My '90 2.3L was a great daily...got me 30 mpg on the highway and never left me stranded.
Only things I ever had to replace were the ball joints (well, they were shot when I got the car), alternator, water pump, and wiper motor, and I had it from 72K to 156K. It was a good (albeit slow) car. I'm not sure where "expensive" parts come into play...a starter is about $60, alternator is maybe $80, water pump is like $30. I always thought parts for the 2.3L were cheap. As a comparison, a starter for my $650 beater tempo was $120!
My Thunderbird has been very reliable as well, and has also never left me stranded.