Topic: Top Picks: Used Serious Sedans

[KD]

Surprised the Lincoln LS didn't make the list.  It was a very well balanced car and much better than any other so called serious domestic car available at the time and a much better drivers car than the Marauder for sure.  It was RWD and had almost perfect 50/50 weight distribution and a very good and solid chassis. You could even get a manual tranny on the V6 model, but the 3.9L v8 was the one to get and had decent power at 280 hp, so pretty respectable at the time if down a little from the FGCs, but also over $15 cheaper.

[mixmanmash]

Surprised the Lincoln LS didn't make the list.  It was a very well balanced car and much better than any other so called serious domestic car available at the time and a much better drivers car than the Marauder for sure.  It was RWD and had almost perfect 50/50 weight distribution and a very good and solid chassis. You could even get a manual tranny on the V6 model, but the 3.9L v8 was the one to get and had decent power at 280 hp, so pretty respectable at the time if down a little from the FGCs, but also over $15 cheaper.

They had lots of reliability issues.  Although, IIRC you could get the V6 with a manual transmission.

[alexdc]

Surprised the Lincoln LS didn't make the list.  It was a very well balanced car and much better than any other so called serious domestic car available at the time and a much better drivers car than the Marauder for sure.  It was RWD and had almost perfect 50/50 weight distribution and a very good and solid chassis. You could even get a manual tranny on the V6 model, but the 3.9L v8 was the one to get and had decent power at 280 hp, so pretty respectable at the time if down a little from the FGCs, but also over $15 cheaper.

the ls is just unreliable. I mean VERY unreliable. I would like to have one though with the 3.0, the manual, no sunroof. It seems to be the less problematic.

[alexdc]

the infiniti m45 should be on that list.

[KD]

Surprised the Lincoln LS didn't make the list.  It was a very well balanced car and much better than any other so called serious domestic car available at the time and a much better drivers car than the Marauder for sure.  It was RWD and had almost perfect 50/50 weight distribution and a very good and solid chassis. You could even get a manual tranny on the V6 model, but the 3.9L v8 was the one to get and had decent power at 280 hp, so pretty respectable at the time if down a little from the FGCs, but also over $15 cheaper.

the ls is just unreliable. I mean VERY unreliable. I would like to have one though with the 3.0, the manual, no sunroof. It seems to be the less problematic.

Are you speaking from experience, or just repeating what you heard?  I owned a 2003 LS V8 and it did have a recall for the ignition coils that was fixed under warranty, but other than that it was very reliable.  My friend's father is still driving his 2004 LS V8 with over 180K on it now and no major issues. Any problems I had paled in comparison to some of my friends who owned high-end FGC stuff with their associated gremlins.  It certainly wasn't a refined or powerful as some FGC iron, so I won't try to argue that fact, but it was also less finicky.  Incidentally, my LS was much more reliable than the Subaru Outback it replaced, which just happened to be the most unreliable car I have ever owned.

[alexdc]

Surprised the Lincoln LS didn't make the list.  It was a very well balanced car and much better than any other so called serious domestic car available at the time and a much better drivers car than the Marauder for sure.  It was RWD and had almost perfect 50/50 weight distribution and a very good and solid chassis. You could even get a manual tranny on the V6 model, but the 3.9L v8 was the one to get and had decent power at 280 hp, so pretty respectable at the time if down a little from the FGCs, but also over $15 cheaper.

the ls is just unreliable. I mean VERY unreliable. I would like to have one though with the 3.0, the manual, no sunroof. It seems to be the less problematic.

Are you speaking from experience, or just repeating what you heard?  I owned a 2003 LS V8 and it did have a recall for the ignition coils that was fixed under warranty, but other than that it was very reliable.  My friend's father is still driving his 2004 LS V8 with over 180K on it now and no major issues. Any problems I had paled in comparison to some of my friends who owned high-end FGC stuff with their associated gremlins.  It certainly wasn't a refined or powerful as some FGC iron, so I won't try to argue that fact, but it was also less finicky.  Incidentally, my LS was much more reliable than the Subaru Outback it replaced, which just happened to be the most unreliable car I have ever owned.

I guess you had a good one because on the LS forum everyone gets rid of them for their unreliability. I always liked the look of the car and it seems to be great to drive. The v6 LS eat coils too. Ford did change them under warranty but never improved the design (from what I've read). Window regulator were a problem and sunroof drain clogged too. (I got this from the research I did when I wanted to buy one)

I'm not suprised about the outback, Subarus were unreliable until recently. I also heard someone who had a brand new outback and it had to be in the shop for about 3 weeks a month after he bought it (a client at work), I don't remember what was the issue but I think it was the engine. The flat 6. From what I've read Imprezas with the 2.5 also need a new head gasket every 100 000km. Well, everyone rave about them but to me they don't feel like their worth the trouble and the money.

[mixmanmash]

Men, Subaru's are still unreliable.  Know of a local guy with a 2013 STi with 3000 kms on it and it needs a replacement engine.  I'm sure the non hi-po models are better than they used to be.

[mmret]

And this is my brother's E38.... I guess this is why I enjoy this article so much as my family are full of sedan of this kind.

The Yue Z plate is for HK cars that regularly cross to the mainland right?

[alexdc]

Men, Subaru's are still unreliable.  Know of a local guy with a 2013 STi with 3000 kms on it and it needs a replacement engine.  I'm sure the non hi-po models are better than they used to be.

but the 2013 is still a last gen model. I meant the new na & turbo engines. The 2.0s

[OliverD]

Men, Subaru's are still unreliable.  Know of a local guy with a 2013 STi with 3000 kms on it and it needs a replacement engine.  I'm sure the non hi-po models are better than they used to be.

That anecdote doesn't translate to Subarus being unreliable. 

[alexdc]

Men, Subaru's are still unreliable.  Know of a local guy with a 2013 STi with 3000 kms on it and it needs a replacement engine.  I'm sure the non hi-po models are better than they used to be.

That anecdote doesn't translate to Subarus being unreliable. 

Well, when a owner of a subaru dealership tells you to never buy a used subaru that says something. One of my colleagues bought a used impreza but because it had over 20 000$ of repair bills (in the vehicule's history) so it was pretty mint.

[johngenx]

Anecdotes vs. data: Consumer Reports indicates that Subaru models are rated well in terms of reliability.  No matter the issues with CR data, it's far better than "some guy I know."

[mixmanmash]

Men, Subaru's are still unreliable.  Know of a local guy with a 2013 STi with 3000 kms on it and it needs a replacement engine.  I'm sure the non hi-po models are better than they used to be.

That anecdote doesn't translate to Subarus being unreliable. 

Sorry it was meant to be a joke.  It's tough to put tone into written text.

[ChaosphereIX]

now this is the most serious of all serious sedans

look up "presence" in the dictionary, and there will be a pic of a Maser Quattroporte...so sinister all murdered out!

[KD]

now this is the most serious of all serious sedans

look up "presence" in the dictionary, and there will be a pic of a Maser Quattroporte...so sinister all murdered out!

No arguments here...   Reliability be damned...