looking to buy 2002 taurus

I'm a student looking for dependable car that I dont have to worry about it breaking down or needing constant repairs. I'm working with about $6000-7000. It's a 350 mile drive home and I want to drive back and forth w/o worries. What do you think? I had high hopes of buying a honda civic or accord, nissan altima or maxima, or toyota corolla or camry, but it seems it's tough to get these w/in my budget. I found a 2002 taurus sedan that I am considering. Any advice?

You don't say anything about the taurus, it's history (if you know it) how many miles, price, etc. Also, I suppose it depends on the area of the country you're in, but here in the midwest I'd have no trouble buying a corolla for 6k, it'd be older than I'd prefer, but for reliability it can't be beat. In regard to the taurus, I drove my '99 taurus home from school every month (250 miles each way) for three years w/o incident, so if this taurus has a good history you should be ok.

The taurus is a 2002 SE model. V6. 60,000miles. $6000

Make sure to get the service records and run a carfax, and get an opinion from a mechanic you trust. It will make for several years of worry free driving back and forth to school. If it has 60k on it and there have been no major problems then it's a good one. If it has the duratec engine I'd highly recommend it for the long drive, the vulcan will do it fine, but the duratec makes it more fun.

I own a 2002 Taurus with the vulcan v-6. It's underpowered, but a solid and reliable engine. I have over 80k on the odometer and the only thing I've done is change the oil every 5k miles. It has been a very reliable car with the exception of the ABS system which I have had minor problems with. Besides that, I had to have the "cam position sensor" replaced under warranty a couple years ago. Ask the current owner about this, as it seems to be a common problem with these cars. If it hasn't been replaced, then I wouldn't worry about it.

Anyway, I enjoy the car overall. It is roomy and comfortable which is good for long drives. It gets pretty good mileage. I average 350 miles on a tank of gas, which isn't bad.

I hope this helps you in your search. Good luck!