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Mostly, newer is better Posted by Ari [Email]  (#2847) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Ari) on Tue, 4 Jan 2005 12:53:03
In Reply to: best year(s) for the 9000s, jeff nelson, Tue, 4 Jan 2005 12:26:54 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
If you're looking at the 'CS' body style - '93 and newer, then newer is better. The earliest I would look at is a '95, and quite honestly, I'd avoid TCS entirely and stick with '96 or newer.
Don't get a car with a V6. Period.
I'm assuming this is the US market. Naming and offerings outside of the US, I can't comment on.
Nomenclature got weird in there, so hang in. All of the cars (4 cylinder, and that's all we'll talk about) came with a turbo - there was a Full Pressure Turbo (FPT) or the light pressure turbo (LPT). LPTs don't have a boost gauge or a BPC. Usually, CSE meant FPT, and CS meant LPT, except where the CS had a FPT ('Super CS'). I don't know if a LPT was available in a CSE option.
In general, CSE means full-up options - sunroof, leather, nice stereo, power seats. CS was the base model, but you could get all the CSE goodies as options. Depends on what's important to you. Yes, sunroofs can leak and power seats can break, so more stuff means more to break. But take that to the extreme, and we'd all walk. Decide on what options you like.
As to performance, again, depends on what you like. An Aero has more power than a FPT which has more power than a LPT. Except in '98, when an Aero had the same power as the FPT (actually, the FPT had the same power as an Aero).
I find the LPT to be a perfectly acceptable car in terms of performance. Decent with an automatic, spritely with a manual. That sounds like a backhanded complement - sorry. The FPT is a pretty fast car - fast with an automatic, and very fast with a manual. I like fast, so I like the FPT car.
As to an Aero, well, it depends. You get a slightly stiffer suspension (except in '98, when the CSE and Aero were pretty much the same except for wheels). The Aero also has some visual cues, and has the contoured seats, front and rear. Personally, I don't like the contoured seats, but many folks will kill for them. Up to you. As to performance, if you're looking at an automatic, a FPT and an Aero are the same. Due to power limitations in the autobox, power output is limited in automatic cars. A manual Aero has more power than a manual FPT.
What do I think you should get - a really fast CSE, and let me drive it all the time. OK, that doesn't make sense - for you, anyway. Great for me. What do you need? I'd stick with 96 or newer. As to LPT vs FPT, drive some. You might find the LPT dog slow, or you might find it plenty fast. Up to you. Drive a few cars, because we're talking 8 year old cars here, and variation has set in.
I was looking to replace an '88 9000T this summer, and ended up with a nice '97CSE (automatic). A LPT CS would have been perfectly acceptable, but I really wanted a sunroof, and no decent CS so equipped came by during my search. I really like that I ended up with the CSE - the extra power is sweet, and I like the toys - memory power seats are great, because I take a radically different seat position than my wife. Yes, I can move a manual seat, like I do in my other cars, but it's a nice to have.
As to an Aero - they are quicker, very true if manual tranny. Don't buy an Aero because it's the quickest. Try a FPT CSE, and you might be quite happy with that. And they're a lot more common, and less pricey.
Something very important - go to the FAQ and check the VIN decoder. Learn about FPT and LPT and R (Aero) engines. During my car search, I found a few cars that weren't quite as advertised - anybody can add a "E" to the back of a car, and the engine won't be FPT. And open the hood and learn what to look for - I found a FPT that had been converted to a LPT - Lord knows why. And yes, you can convert a LPT to a FPT, but my personal opinion is that I like stock.
posted by 192.249....
, Tue, 4 Jan 2005 15:08:54, Tue, 4 Jan 2005 12:53:03 <-- Viewing This Message, Tue, 4 Jan 2005 22:44:05
, Thu, 6 Jan 2005 12:18:42
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