my fiance has a 2001 ford ranger 4.0 v6 auto 4wd extended cab. Its been a good truck, right now it has about 118k on it. As for gas mileage its not horrible but nothing great. I believe she got around 20mpg when we drove across country. My stang got about 25-28mpg.
Having another vehicle is awesome, now I don't have to worry about my stang being out of commission for awhile or if a project takes a little longer than expected. Good luck on picking a DD. Remember make a good choice because a used vehicle can end up costing you a lot if it has problems.
You could always do what I and many others have done - buy two Stangs! Work on one while you drive the other. Of course, that doesn't necessarily help you in the gas mileage department.
I love my focus it has some leaks but runs great 29-32mpg with enough room to chuck anything you can think of in the back of it... i love the room it has in the back... i picked up mine for $2800 with a salvage title (small tree fell on it.) All body work was repaired bought it from a body shop owner... A few small leaks that need to be fixed in the hatch though. but you can find them pretty cheap... I say its just what you need... zx3 has enough room for the dogs... zx5 if you want more room the little zetec is slow but gets better milage then an suv and the cars have a huge amount of space.
She is a sweet little ride. Probably paid for its self in gas savings vs. the stang already.
my dd is an '00 cherokee sport. I'd recommend jeeps to anybody. solid as a rock, gets about 20mpg highway, comfortable and has pretty good power (4.0L). I saw countless pre-97 cherokees for sale under 3k last winter when i was in the market.
Here's my $0.02....FROM Experience: I bought my 97 Escort in '05 when gas prices first started climbing near $3. It was 8 years old, had 36k miles and was $3k. I have since chaged the battery, tinted the windows, changed the brake pads, and put new tires (for $35 each). Here are some tips:
1. you will not find an Accord, Civic, Sentra, or Corrola in decent shape for $3k unless it is really old.
2. If gas mileage is a concern, the SUV should not be a consideration.
3. Keep in mind what you want...you have the stang, so remember THIS car will be to get you from Point A to Point B.
4. A slower car will make your mustang Feel faster
5. I got my Escort at the TOYOTA dealer Used car section....look everywhere, despite what dealer it is.
6. A LOT of people are looking for gas mileage cars now, so be patient.
7. Your choices for your budget that will still get you a clean car are (IMO)...Escort, Focus, Mazda3 or Protege, Saturn, Previous Generation Corolla or Sentra, Small pickup or a small GM car.
Be patient and look everywhere...remember the import cars will probably cost a little more for insurance.
RC
Here's a list of some vehicles I've been looking at so far on Auto Trader.com, Almost all have high mileage but look clean
98 Sentra 144000 miles blue 3995.00
96 Exploder 162000 green 3295.00
99 Cavalier 127000 blue 3995.00
98 Grand Cherokee 102000 grey 3990.00
2000 Voyager 115000 green 3795.00
03 Sable 149000 blue 3695.00
96 Nissan 200sx blue 134600 3295.00
97 Cavalier black 129000 2995.00
96 Volvo wgn 850 turbo black ?miles 2500.00
97 Blazer black 129000 3995.00
96 Exploder white 160000 2699.00
01 Galant black 120000 3895.00
96 Talon black 97000 3895.00
95 T-bird 6cyl white 80000 3295.00
You are correct, it's like when you don't have the funds there are all kinds of bargains out there and the minute you have the resources you can't seem to find nuthin! When I was a kid I had a 200.00 beater every 6 months, now that same car is 2000.00I would not get an Exploder...second item down
Keep in mind that the list the I gave is not the ONLY thing look at. Those prices are a little high for cars that age with that many miles (my Escort was 7 years old with 36k miles). I would stay away from cars like the Talon and Volvo that old used only because repairs are more money if you need them.
The trader is good, but go to some local dealers and look in the used car section. I went through this and patience is the key!
RC
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