So, I have been looking for a winter car(and my mother has been looking for another car), and I stumbled across this gem...

It's a 2004 ION QC, L61, 5 speed, 121k miles... Both headlights are equally cloudy, so no likely frontal damage, some scratching on the panels, but that is to be expected with a ten year old car... Has a sunroof, power windows and locks, and the black/blue interior... Will need two front tires, but it can live with that... No CEL that I seen...


Asking price is $2600... Of course it will go to my mother if they will finance her, but if not, I wanna snag it... They go great in the snow, get awesome fuel mileage, and were built on the best handling FWD platform GM ever built! The really sad part is that the only way it'll be possible is to trade BOTH my s series and my ranger, which I love as much as a man can love a vehicle(but it won't do worth a crap at all in snow), and hope the lot will trade me straight up...

 

I saw 2004 Ion and all I thought was "please no cvt...please no cvt..." then I saw 5 speed and was able to breathe again.

Read for codes yourself or test drive it to autozone/etc. See if there are pending codes in there and if all instrument monitoring systems are in a "ready" state. If they're not, someone just cleared the codes before putting it on the lot. The emissions one takes quite a few miles (at least it did in s cars) so that would be an obvious flag.

I don't think RJ was fond of the 2003 2004 Ions---you might wanna pm him on that before pulling the trigger on the deal

 

The guy said he just drove it up here from DC, and it looks recently driven(dusty as hell), so I doubt he recently cleared the codes... it wasn't there yesterday...

My mother and my mother-in-laws sister both have had 2004 IONs with the 5speed, and both have nearly 200k on them with nary an engine related problem at all... The clutch pedal seems to wear out and disconnect from the rod(moms car), or maybe it's related more to her driving style(extremely rough)... All I can remember from when moms car was healthy is that I drove it like a teenager for a week in high school(even drag raced another classmate) and got nearly 32 mpg... With my ultra gauge to show me of my fuel consumption as I drive, I will no doubt be able to break 35 mpg with ease!

 

yo

not trying to be a party pooper ---just tryin to look out for your best interests, dude

 

I completely understand, and appreciate your input... I'll plug my ultra gauge into the car and look for any stored or pending TCs, and get it in the air to look for rust and stuff... And I still need to drive it(he didn't have any tags at the moment he said), but it looks pretty decent... It is missing the B pillar trim piece(on the door) on the pass side, but I'm not really worried about it, I'll get around to replacing it, lol

 

I feel like the later model ions get the better gas mileage. at best I get like 32/33 in my 03. that's with using fuel cleaner, changing the fuel filter more often then most, and granny driving the car.
But that is one hell of a deal, if its decent.

 

I can imagine, the LE5 would pull the car along easier with its meatier torque than the L61, so less throttle at same constant speed, and then you factor in the VVT...

They told mom they aren't fully started up as a dealer yet(opened their shop yesterday), so they can't take trades yet OR do their own financing, which kinda puts me out until they get all their ducks in a row, but if mom doesn't get it first, I want it more every time I think about it...

 

startup business? be careful

(there's at least one paranoid guy on each forum...)

 

I plan to be careful... It looks as if he bought it from carmax for $2k, then drove it back here and is now asking $2600...and he building was just rebuilt, and filled with good looking tools, and such... Looks like a pretty legitimate business that is just starting up...

 

The VTI was only in Quad Coupes. The five speed auto's had some shift flares but other than that they held up. I rather have a 2006 or 2007 because of the 2.4L. I work at a place with 750 to 800 employees. There are a lot of Ions, and every single person that owns one say they will keep it til it will do no more, no matter what year it is they have. I near people that own other cars saying my so and so car is a piece of crap, or my car is broke down again. Than you'll hear someone with an ION tell them they should have bought that ION you asked me about last year when you bought that Honda etc. I alwaus get a kick out of that, and have said it myself.