Not a petrol owner myself, but just been out and helped buy a 2.5 for a friend.
It has got a few miles on the clock for a petrol, I'm not saying it not good for it, but there have been a few with big end problems, knocking and banging.
Whether this is due to wear or low/wrong oil is hard to say.
Along with the engine, the rest of the car will have done the same mileage, transfer boxes that split the drive to all four wheels tend to leak and right themselves off.
Transmission/driveline shunt when taking up drive is another issue, something slack in the drivechain somewhere, stop the car on a slope pointing downwards a little and reverse up the slope, often a shunt can be heard/felt.
Transmission/driveline whine/ringing is also quite common, again something in the drivechain amiss.
Suspension items wear out leading to clonks/knocks/bangs over bumps, wheel alignment off and a wondering car on the motorway with oddly worn tyres are common as well, had it recently, steering the rear wheels and it filled my pants with poo!
Then you have the usual X Type niggles!
Rust is starting to show it's face on a few cars here in Britain (it must be due to our dry and sunny atmoshere!!), sills that run along the bottom edge of each side are showing signs, boot lids, boot floors as well.
I think most of this is due to trapped water because the drain holes are blocking or the seals are just shi'te, though the bottom edge of my tailgate is bubbling and the drain holes are clear.
Don't know what cars tend to sell for over the pond, but $5000 (£3200) seems a little high for here with that mileage, my friends 2.5 SE Estate 2004 with half the mileage was $4300 (£2800)
I can only advise to get out and look at as many as you can (though I guess this may be difficult as wouldn't have thought they are that common over there), drive them all and check them all out properly.
Engine/gearbox issues, rust, fluid and oil leaks and I'd walk away.
Suspension clonks and bangs and I'd want money off to sort.
It has got a few miles on the clock for a petrol, I'm not saying it not good for it, but there have been a few with big end problems, knocking and banging.
Whether this is due to wear or low/wrong oil is hard to say.
Along with the engine, the rest of the car will have done the same mileage, transfer boxes that split the drive to all four wheels tend to leak and right themselves off.
Transmission/driveline shunt when taking up drive is another issue, something slack in the drivechain somewhere, stop the car on a slope pointing downwards a little and reverse up the slope, often a shunt can be heard/felt.
Transmission/driveline whine/ringing is also quite common, again something in the drivechain amiss.
Suspension items wear out leading to clonks/knocks/bangs over bumps, wheel alignment off and a wondering car on the motorway with oddly worn tyres are common as well, had it recently, steering the rear wheels and it filled my pants with poo!
Then you have the usual X Type niggles!
Rust is starting to show it's face on a few cars here in Britain (it must be due to our dry and sunny atmoshere!!), sills that run along the bottom edge of each side are showing signs, boot lids, boot floors as well.
I think most of this is due to trapped water because the drain holes are blocking or the seals are just shi'te, though the bottom edge of my tailgate is bubbling and the drain holes are clear.
Don't know what cars tend to sell for over the pond, but $5000 (£3200) seems a little high for here with that mileage, my friends 2.5 SE Estate 2004 with half the mileage was $4300 (£2800)
I can only advise to get out and look at as many as you can (though I guess this may be difficult as wouldn't have thought they are that common over there), drive them all and check them all out properly.
Engine/gearbox issues, rust, fluid and oil leaks and I'd walk away.
Suspension clonks and bangs and I'd want money off to sort.
