First Car Advice 

"Thunderface" (thunderface) 02/25/2015 at 11:34 • Filed to: first car

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Focus SVT or Ford Crown Victoria? and why?

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T5Killer > Thunderface 02/25/2015 at 11:34

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As much as I love V8s and RWD I would say focus SVT unless the insurance is high on it.

PS9 > Thunderface 02/25/2015 at 11:36

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Vic because dual mass flywheels are the opposite of fun.

TheHondaBro > Thunderface 02/25/2015 at 11:39

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Crown Vic because they're bulletproof.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Thunderface 02/25/2015 at 11:39

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not a fan of cop cars, so the focus svt. I've never driven an svt though and am not particularly fond of fwd, but i have heard good things. My first car was a fwd (golf) and I loved it, just can't see myself going back to fwd... Rwd/awd/4wd for me lol.

Thunderface > TheHondaBro 02/25/2015 at 11:40

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But eat gas...

dogisbadob > Thunderface 02/25/2015 at 11:42

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The Focus has a sunroof and a rear wiper so it would be my choice.

A good mod to do on them would be the European tail lights with amber turn signals.

But really though, any car is a good first car.

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > Thunderface 02/25/2015 at 11:43

3

Crown Vic, because:

-RWD

-Reliability

-Comfort

-You can say you own a cop car

-Plenty of room for friends/women

-Plenty of room for bodies in the truck

-Parts are readily available

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Thunderface 02/25/2015 at 11:43

4

SVT - Cheap, Ford's attempt to out-honda Honda (they did a good job), reliable, not a crown vic, etc. Everyone freaks out because the panther's RWD, but it doesn't matter because it's such shit. Yes you can do donuts in it. A good FWD hatch like that will be way more fun even if you can't do donuts.

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > Thunderface 02/25/2015 at 11:44

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I'd go Focus. Insurance might as well be cheaper.

Takuro Spirit > Thunderface 02/25/2015 at 11:48

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I averaged 22-23MPG with mine. 26-28 is just a rear gear swap away.

Party-vi > Thunderface 02/25/2015 at 11:53

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A decade-old boy racer car with questionable reliability vs. a big comfy V8 barge. I'd pick the barge.

Yossarian > Thunderface 02/25/2015 at 11:54

1

Focus SVT. Because RWD doesn't mean shit if it's something as big as a Panther.

It's basically the American Integra Type R. And one of the best handling cars of it's time.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Thunderface 02/25/2015 at 11:56

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Focus, because fun and Cosworth.

E92M3 > Thunderface 02/25/2015 at 11:58

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How creepy are you? Only creeps drive old cop cars. Whenever I see one I imagine they dream of impersonating a police officer. They are one step away from mounting lights and pulling over helpless women at night.

This is just MY opinion of course, and not those oppositelock or it's members.

TDIGuy > Thunderface 02/25/2015 at 12:02

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I would say go focus because to be honest both are very simple cars, only so much can go wrong but I have a grand marquis as well which is just a crown vic and its bulletproof but its bad in weather and its bad on gas. At least the focus won't slip on a ice cube like the vic would.

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > Thunderface 02/25/2015 at 12:12

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I've owned both. I can't even begin to compare them because they're so very different. What are your parameters?

Fun: SVT in the corners, CVPI on the highway

Bad weather: SVT is better in the wet and snow

Space: passenger space about the same, really. More hip room in the CVPI, but leg room is about the same front & back.

Repairs: toss up. Both have parts that are easy to find online or at an auto store. Easier to find CV parts in a junkyard.

GeorgeyBoy > Thunderface 02/25/2015 at 12:12

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SVT

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > Thunderface 02/25/2015 at 12:15

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Also want to add: try to check the idle hours on the CV. not all Canadian CVPIs had idle meters, but you can try by hitting the trip odo button to scroll through odo/trip/hours.

ki-ki-ki-kia > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage 02/25/2015 at 12:29

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Plenty of room for bodies in the truck

This may or may not be the biggest selling point for me when searching for a car.

Your boy, BJR > Thunderface 02/25/2015 at 12:34

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Well crown vics are shitty to drive, expensive to insure, and not nearly as dependable as people make them out to be. (Seriously, ask any veteran police officers, they'll wax poetic about how much better the caprice was), driven by assholes/creeps who thinks a shitty beater makes them a cop, and, despite what people say, they're cop magnets. Oh and they're boring as all get out to look at.

I'd say the focus is a good bet. My dad might disagree (long story, involves his focus wagon, the NJ turnpike, and quite a large amount of fire)

Mattbob > Thunderface 02/25/2015 at 13:03

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focus because gas is expensive.

mcseanerson > Thunderface 02/25/2015 at 13:08

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This is really a matter of what you are going for since these are both good choices, just different choices. Do you want reliable, easy to work on, rwd hoonage? Get the Crown Vic. Are you looking more for something good on gas, was considered the best sport compact at the time it came out, and hatchback practicality? Get the Focus. In the end it's about what you want out of a car. If it were me I'd get the Focus because I love the slow car fast mentality. If this were a Caprice vs a Focus it would be a different story.

Rock Bottom > Thunderface 02/25/2015 at 13:11

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The Crown will cost you less to run. Insurance will almost definitely be quite a bit less than the SVT. Things like tires will be cheaper, as will general maintenance items like brake pads and rotors. The first generation Focus wasn't exactly a paragon of reliability, either. Their build quality seemed to be below average. You'll also be frustrated at how much slower it is than pretty much everything else being sold today. Not that the Crown is any faster, but at least it won't be making any claims that it can't back up.

Also, you can park the Crown fearlessly, which is more important than you realize. If you have a nice SVT, you'll be worried about door dings and other people's "parking by braille" methods in public lots and at school.

If it were my money, I'd buy the Crown and try as hard as possible to not put a dime into it. No modifications, only maintenance and repairs. In the mean time, save every spare dime you have to buy a second "fun" car. This way, the Crown will always stay reliable (which modified cars usually aren't), and the car of choice for those times when you don't want to expose your pride and joy to the general asshat-public. The Crown can also pull a trailer (which comes in handy from time to time) and can seat all of the people you ever met. All at once.

mcseanerson > Thunderface 02/25/2015 at 13:11

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http://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/…

I'd choose this over both.

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > ki-ki-ki-kia 02/25/2015 at 13:12

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Dammit, I hate spelling errors. Lol.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > Thunderface 02/25/2015 at 13:14

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100% crown vic. The price is spot on for that one.

I had bought a 1999 CVPI in 2005 with 289,000km's for 3 grand and it is still to this day the most reliable vehicle I've ever had. I rebuilt the alternator 3 days after I got it for $110.00 and thats it. between me and my brother with put another 120,000km's without putting a cent in it in repairs just oil changes and rear tires(I kept doing burnouts).

Thunderface > Rock Bottom 02/25/2015 at 13:35

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Best explanation so far :)

Ilike_cougars > Thunderface 02/25/2015 at 13:49

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Depends, if you have budgeted enough for future repairs, the SVT does need to be taken care of properly, while the Vic you can treat it like an ashtray and it would still work..

Rock Bottom > Thunderface 02/25/2015 at 14:04

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I'm glad to help a burgeoning Jalop to lead the most productive (and drifty) life possible!

I got my first car back in the mid 90s and was lucky enough to have an older Jalop cousin who had learned a valuable lesson for me. His first car was a 1971 Mustang and he had to go through the heartbreaking process of watching the car get door-dinged to death in the school parking lot, start rusting in Michigan winters, and die a slow death because he didn't have tons of time and money to constantly fix every little thing that went wrong. My first car was a big, reliable, cheap Oldsmobile and it was great. Door dings? Bring 'em on! Salt? It'll take 40 years to rot through this thick steel! I was able to save money and buy a project car that never got driven in the salt and was never door-dinged. I recognize that I was blessed with room to store a car over the winter (dad's barn) and not everyone has parents that are as understanding as mine, so every Jalop has to do what makes sense for him or her. But if you can pull off the two-car-solution, it's the best.

Side note: Have you looked at XJ Jeeps? They're ultra cheap, reliable, and tough. They make great first cars! They're also really easy to fix when something does go wrong, and the online community is super knowledgeable and helpful. Also, the auto isn't the penalty box that it can be in lots of normal-ish cars due to the insanely torquey 4.0. Keep that in mind.

deekster_caddy > Thunderface 02/25/2015 at 15:39

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Focus. Save your gas money.

jkm7680 > Thunderface 02/25/2015 at 15:44

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Panther. Here's why.

1. 4.6 V8 from the Mustang GT.

2. Massive.

3. Lots of space.

4. Column shifter.

5. Handles great.

6. Mustang performance parts can be easily transferred over.

7. Steelies.

8. Colossal trunk that you might get lost in.

9. Parts availability up the ass.

10. Reliable AF.

11. Orgasmic engine note.

12. RWD

13. CNG models do exist. Somewhere......

14. Comfortable seats.

15. No carpet, no mess.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Thunderface 02/25/2015 at 15:46

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If you want an automatic, a smooth ride, fit 5 people comfortably and can tow a trailer (after some minor upgrades), get the Crown Vic.

If you like manuals, want better fuel economy, want good handling or just want a car that doesn't have a chassis that dates back to 1978, get the Focus.

Personally I would go with the Focus.

Alex B > Thunderface 02/25/2015 at 17:20

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Focus.

S2Konstantin > Thunderface 02/25/2015 at 17:42

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Get the crown vic. Its RWD, has a V8, parts are cheap and everywhere. Since it has a proper layout and is huge it is pretty easy to work on. Oh and did I mention its RWD?