Faults:
Transmission failed at 97k miles.
Paint is beginning to chip badly.
Fit and finish of the interior is not very good, but has held up better than expected.
Door gaskets have shrunk and no longer seal properly letting in a lot of road noise.
General Comments:
This car purchased from the original owner with low miles for the year.
I have put 25k on the car in the last year including several long distance runs of 1000 miles or more at a time with no real problems. The last ten thousand mile have been commuting out of the Sierras into the desert and back every day at around 85 miles per day.
When the transmission failed a month ago my mechanic told me the car would last another 100,000 miles with a new transmission in his opinion. The rebuild cost 2000 here in Ca.
Very comfortable car with incredible handling given its size and weight. Corners well and handles predictably in snow. Much better in bad weather than our 2001 Mitsubishi Galant. I'm assuming this is because of the greater weight and larger tires.
Fuel economy ranges around 26-28, with one 1200 business trip in Texas averaging 31mpg. This is with the base six cylinder engine. Also about the same MPG as our Gallant which is much smaller.
Has plenty of passing power on the freeway, though it does like to kick down into 3rd on steep grades. It was purchased in Colorado and is now being driven in the CA deserts. There is no difference in available power that I can see between the two different altitudes.
It has been exceptionally reliable other than the transmission problem. Based on the way it looks, I believe the body will wear out before the drive train does.
31st Aug 2005, 11:08
I did take it to a mechanic, several times. They always think they have fixed the problem, but eventually it does it again.