ford ghia 2002

[docer]

hi guys...i'm planning to buy 2002 ford ghia A/T and i dont know anything about it. i heard people saying that manual cars are better. what's wrong with the automatic transmission? also is the repair actually more costly for ford cars than toyota or honda cars? your insights would be very much appreciated. thanks!

another thing...model 2000 and 2001 are my other options...are these cars ok? thanks.

[niky]

When you buy a secondhand manual... you sometimes get issues that require a rebuild. But at least you can rebuild a manual transmission.

Rebuilding and overhauling an automatic is more problematic, and sometimes only a temporary cure for the issues of the transmission.

In general... if you don't know the condition of the car you're buying or you suspect it's been abused, don't buy the automatic.

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The Lynx Ghia AT is a noted guzzler... despite having a closed loop system with an O2 sensor, it drinks gas like an older EFI 1.6 AT. The Ghia MT is somewhat better.

Besides the transmission, possible issues with the Ghia will include suspension clunking from worn-out bushings or ball-joints and camshaft position sensor problems. Earlier models had a weaker camshaft position sensor, but newer ones have a sturdier sensor. Not too expensive to replace, around 3k-4k pesos, last I heard.

In general, parts for the Lynx are not as easy to come by as for older cars, but the same can be said for many newer vehicles (QG-equipped Sentras, 1ZZ equipped Altises, newer R18 Civics)... and there are a dozen or so stores in Banawe that specialize in Lynx parts, from simple suspension and transmission parts all the way up to engine electronics. Prices for Lynx parts are very reasonable, comparable to older cars and much cheaper than for newer cars like the Focus and new Civic.

As long as you live in or near Manila, owning a Lynx is no more difficult than owning any car that is not a pre-Altis Corolla (the older Corolla's parts are much easier to find than parts for the Altis!). It has its quirks, but it's a reasonably good car. Log on to http://forum.fordclubph.com to find out more about it.