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If you fairly want to compare engines or acceleration you should NOT compare a 4 to a 6, an 8 to a 6 etc...
Now, in all other areas the Accord was a better more reliable vehicle than the '93 Taurus. That's based on owner surveys done by Consumer Reports. This is the comparison you should be making if your talking about which is the "better car". If it's just who could win in a drag race or what the cars cost, etc...these are all different topics that are not related to reliability.
Now back to the Tortoise. The 3.0L V-6 is a dog for speed. It's a more reliable engine that the 3.8L but not as quick. The Tortoise I have is SLOW because with that big of an engine it can't get out of it's own way. In fact some toddler "little Tykes" cars are faster.
I repeat, it was a FoMoCo exec. that first told ME about the nickname his division had given the Tortoise because of this very issue.
You like your car and think it's great and fast? Wonderful, keep it forever, sleep with it, tell Ford how wonderful they are, whatever. I think they are garbage, I've had lots of trouble and feel shafted by the dealers I've dealt with and FoMoCo too. It's my opinion, it shared by MANY others and your entitled to it. The early Tortoises had poor overall reliability records and had some definate problem areas. I understand that this has been somewhat corrected in the newer versions. Too little too late for me, I'm gone. The sticker on my '90 tortoise was 16K+. Hard to believe that you can still buy them for that 9 years later. I guess that's the supply and demand curve from Econ 101, at work for you.
I love my Toyota! And does it go!
I know I want and need a reliable car that goes the distance. My Toyota Camry has already proved that and my hopeless Tortoise, (which I think I have sold to some poor man...) never did. I'm on the road a lot...in the "boonies".
I'm not the only one who's had problems with Tortoises, but we've been over that already. I have not yet paid any more for service on my Toyota. The 30 minute oil and lube service through the dealer is only 18.95! 8 dollars cheaper than "Jiffy Lube"...My service mgr at Toyota is an ex-Ford man! He got out! I take my Tortoise to him (way too often) and let him work on it-at Toyota! I wouldn't dream of letting the clowns at FoMoCo do any more damage than they've already done. They cost me an extra tranny cause they botched the install on tranny #2 @ 58K...
Blah, blah, blah...All I had to do was look at the Consumer Reports that year and I would've known, (mostly black dots!) I went for the "deal" instead. The Tortoise was definatly cheaper to buy, but it cost later...boy did it cost later!
You were talking about the price of the Taurus not increasing. That is why I was talking about cost cutting measures, and not having the little Honda "H" on it. Even if Hondas are good cars, don't you think they are at least a little overpriced (esp. the Civic?)
Furthermore, it should be noted that the Civics were built in E. Liberty, OH (near Columbus) by non-UAW labor. They are put together with QUALITY by AMERICANS! Which no longer true of all so-called "domestics"
Check closely were YOUR car was built...it may be Canada or Mexico. My (personal) Dodge Ram 1500 was built in Mexico! ???????????
The Civics are 4drs too...and are WAY faster than the Neons...
The costs of fixing the Neons, combined with the downtime are very high. Downtime is VERY important when you run a courier operation!
I was once like you...defending a US made car to the last. That went out the window with the Democratic party...for me!
Who says people can't change! I even quit smoking after 24 years, so don't talk to me about habits!
I have to side with Jake 696 on the "America First" rhetoric. My dad has worked in a Ford plant for 25 yrs and that's all I heard growing up. As a matter of fact he was looking at an F-150 the other day and I pointed out that the transmission is from Japan. No response.
I will be the first in the family to break rank from buying American (even though the Prizm is essentially a Toyota), but I don't have a lot of money to blow on just any car. I need proven reliability and will probably go with a Camry. I'll need the potential savings to offset getting removed from his Will. Just kidding...Maybe.
"IntelliChoice rated the 1996-1998 Honda Civic Best Car Value as well as Best Passenger Car."
BTW - You can get a 4 door Neon.
If the Civic is compared against the Neon, it should be for similar priced models. Compare the Civic hatchback to the Neon (both cost about the same), and you'll have a more fair comparison.
BTW, you can argue all you want about where cars are made/assembled/whatever. The profit goes to the nation where the manufacturer is located. Some subsystems are manufactured by subcontractors, and that profit stays there. The overall income goes to the home of the parent corporation, whether it's the USA, England, Germany, Japan, etc.
The cheaper Civic also compares to the Neon $$$
It's not hard to outclass the Neon as it is garbage!
Zachy: the tercel is not built anymore! The Corolla is the model that compares in this class. The Neons we have or had were 4 drs!
???????????????????????????????????????????????
This is the last response I'm going to make to your postings. It is not worth the time to disagree with you anymore.
Everyone,
I agree with burdawg that we need to get back on topic.
The problem seems to be gone! I also did this with my 1981 Lincoln....it needed it too! (So this may be a cheap and easy alternative to replacing the starter....if your mechanic wants to replace it!)
Look at the other tales of Ford woes in here!
Egad! The TOPIC IS REPAIR AND MAINTENENCE OF THE TORTOISE...that alone is an energetic title...a big mouthful!
What would be on track? The 4 cyl 6 cyl race?
Have you been to "Women" conferences, check your town hall index, you may enjoy that better.
No need to post that you're ignoring someone, just do it. Your actions will speak for you.
Jake>
There's no need to start hurling insults. People will either disagree or agree with what you're saying. I'd advise you to do as zachary is doing, and ignore anyone you don't particularly agree with.
Gus
Conference Host
That should keep us very busy and you're right Gus, no need for insults.
We've all had enough problems dealing with the mess that is our Tortoise!
Well said!
Thanks, Andy
The next time you get into your car....turn off anything that makes noise, ie radio, fan, etc. Make sure the driver's door is closed (no bell.) Turn the ignition to the "on" (not start) position and listen for the fuel pump to come on. The next time it dies on you....listen for that fuel pump sound. If the fuel pump doesn't come on, then it is indeed a fuel pump related problem (switches, the pump, etc.)
I'm not a mechanic by any stretch, but we have MANY Fords in our family and I've learned to listen for that sound.
I have Mercury Sable 95 with 60500 miles on it. Occassionaly while I am driving at high speeds for long distance, the speedometer guage begins jumping vigorously between 85 mph to 45 mph. This is very annoying since I can never tell what speed I am driving at. It also struggles to go beyond top speed(85 mph) i.e. it goes all the way at the bottom on the right side of the dial and also makes lot of swirling noice. Pl. help me with this. Is this going to be a serious problem and going to cause me lot of money?
$461.00 to replace the Stator Module in Sterling, Virgina.
Andy
It looks like moving from Taurus to Camry/Solara you wouldn't be saving a ton of money. At least if you get free towing from AAA;-)
1. How do I find out if it needs to be lubricated it replaced?
2. How do I lubricate or replace it?
Is it something I can do by myself?
Pl. respond. Thank you.
Thanks.
To replace the cable you need to remove the speedometer cable from the transmission and the speedometer and fish the new one through the firewall and connect at both ends. A little more difficult and if lengths are not exactly the same and the cable hasn't been trained to bend right it can be a bit tough. Best wishes with yours.
Ford's new four speed design is good in the Taurus and the Crown Vic. Anything after 1995 is safe to bet on. Transmission service every 25k is a must for this vintage Ford.
Thanks
You may want to check it out!
Is this a transmission problem or electrical or ??
I just had an awful experience today. When I was rounding a corner after a stop light, my engine started to race. I took my foot off the gas, and the engine continued to race for about 2-3 additional seconds. Then, the car finally shifted. At the next corner (stop sign), this problem was not repeated. I drove it for 5 more minutes to see if the problem would repeat, but it never did. It shifted perfectly. This has only happened once, but I'm still somewhat worried. Is this the start of transmission problems? Is there something I can do if it is?
Thx.
Overall I love the car, but I am definitely worried now.