Need an SUV

Horns11

Horns11

10,000+ Posts
Most likely a lease return that I can buy used. Preferably 2008-10 models.

Let me know your success/failure stories. I've looked at Tahoes, Suburbans, Pilots, Explorer/Expeditions, and a few others but I'm having trouble making any distinguishing observations about long term value. I'd prefer to stay under $30K and I don't want a pickup.
 
We are on our 7th suburban since the early 90's. They just keep getting better. We traded a 2007 in Jan and got about 20K on it, so I would guess with gas prices up you can pick up a nice used Sub for under 30k. You might look at a new 2010 that dealers have left. If you get cloth seats you might not have to pay much over 30k with rebates and other incentives.
 
We love our Suburban although we may be selling it soon. Not because of gas prices but because it does not fit in the garage of the house we moved into last year. Runs as well as the day we bought it. Kind of sad to see it go.
 
My wife loves her suburban, but wishes it had the automatic fold down seats that Ford offers. It not horrible on gas (as SUVs go).
 
Not true- the new 2011 Explorer gets 25 mpg on the highway, I know you said you want a used one- but still.

Plus- the Ford Escape Hybrid gets 32 mpg.

And after that- you need a crossover if you want decent mpg. Personally- I see gas prices passing $5 within a year, and $7 within the lifetime of any car/SUV you buy today. So yeah, to me, MPG matters.
 
I generally got 18mpg from the Explorer I owned and it was 4WD.

What further criteria do you have for a SUV? Is off road capability important? Comfort? Handling? Sport/mid-sized/ humongous? Personally, I'm looking for either the Toyota 4-Runner or the FJ Cruiser due to off-road/utility. Ended up tearing up the tranny on the Explorer driving through brush/ overgrowth/ etc
 
I've put probably a total of 500,000 miles on 4 different Suburbans since 1991, and I think they are amazing. The one I drive right now is a 2005 that I bought summer before last (2009) for $27,000 and it only had 19,000 miles on it. (I'm good now at buying them.) Leather, TV, Quad seats, fabulous, but you don't obsess if you scratch it. Hauls anything, can put 4 bikes completely in the car behind four people in captain's chairs. Or, running a carpool, can seat 7 in real seats with full leg room, and still pile seven backpacks behind the seats along with the extra tools, workout clothes, etc. that may be back there. Regular chevy engines and parts, so mechanics like them. Nothing ever goes wrong, year after year, except replacing the obvious parts that wear out every 50,000 miles or whatever. Counting the cost of buying/depreciation, they are extremely cheap to operate, yet you can valet park them in a nice place next to BMW's and not feel like you came from Walmart. Absolutely the best machine for the money in the SUV world.

I'm now 8 years in to my wife also driving a Tahoe (2nd one), and it is a good car, too, just as dependable, but I like the Suburbans. Back seats in Tahoes don't have full leg room, but they perform more like cars, less like pickups.

I have a math formula I use for pricing them, if you want. I always buy used.
 
Hey VY, would you mind PM'img me your formula you've got ? I'm going to be entering the SUV market soon, and have a used Tahoe on my short list. Curious to see if you consider the same parameters that I do.
 
I have owned 4 Suburbans and loved them dearly. Now that the nest is emptying I went with a silverado. Crew cab, Super Cab, I don't even know. It has four doors and I can throw all kinds of garbagy crap in the bed. It's not secure, but I now rarely have any passengers and NEVER have more passenger than need more than two rows of seats. It's the same car, just with a different arrangement of storage. I have 2wd currently, but used to have 4wd. Unless you really want to drive very rough terrain, it won't be a difference in anything other than money. The mpg was within 1 or 2mpg. The wife has a pos Pacific crossover that doesn't get any different mileage. The boy has a Nissan Frontier that doesn't get much different mileage (hard to tell for sure since he doesn't bother to give me receipts or reset the odometer). Bottom line is that you might get 14-18 miles per gallon and the difference between 14 and 18 is not going to affect your numbers enough to change your life unless gas goes to about 3 times what you pay now. Maybe a few hundred bucks a year at even the $4 we are looking at. Choose the one that you like the best.

FWIW, I have no philosophical predilection against Ford, but they just don't handle as nimbly as Chevy imo. I have zero experience with other brands.

Hope that was helpful in any way.
 
Nick,

For me, the 4WD is more important for ice/snow than rough terrain. With my parents living in Illinois, having lived in Chicago recently, and the ice/snow Austin gets once or twice a year, I consider the 4WD worth the extra cost. Your mileage may vary.
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I never cared for the size of the Suburban except for the '53 my dad had. Never needed something that big
 
I think if you live in Texas- 4WD is a feature they use to 'upsell'- and tell you that your SUV will suck unless it is 4WD. The truth is, you use 4WD in Texas maybe one day a year (on the North part of the State)- and the other 364 days your mileage suffers, your upfront cost suffers- and you will clearly never get a return on that investment.

My 2 cents is to take it easy on that one icey day- besides, if its really icey/snowy- chances are you don't have to go into work. Why pay another $1,000 upfront for 4WD, and probably another $100-$200/year in extra gas just to know you can go mudding or haul a family of 5 in a snow storm?
 
I got stuck at the family property in the hill country when I drove too close to the river being used to having 4wd. 4wd is imperative if you want to drive in some coastal areas. It's not something you HAVE to do, but for some it's a way of life. It's not just the one icey day a year around here, but I agreee that it's a pretty spendy and probably unnecessary option round here.
 
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