Hi, I'm relatively new here, so I'll be fairly blunt and straight to the point. I'm attempting to choose betweeen a 1997 626 with 106,000 miles @ 5999 vs. a 1995 626 with 109,000 miles @3250 with no tax. The 1997 is in better condition, with CD player & sunroof, but we can't tell if the major work has been done yet (timing belt, etc.) and comes from a dealer 26 mi away. The 1995 is in a little worse condition, could use some cosmetic work, has a problem with the front fender, and comes from a local dealer. In doing my research on cars.com, I discovered that the 1997 has a worse mechanical rating of 2 stars vs the 1995 with 4 stars. Can someone please tell me why this is? Has anyone noticed any defects in these models? I would really appreciate your help.

 

Get the newer one it has less miles and you said seems in better condition, any work that needs to be done would just be matenance and servicing that should be pretty cheap.

 

seems over-priced for the year and miles on it, i would look around some more

 

Thats quite a price difference for about a 3K mileage difference and 2 yeras. It all depends on how you are at auto repairs as a DIY guy is how much it will cost to bring up to date on maintenance. Do both have the same powertrain like engine size? Is one better equipped like power windows or leather and the other more of a strip down model? What is more important to you on options? Do they run and drive good? Do the accessories work properly? I personally would pay more attention to the actual cars and not as much to the web rating. Have them both checked out good by a knowledgeable mechanic if you know one. It is worth a few $$ to know what is going on with them.

There is so many unanswered questions to give an honest opinion right now.

 

Both cars are exactly the same. The only difference being that the 1995 has condensation in the right front headlight, the front bumper was not repaired properly after discovering that an accident occured in 1996, and there is cosmetic damage, with no sunroof or CD player. The 1997 has the sunroof and CD player and appears to be in great condition, with nothing bad in its history. Would it be worth it to get the newer one, even though the old one has had the transmission and timing belt redone?