to counter, when we just moved to usa, i bought 2000 chrysler concorde for $2000 with minor cosmetic issues (broken mirror, shot hood and trunk springs, dirty interior.<p>i drove this car for 4 years and sold for..... $2050 to upgrade for SUV since we got kids.<p>Over time i had to replace water pump, belt, i had issue with hood locked due cable moved from its place, shocks, but it was pretty routine stuff.<p>i had to do my own research (which is possible to do with cars 10+ years old) - 3.2L engine cars were reliable, while 2.7L ones were crap.<p>Now I drive 2007 Ford Crown Victoria which I bought for $3400.... full set of brake pads and rotors under $200 :) and can be replaced without reprogramming ECU with simple tools you can get even in walmart :) And being police interceptor model, it is alrighty on the road (obviously can&#x27;t compare performance wise with bi-turbo bmw engine, but i spend most of the time in the traffic, so ice cold AC is actually what I care about :))