Chevy Suburban: 1999 vs 2000+, which would you buy to re-sell?

In reply to JShaawbaru :

That looks like a good one.  Drive it a lot in the next month to find any little problems but it should do you well.

In reply to JShaawbaru :

I was playing some numbers....

2004 Denali MSRP = $52,000
2004 Yukon XL 2wd MSRP: $38,000

When new, Denali cost about 37% more than the 2wd.  You paid $6k vs $5k and that's only 25% more.  I guess I'm trying to show that the mere $1k more for the Denali was a deal, even by new MSRP standards.   

Yeah, the Green 2wd was a 2002 but just to keep it simple and near apples to apples. If you price the green as a 2002 the saving is even greater. 

In reply to Stampie :

I'll be going back to Michigan on Monday and leaving it in California, so I won't really be able to do that, although that would be the optimal situation. I'd ask my girlfriend's mom or brother to drive it while I'm gone, but neither of them are fans of driving other people's vehicles. It does have a battery disconnect on it, so at least I can easily disconnect the battery while I'm gone so it doesn't go dead.

In reply to John Welsh :

Yep, that math adds up, makes it seem like an even better deal than it is already. The only bad thing about that is I'll be paying registration based on that $52,000 too, and so will whoever buys it from me, so that's always nice. Good old Michigan. I might end up just getting a 30-day plate just to make them happy, so I can do the title transfer, and not spend a bunch of money (probably over $200) on a plate I'm going to use for a month or two.

Also forgot to mention why I bought a truck a month before I need it, but essentially the next time I'm here I'll be buying the car and doing a few other things, and I figured trying to buy both a car AND a tow vehicle in that short span of time wasn't a good idea. 

What a goofy plating system.  Sorry to hear it will cost more but offloading the Denali will still be so much easier and likely better for your travels. 

So, I've held off asking since the focus of this thread was choosing a Suburban, but...  I your first post your touched on the whole plan which seems to be:
1. Buy a tow vehicle (vehicle #1)
2. Buy a trailer-able vehicle (vehicle #2)
3. Use #1 to tow #2 back to Michigan
4. Sell #1 shortly after arriving back to Michigan.

That's a lot of prep and planning which really begs the question, "what is vehicle #2?"  

I look forward to your next thread...
 

Speculation:
You clearly chose only a truck with large towing capability.  This makes me think it's gonna tow something large.  Given where you are and where you're going I'm gonna guess something Pre-Runner/Desert Runner that you then plan to use in the sands of Michigan.  Something with a radical enough suspension that driving it, on-road, for 3,000 miles is prohibitive but good enough that you could drive that suspension on-road when back in Michigan (hence selling the Denali.)

In reply to John Welsh :

Hah, I wish it was something that cool, but car #2 will just be a daily driver for my girlfriend (and possibly to sell in the future), so probably something relatively normal and practical. It'll also be used as a storage container, since the Denali is big, but not quite big enough for all the stuff I'll be transporting. 

I will probably start a thread though, for fun if nothing else, to see what other people would buy if they had a budget of $x,xxx and could pick up a rust free example. Ultimately it'll be my girlfriend's choice, since it'll be her daily, but it would be nice to have some input if there's nothing she's particularly interested in. 

California has a law that only genuine factory catalytic converts can be installed. This means cars with cats stolen are being totaled because its $3k or more to have a fresh cat installed. 

Since you'll be trailering, buy something with cat missing and tow it out of California. 

I like Gen2 Prius and they are popular for cat theft, but also popular are Honda Element. And, Honda Elements have a rabidly enthusiastic fan base.  A Honda Element is a good storage container too. 

For resale in Michigan, I'd try to bring home a rust free Honda Element that needs a catalytic converter.  Pay $3k under market value because it doesn't have a cat and then back in Michigan spend $400, with instalation for an aftermarket cat. 

Or, a desert pre-runner, ha. 

Additional speculation: you're gonna like this Denali so much that you're probably gonna want to keep it. 

In reply to John Welsh :

I thought about the catalytic converter thing, and that would actually be really useful, because the Element is on her list, and she's also not opposed to a Prius. Surprisingly I haven't run into any catalytic converter theft related deals, but I'll definitely keep looking.

I could see keeping the Denali if it would work for me as my only large vehicle, but I need something with an open bed for kayaks and bikes, so even if I do end up liking it, I'll have to sell it and keep my Silverado.