Good morning! Well, here they are: four reasonably practical, affordable cars in good condition. In this column. I know; I’m as surprised as you are. Now we’re going to pit them against each other in a battle for shitbox supremacy.
Yesterday’s crossovers were pretty evenly matched, and the vote was close, as I expected. But in the end, the Escape Hybrid took home more votes, earning it a place in today’s Showdown. Personally, I think I’d pick the Escape as well, but I’d rather have it in the color of the Toyota.
I’m surprised at how many of you voted against the Escape strictly because it’s a hybrid, over fears of battery degeneration. It’s a concern, granted, but since the seller says it’s still getting well over 30 miles per gallon, I personally wouldn’t be too worried about it. It does raise the question of how willing shadetree mechanics are going to be to tackle the new technology as it appears. I know some old-school mechanics who still won’t touch a car with fuel injection. Me, I’ll take apart anything that I’ve got proper tools for, if it needs fixing.
When I first had this idea of a week-long search for the best possible used car, I fully expected it would come down to the usual suspects: Corolla, Camry, Accord, that sort of thing. But I didn’t find any Hondas at all that I wanted to feature, and the two Toyotas for the week lost. In their place we have three Mazda MZR engines and a Jaguar V8, or two sedans, a minivan, and an SUV, or two sticks and two automatics, depending on how you want to divide them up. Goes to show you never can tell, I guess.
What we don’t have is any color. White, silver, and dark gray; that’s what we ended up with. So, just to make things a little more interesting, I want you to not only vote for the car you think is the best deal, but in the comments, also tell me what color you would repaint it. Let’s recap our choices.
2005 Mazda 6i
The case for it: It’s a clean-as-a-whistle example of a car that’s not only reliable and efficient, but also fun to drive. It’s got a good level of equipment, a reasonable number of miles, and someone sprang for good-quality window tint for it.
The case against it: Nothing really, unless you can’t or won’t drive a stick.
2001 Lincoln LS V8
The case for it: It has a V8, a well-tuned chassis, rear-wheel-drive, and a nice European luxury feel. It has had a ton of maintenance work done recently, and the seller is confident enough in it to use it as their current daily driver.
The case against it: It’s historically about as reliable as Use Your Illusion-era Axl Rose. Sometimes you get a stellar performance; sometimes you get a temper tantrum. Also, some nitwit painted the wheels black.
2012 Mazda 5
The case for it: It’s a minivan with a six-speed stick. It also happens to look good, and be quite reliable. And that swoopy design detail down the side looks cool.
The case against it: It’s a Mazda for sale in Wisconsin. There’s a good chance at least some portion of the undercarriage resembles Swiss cheese, even though the ad doesn’t mention rust.
2005 Ford Escape Hybrid
The case for it: You’re not likely to find anything this cheap and useful that gets better gas mileage than this. It’s also known to be very reliable, and this one has been well cared for, from the sounds of it.
The case against it: It has a rebuilt title, if that matters to you, from an accident that occurred years ago. And the long-term durability of the hybrid battery is a bit of an unknown factor.
Four grand, as much as I hate to admit it, is pretty much the floor for a decent used car these days. You can find running cars for cheaper, but you’ll have to do some digging, and probably some repairs as well. If you want to just drive off and feel confident, this is about as cheap as you’ll find. But the good news is they’re all pretty nice cars, and there’s a little bit of fun to be had, as well.
I’m not sure what next week will bring, but I’m thinking it’ll be another week-long search – maybe for the best winter project car we can find. For now, though, we’re all about the daily drivers. Which one of these strikes you as the best deal?
(Image credits: sellers)
I thought “Mazda 6” as soon as I saw the headline but voted Ford Escape bcuz wife and haybales and dogs.
A good pearl red would look nice with the grey cladding/interior, nothing too flashy or bright, with the toughest clearcoat I can get.
There can only be one choice, and that’s the Mazda 6 sedan.
Remember, it’s significantly the same thing as a contemporary Ford Fusion. The problems with the other three are too much to overcome
Lincoln LS: endless shit will break. It will be expensive to fix. If you can even get parts. They did a fantastic job replicating the premium Euro ownership experience, right down to the fourth owner nightmares. Avoid.
Escape Hybrid: I liked these things, but a rebuilt title on a first-gen Escape is a bunch of red flags. Also, these things rust PRODIGIOUSLY in the rear wheelhouses. Terminal to the structure. Very expensive and time consuming fix. Avoid. They’re also unrefined AF.
Mazda 5: What kind of failures are your favorite? Engine? Transmission? Rust through? Congratulations, this will satisy all types. Avoid.
Oh, and the color to paint the vehicle is, of course, Volkswagen L64K Zambezi Green.
I really wanted to vote for the Mazda6. But, my fiancee owned its platform mate, a 2009 Fusion, for the first few years we were together. That car HATED me. By the time it hit 150k miles it started degrading quickly, with misfires, blown CV joints, bad tie rod ends and control arm bushings. It also leaked (and burned) oil, as well as needing new valve cover gaskets. There was a power steering fluid leak, the antenna leaked water down into the headliner, and the rear defroster stopped working. The sunroof broke and I had to seal it with caulk. The dashboard even started warping in places. I know a lot of people have had good luck with that platform, and that it was well reviewed when it came out. It’s not even that bad to drive. But it caused us nothing but headaches. He replaced it with a Mazda3 hatch, so today I’m going with the Mazda5.
Went with the 5. I’m thinking about it in a deep red. Maybe deeper than the ubiquitous Mazda red.
Assuming it isn’t ready to turn to red dust underneath, Mazda 5. Always loved the packaging on these. Just big enough. Even if it wasn’t a MT, I’d probably go M5.
The M6 (if the Teslastans can call a Model 3 and M3, I’m calling the Mazda6 an M6!) in Infiniti’s Liquid Copper.
Either the 5 or the 6. The 6 is in a better location in regards to rust, but of course the 5 is more practical.
If the 5 isn’t too bad underneath, then it’s the pick.
Look, an all-Ford sweep! 🙂 Decent enough used cars without a Toyota/Honda tax, that makes sense.
In terms of practicality as a used *car*, nothing beats the practicality of something with a hatch. Out of these the salvage title Escape is out, so that leaves the Mazda 5, potential Swiss cheese notwithstanding.
Which one of you voted for a Jaguar-engined Lincoln as a decent used car?!
As a general Ford hater, this pains me greatly. But I have to choose, so I chose the Mazda 6.
I challenge your all-Ford assertion.
a Ford CUV (with Mazda 626 underpinnings), a Mazda-badged 1st gen Focus Grand C-Max (complete with FoMoCo badged brake calipers), a Ford-era Mazda6 (largely related to the Fusion), and a PAG-era Lincoln-badged Jag (eventually becoming a Mustang with modifications).
I regularily talk to a “Master Diagnostic Mechanic”, and the one company he hates the most is Ford. He has given me too many reasons to count from a ridiculous amount of multiple sized bolts to hold on a door panel, to highly sus company antics (such as the F-series originaly being 1LB over the “you must have emessions equipment” maximum weight on purpose). He has shown me that Ford is crap and generaly just bad.
I think the 6 is the winner, but I wouldn’t fault anyone for picking the 5 or the Escape either. From a certain point of view, our choices are 3 Mazdas and a Jaguar.
Most sensible? Mazda6.
I think I’d still buy the LS, though.
I adored my Mazda 6 of the same year. They took it away when I lost everything in the 2008 nonsense, and if it was on the right coast I’d actually buy it.
Those Escape hybrids got their yellow taxi trials on the harsh streets of NYC and came out winners. So from a pure durability standpoint, they’ve got the right stuff.
Not nearly as much fun to drive as the stickshift minivan though….
I ran mine to 250k miles and not a single problem from the hybrid drive. Or the brake controller, which is the really scary component – $12k plus labor.
Most reliable vehicle I’ve ever owned. Got my vote – I’d love to have another one.
I picked the 5 because I have enough four door cars, an MPV would be practical and still sort of fun because it’s a manual Mazda. Honestly, I wouldn’t change the color, the grey seems to have a slight hint of blue which makes a difference for me. But were I to be forced to choose a new color, I would find a nice blue of some sort.
Mazda 5 in deep metallic green.
Jinx!
The Mazda6 will win, and should win. As for the color: off it goes to Maaco for its new color: British Racing Green.
Same! Though I would also add the white racing stripe over the top. It’s kind of silly, but it’s my kind of silly.
Can we make this multiple choice since all of these would make for a good two-car garage type of thing?
This was a roughie. I’ve driven all the contenders, liked them all, but it finally boils down to the third pedal in the Mazda6.
The Mazda5 would be a second choice, but if the LS had proper wheels (yeah, I’ve painted wheels before, and it’s no biggie) and a better history of reliability, I’d prefer it. All day.
There was a part of me that liked the idea of a luxury cruiser, but IMO that design has aged like milk.
I’ll take the Mazda 6i and paint it Velocity Red Pearl
It’s the Mazda6. It was always the Mazda6.
I’ll take the Mazda 6. But I want it repainted in Ford’s Cyber Orange to match my Bronco.
Six-speed Mazda5 is actually the only car I would honestly spend actual money on.
This is too easy, there’s no contest.
The 6 is an easy choice. I voted for the 5 the other day, but in truth I no longer want one after my buddy bailed on his. Whereas that 6 is just great, or at least would be in… a deep blue-green? Like my old Jetta’s Baltic Green. Or actually, the color of that ’65 Mustang from last week, a shade or three lighter.
I was thinking of other Mazda colors to throw on the 6, Phantom Blue Mica from the same era is a bit bluer of a blue-green but I think would fit well. They offered it on at least the 3/5/RX-8 but not the 6 here, I assume because our 6 was US-built so they didn’t carry it at the plant.
Oh yeah, that would work. I had a Blue-Green Saturn (plus that Jetta), and my mom had a Laser in 1991 Teal, so that’s right up my alley.
Blue-green Saturns and green VWs unite! (94 SC2 and 18 GTI)
Nice!
I had a ’93 SL2, ’01 Jetta.
Mazda 6 painted in Soul Red Crystal
These are the two correct choices
A manual Mazda 5 will always have my heart