BG Auto. Ford Escape, worthwhile?

[ZarakiKujata]

Should be ~25,000 since its basically a Volvo C30.

[Plow]

Lol this made me laugh

as for the hate on Taurus' not sure about post 98s but the things are a pain in the ass to even try to work on. Went to try to do some gasket sealant on my fiances, required us to put it in the radiator..only problem is that there is no radiator cap, which we found out after removing a ton of shit from the front of the car to even see the radiator.

So, are you clinically retarded or?

[Meresgi]

So, are you clinically retarded or?

How so? There is no radiator cap on our Taurus, none, nadda. There is a reservoir but putting the sealant through that would just gunk up the system and not do what was needed. Every mechanic I have spoken to in the area have mentioned that Fords around that time are just built to need a garage or special tools to fix. I don't have those tools.

[Plow]

There is a reservoir but putting the sealant through that would just gunk up the system and not do what was needed.

sooo I'll take that as a yes

[Plow]

To put it bluntly I don't believe you, but if you had to it's extremely simple:

Pop off the return hose from reservoir, and put it in the bottle of sealant. Reconnect it when you're done.

Not that putting it in the reservoir directly would have any different results in terms of "gunking up the system" anyway, seeing how it's going to end up going through there regardless, but anyway.

[Isiolia]

How so? There is no radiator cap on our Taurus, none, nadda. There is a reservoir but putting the sealant through that would just gunk up the system and not do what was needed. Every mechanic I have spoken to in the area have mentioned that Fords around that time are just built to need a garage or special tools to fix. I don't have those tools.

Having a system like the one the Taurus there is fairly common, and not something that requires special tools or a garage. It's not really a Ford thing.

[Plow]

Let's just make it as simple as can be:

Do you have a chilton's manual for the car?

Spoiler: show

99.999% probability the answer is no, which means you have absolutely no business talking about it being hard to work on

It's nothing personal, I just get really irritated by people that don't understand cars and their systems bashing specific ones when they really just don't know.


Also, if you believe mechanics when they tell you stuff is designed to need you to pay them to work on it...

[volcanicweather]

You're not gonna be able to haggle much period with dealers really. They've done a really good job of packing the car so full of features that if you try to haggle the dealer is going to put you ina car that's gonna have less features and just have a marginally better price. I'm not much for the features and stuff like that, but I'm waiting to see what the Focus ST looks like price wise when they release it.

Not true, I got a really high trade-in for my old '99 Mazda when I bought my Mustang. I purchased it in MN right before winter and convinced the dealership that they weren't going to move the Mustang for 5+ months and it would just be another car to brush the snow off of each week. There's always room for negotiations but you need a strong case when you walk in the door as to why you should get a good deal.

Man why the fuck hasn't the dealer done this for my 08 Focus... I'd love to trade it in in this kind of a deal and get the 2012 one.. I suppose its cause mine is a manual?

Not sure what the market is like on the east coast but if you are really looking to get a new Focus look online at dealerships with low volumes for used Focus models and give them a call. I bet you could find one to give you a good price, especially if your car is still in good condition/low miles. Your Focus would be a quick sell for the dealership, diversifies the types of cars on the lot, and is new enough to bring in people to "up-sell" them to new models.

[Plow]

Not true, I got a really high trade-in for my old '99 Mazda when I bought my Mustang. I purchased it in MN right before winter and convinced the dealership that they weren't going to move the Mustang for 5+ months and it would just be another car to brush the snow off of each week. There's always room for negotiations but you need a strong case when you walk in the door as to why you should get a good deal.

Definitely agree with this sentiment, especially in terms of cars that are on the lot. It's not like they can take off features, which is an arguing point in and of itself-- find that one that's overpriced because it's got all the bells and whistles and then point out that it's gonna be sitting there for a while because nobody wants to pay for them.

My mom got a great deal on a Sebring convertible limited, right before they got all popular, because it was sitting in the middle of the showroom being ignored because middle aged ladies don't give a fuck about a two tone leather interior and shiny rims.

[Seanr]

Not true, I got a really high trade-in for my old '99 Mazda when I bought my Mustang. I purchased it in MN right before winter and convinced the dealership that they weren't going to move the Mustang for 5+ months and it would just be another car to brush the snow off of each week.

would'nt they just be brushing the snow off the Mazda then?

[Plow]

RWD V-8 sports cars don't sell real well in Minnesota winters.

Cheapo FWD cars renowned for their reliability do.

[Seanr]

true...

[*Shinzon*]

Not true, I got a really high trade-in for my old '99 Mazda when I bought my Mustang. I purchased it in MN right before winter and convinced the dealership that they weren't going to move the Mustang for 5+ months and it would just be another car to brush the snow off of each week. There's always room for negotiations but you need a strong case when you walk in the door as to why you should get a good deal.

What you're describing isn't a case of haggling. It's a case of you making a valid point to the at the end of the year when they are clearing room to make room for new models. A car like the Focus is designed to be used everyday in all weather conditions so that kinda thing doesn't work. Not to mention the 2011 Focus is a completely different car and was redesigned as a world car to be sold as one car across the world. It's not even worth looking into old focus models because they were pieces of garbage which is why I specifically mentioned the new car. Not only is it loaded with new tech, high quality interior but also 40mpg~ depending on configuration. The 2011 focus also has waiting lists in many areas. All that is what led me to say you really can't haggle with this particular car, that's not to say it can't be done. Ford has dealers selling cars with very strict pricing guidelines too.

[Plow]

A year and a half ago there was a dealership here that would literally give you a focus if you bought an F150.

The point is you come up with your points, and you remember that their points are complete bullshit. You're letting the dealers win the negotiations.

[*Shinzon*]

Again, the old focus was a piece of shit lol. Not nearly the same car it once was. Point was to suggest a New car that's a little bit more than a versa with more features, and practicality.

[ZarakiKujata]

Focus has certainly gotten really awesome but I'd dispute it ever being a piece of shit. I had a used 02 one as my first car and it was fine.

[*Shinzon*]

Eh, that could be true. I never paid attention to the old car because it was boring. The new car and the ST model just appeals to me more, especially the hatchback. It's a really handsome car inside and out. I think the versa is actually getting redesigned for this year? Not sure but I know it wont start under 10k anymore, was announced to start a little above I thinks.

[Isiolia]

Eh, that could be true. I never paid attention to the old car because it was boring. The new car and the ST model just appeals to me more, especially the hatchback. It's a really handsome car inside and out. I think the versa is actually getting redesigned for this year? Not sure but I know it wont start under 10k anymore, was announced to start a little above I thinks.

Focus has been pretty well received, critically speaking, pretty much since inception. It was on the Car and Driver top 10 list five years straight (2000-2004). Then again, it also set a record for recalls at one point >_>

Generally though, the hatch with a stick/etc has been well regarded as a cheap "driver's car" for a while. Shame it looked like ass. The new one is a lot better, though I think the U.S. is still getting shafted on drivetrain/suspension.

[*Shinzon*]

Yeah like I said I didn't pay much attention to the old car until this year when they announced we get something close to the eu model. Also I don't respect anything car and driver says lol, a lot of their writers are boring and outdated and just don't know what they're talking about. I read/watch a lot of edmunds insideline and motortrend though.

[Avinor]

The original Focus was also 'the EU model'. It originally came out in '98 in Europe and was (and is) a huge hit there. We got it in ~'00 and was mostly the same, with a few modifications for regulations and to cut cost a tad (which will also happen with the new, '12 model, but probably not as much). The problem is, the 2nd generation Focus came out in ~'05 in Europe and we carried on with a warmed over version of the 1st gen. An even more warmed over version came out in ~'08 that changed the look a lot but still rode on the original platform, leaving it competent but unremarkable. Fortunately that 1st gen platform was a big leap forward at the time, so even after 10 years it made for a decent car. But the new one is obviously a major improvement. Pity we don't get the wagon option, but the hatchback should be plenty versatile.