 

[SharonZ]

I think the Escape probably has a lot more life left in it. Personally, I don't think I'd be interested in a Focus that has 162,000 miles on it. Did you find out what the cost would be to insure each vehicle? Have you factored in the difference in gas mileage?

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

I would round up your family and take both cars at the same time to a mechanic to get looked over. Since one is by owner with no warranty as is you should really take that car anyway.

Let the mechanic state which car is most "RELIABLE" and tell the girls that safety and reliability is what you need not which cosmetic parts they find cool.

 

[sam_gordon]

We are trying to decide between 2 used cars - situation:

We have 2 teenage drivers - 17 year old DD and 16 year old DD.

We currently have a 2010 Chevy cobalt that they are now sharing. Due to their different schedules, we have decided to get another car.

We have found a 2007 Ford Escape. It has 120,xxx miles. We have also found a 2009 Ford Focus that has 162,xxx miles. The focus is for sale by owner and the escape is at a dealership. After the taxes and everything is figured in, the Focus is about $2,000 cheaper than the escape.

I know neither one is great, but I think they will both serve our purposes. I am having a hard time because each kid has a preference as to what they want. so, I'm feeling like whichever car I choose to buy will seem like I'm getting the one that one girl wanted and I don't want that to be the reason for buying.

That being said, I think the pros of the Focus are the cheaper price and a little better gas mileage.

I think the pros of the Escape are that it would be purchased from a dealer, so it has a small short term warrenty and they will take care of the paperwork for use. It also has a lot less miles.

Anyway, if anyone would like to chime in with an unbiased opinion, I'd love to hear it!

Thanks!

Are you SURE the dealership is offering a warranty on a 7 year old (almost 8) vehicle with over 100,000 miles?

I would lean toward the Escape, but wouldn't be crazy about the gas mileage. As mentioned, get a mechanic to check it out.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

The Focus from that era is a really solid car. I wouldn't worry much about a 5-year-old Focus with a bunch of highway miles.

'07 Escape OTOH has some known issues. I think I'd skip that one.

 

[tajz90]

A study was recently released and reported on ABC Nightly news, that the Escape is in the top 5 used cars for teens for safety and reliability.

We recently purchased an escape for our teen from a ford dealership. We received a year warranty with the purchase. The car has been good so far. He plays sports so he hauls a lot of stuff around which is why we chose the escape. We also live in an area prone to road flooding, and the escape sits higher than a car making navigation a bit easier if he happens to be at school during a downpour.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

A study was recently released and reported on ABC Nightly news, that the Escape is in the top 5 used cars for teens for safety and reliability.

We recently purchased an escape for our teen from a ford dealership. We received a year warranty with the purchase. The car has been good so far. He plays sports so he hauls a lot of stuff around which is why we chose the escape. We also live in an area prone to road flooding, and the escape sits higher than a car making navigation a bit easier if he happens to be at school during a downpour.

<<<<<Do as I say, not as I do moment, but you should never try to drive on a flooded street. If there's any kind of current, you can be swept off the road even if it's only inches deep. And even if there isn't a current, the water obscures the road - which may or may not still be there. You could be nosing off into a big hole.

 

[ski_mom]

First thing I'd suggest is getting a car fax for each. See if there was any damage reported.

We did that. Both cars have clean carfax reports, so we lucked out there. Earlier we had looked at a Focus and it ended up having a salvage title, so we couldn't insure it with our current insurance company.

Then, for me it would be which would better fit the current needs. Escape has more cargo room. Would there be a need to haul "stuff" or just people? Is the Escape 4 wheel drive? Do you need that or would the front wheel drive Focus be enough? Any history on recent repairs and maintenance? What about overall safety and reliability? Google each vehicle and see what reports have shown as well as owner comments.

Also, if you have a mechanic you trust, have them look it over. If you don't, ask friends if they do. Better to pay a little now to be sure its up to snuff than to pay dearly later.

I think the Escape probably has a lot more life left in it. Personally, I don't think I'd be interested in a Focus that has 162,000 miles on it. Did you find out what the cost would be to insure each vehicle? Have you factored in the difference in gas mileage?

I did look up the insurance and there's really not a big difference between the 2 as far as insurance costs go. I agree though that the 162,000 miles scares me a bit. The other has a lot too, but with the girls, they probably won't put the 40,000 mile difference on a car in 3 or 4 years.

Are you SURE the dealership is offering a warranty on a 7 year old (almost 8) vehicle with over 100,000 miles?

I would lean toward the Escape, but wouldn't be crazy about the gas mileage. As mentioned, get a mechanic to check it out.

The warranty is just a 3 month warranty, but at least if there are problems early in having it, you'd have something to go back on.

The Focus from that era is a really solid car. I wouldn't worry much about a 5-year-old Focus with a bunch of highway miles.

'07 Escape OTOH has some known issues. I think I'd skip that one.

A study was recently released and reported on ABC Nightly news, that the Escape is in the top 5 used cars for teens for safety and reliability.

Where do you find reports like that? That sounds exactly like what I'm looking for.

 

[kacaju]

dh drove a work focus...he hated it, because he felt like if he got in an accident he would get seriously hurt. That being said....he took my dd20 and bought her an escape from a used car dealer, because HE felt she would be safer.

 

[tajz90]

<<<<<Do as I say, not as I do moment, but you should never try to drive on a flooded street. If there's any kind of current, you can be swept off the road even if it's only inches deep. And even if there isn't a current, the water obscures the road - which may or may not still be there. You could be nosing off into a big hole.

Thanks, but not that kind of flooded . I'd never advise my child to drive through water like that!!!!

 

[SkaGoat]

dh drove a work focus...he hated it, because he felt like if he got in an accident he would get seriously hurt. That being said....he took my dd20 and bought her an escape from a used car dealer, because HE felt she would be safer.

SUV, and CUV are not safer than cars.... size of the actual vehicle has nothing to do with how safe you are in a collision.

2007 Ford Escape- http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/vehicle/v/ford/escape/2007
Not great actually...

2009 Ford Focus- http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/vehicle/v/ford/focus-4-door-sedan/2009
Better than the Escape.

This is a comparo from NHTSA's website- http://www.safercar.gov/Vehicle+Sho...rchtype=model&make=FORD&model=FOCUS&year=2009

 

[tvguy]

Your first stop is a mechanic to see the specific conditions of each car.

Mileage is sky high on both, that Escape should have about 84,000 miles on it for it's age, and the Focus about 60,000.

I have Focus, an 03 with 123,000, and my mom had an 03 with 12,000 miles on it, the current owner has run it up to 22,000! We have Escapes at work, seem fine too.


I'd say it's a wash, the deciding factor being what the mechanic says.

 

[SkaGoat]

Your first stop is a mechanic to see the specific conditions of each car.

Mileage is sky high on both, that Escape should have about 84,000 miles on it for it's age, and the Focus about 60,000.

I have Focus, an 03 with 123,000, and my mom had an 03 with 12,000 miles on it, the current owner has run it up to 22,000! We have Escapes at work, seem fine too.


I'd say it's a wash, the deciding factor being what the mechanic says.

The USEPA assumes the average car in the USA is driven 15,000 miles/yr, the Escape is right on average, the Focus is way way over, I'd avoid the Focus.

 

[sunshinehighway]

The mileage on the Focus would make me really think twice about it. Its really high for an 09.
I don't think the mileage on the Escape is overly high. I was recently looking at cars around that age and lots were in the 100k-130k range.

Taking it to a mechanic is really the best advice. You might find a lot of maintenance that comes after 100k miles has been neglected and those things can start to really add up.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

The USEPA assumes the average car in the USA is driven 15,000 miles/yr, the Escape is right on average, the Focus is way way over, I'd avoid the Focus.

I wouldn't be worried about the per year average being high. Highway miles aren't that hard in a car compared to a lot of stop & go.

I'd take a 5-year-old car with 160,000 miles over a 15-year-old car with 100,000. That said, it is a bunch of miles. I just wouldn't be concerned that it's a lot per year.

 

[SkaGoat]

I wouldn't be worried about the per year average being high. Highway miles aren't that hard in a car compared to a lot of stop & go.

I'd take a 5-year-old car with 160,000 miles over a 15-year-old car with 100,000. That said, it is a bunch of miles. I just wouldn't be concerned that it's a lot per year.

Oh, I'm with you on that one, but with the Focus, it's well over 32,000 miles a year! That is a lot. and 2007 - 2009 isn't a huge gap in age.

 

[tvguy]

The USEPA assumes the average car in the USA is driven 15,000 miles/yr, the Escape is right on average, the Focus is way way over, I'd avoid the Focus.

12,000 is average per year per USEPA SO MY 84,000 is right on the money.

http://www.epa.gov/otaq/consumer/420f08024.pdf

KBB lowers blue book value for more than 12,000 a year and insurance companies charge high premiums for over 12,000 a year.

 

[ski_mom]

Well, we went to see the focus tonight and I don't know anything about cars, but I did know that we didn't want that car. It had a bad clunking noise in it. My daughter who really wanted to car said it sounded like popcorn popping when we were driving it slowly.

She still wanted it, so she asked the guy if he knew what it was. He told me that all Ford Focus' have that issue and that it's from them having a tight suspension.

I don't have any idea if that's true or not, but as we were leaving he offered to lower the price by $700 without me even asking him too.

It would have been cheap, but I think it would have been a huge headache too.

Oh well, at least we checked it out and know for sure.

Thanks so much for everyone's opinions and advice!

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Well, we went to see the focus tonight and I don't know anything about cars, but I did know that we didn't want that car. It had a bad clunking noise in it. My daughter who really wanted to car said it sounded like popcorn popping when we were driving it slowly.

She still wanted it, so she asked the guy if he knew what it was. He told me that all Ford Focus' have that issue and that it's from them having a tight suspension.

I don't have any idea if that's true or not, but as we were leaving he offered to lower the price by $700 without me even asking him too.

It would have been cheap, but I think it would have been a huge headache too.

Oh well, at least we checked it out and know for sure.

Thanks so much for everyone's opinions and advice!

Maybe you can find a Focus with 50-70,000 miles in the price range of the Escape.