After months worth of searching for a “real van” to replace the Mazda5, boss lady is asking “what about an SUV...” much to my chagrin.
If we *must* go that route, is a used Cayenne a horrible idea? Something like this or newer?
Trying to stay under $20k.
Any other thoughts on SUV’s in that price range that wouldn’t make me want to cut my own hootus off daily? Escalade? Navigator? BMW?
I like that. What’s the 100k maintenance entail? I sat in a 2013 qx460 yesterday and it was incredible. Also, a/c seats.
Not much to add other than that looks really nice, and don't Cayenne's have an OK towing capacity? Like 7k?
My mind went straight to a Tahoe for some reason.
On that same thought process though, looks like you might be able to find a Trailblazer SS in that range now.
GMC Denali
All the fancy stuff of the Escalade, without all the styling excess. Also--- reliable, capable, comfortable and accessible. The Cayenne seems like a gamble for not much gain.
Joe Gearin said:GMC Denali
All the fancy stuff of the Escalade, without all the styling excess. Also--- reliable, capable, comfortable and accessible. The Cayenne seems like a gamble for not much gain.
Just watch out for those Honda Accords.
And "Worst idea ever" would be a used Touareg V10 TDI
Lexus LX or GX. Whatever 20 large will get you. I drove the LX470 into work today again. Every time I drive it I say "This thing is awesome." And I'm a Lotus guy.
Remember the demographic for most suv’s, then buy one based on the amount of dog snot on the windows and Pepperidge farms goldfish crumbs ground into the floorboards.
^--- i'm with Hess. the Lexus flexes from Hong Beach to Texas.
In reply to AngryCorvair :
Noted. Though, (not that it’s a deal-breaker,) I feel like the Lexii are the Camry of SUV’s in the sense that I see 100 of them a day. And yes, I realize that’s because they “work.”
If we’re going to go SUV instead of van, the idea of getting something slightly weird/bawler is intriguing.
Also: berkeley. Shoulda bought my brother’s supercharged sequoia when I had the chance :/
I had a '06 Cayenne Turbo S for about 3 years. There are known issues with them, mostly centered around all the plastic coolant pipes/fittings on the truck and the center drive shaft (aka cardan shaft).
Other than that, they're fairly solid. ALL the V8's including the Turbo can suffer from cylinder wall scoring, which is a game stopper. Not sure if mine had it, but all of a sudden it went from consistently burning 1 quart every 1000/1200 miles to 1 quart every 500/600 miles.
I traded it in shortly after that, the shop I use told me whatever was wrong with it would cost more to fix than the truck was worth.
A shame, as it was a great SUV to drive but it never passed a gas station it didn't like. I was averaging 12mpg with it, towing it would get single digits.
Trailblazer SS/ Saab Trollblazer
Grand Cherokee SRT8
BMW X5 Ms seem to be just over $20k.
trailblazer ss....
Gonna be tough to beat a GMC Denali with the 6.0/AWD for horsepower/luxury/reliability per dollar. SWB Denalis are not much of a penalty over a TBSS in all aspects but are actually screwed together decent, with deal towing capacity, real interior space, and realistic expectations for service procedures. LWB Denalis can fit full sheets of plywood and drywall in them with all doors and hatches closed, if thats your think. Need more power? Cam/longtubes/tune and they will be not terrible.
I have a soft spot (maybe its a mushy spot) for Cayenne Turbos, X5Ms, G55 AMGs, and I really want an LX470, so probably a bad influence
My GL350 is just an amazing place to spend time. It pulls cars on the trailer like there's nothing there and gets 16-18 mpg while doing it at highway speeds. Through the Smokies. The most I've pulled behind it was a load of straw bales that probably had a total weight of about 7,000lbs and it didn't break a sweat. It'll fit 5 adults very comfortably and two adults and 5 kids are no problem.
The Lexi are the easy button, but I'm not a fan. I've had a lot of experience with a 4Runner. I disliked the GX that I test drove because it is full time AWD/4WD, it is awfully tall--maybe it was just perception, but it sure felt like the center of gravity was way higher than the 4Runners I've dealt with--and it just wasn't nice enough to make me want it.
The LX would be perfect if I owned BP and ExxonMobil.
In reply to mtn :
The GX has a ~3-4" taller roof line that the 4r.
I know that they are almost uselessly small, but how far have early Mecans depreciated? I should think that the reliability and fuel economy would have improved by an order of magnitude. Also, driving one should be more funner.
I got 14.88 MPG last tank in the LX. That's good, right? RIGHT?
Dr. Hess said:I got 14.88 MPG last tank in the LX. That's good, right? RIGHT?
That's about what my disco gets
I have two. Both Cayenne S. Nice interiors that have held up well. Towing capacity of 7,700 lbs, good power and brakes. Typical highway MPG (70+ mph) of 18.xx mpg. Towing a dual axle trailer with a 3,000 lb car typically gets about 14 mpg through fairly level terrain.
"Pepper": I bought the first one, an '04, to replace a long history of pre-1990 ford trucks. It has the non-air ride suspension, 18" wheels, useless CD based Nav system, paint and finish still look good after a couple years of being primarily my 'work truck'. It has about 145k miles on it now. I have replaced the battery and the crank position sensor during the 15k miles I've had it. The plastic cooling tube issue had already been addressed with an aluminum aftermarket upgrade. A great family highway cruiser. My wife and I really like the '04 and when I replace it, I'll probably get another, '08 or newer.
"Paprika": The second one is an '05. I bought it at a Copart salvage auction. Collision damaged rear end. It was a fluke $1,500 winning bid and seller that released the reserve. To my surprise, all the parts were stored in the back, with screws and hardware neatly bagged. Originally bid as a parts-contingency vehicle, it became my daughter's daily driver. Air ride suspension and 19" wheels: We all like the ride of Pepper better than Paprika. 100k miles when purchased, now at about 110k. Work done: SAI blower replaced, cardan shaft replaced, transmission cooler replaced (leak from damage). We occasionally get a warning of a fault in the Air Ride, but it always clears itsself.
Nice vehicles for towing, loading up kids or a crew of adults, and picking up stuff from the home improvement store. Complaints: The headliners sagged and rear hatch struts need to be replaced. As a DIY guy, maintenance has been cheap and not any more complex than other cars. If you have to pay for dealer service or high end indy work, it will be pretty pricey as it ages.
Ecoboost Flex?
Seats 6 or 7. Quite fast for its size. Tows 4500lbs. Drives much better than most bof suvs.
NickD said:And "Worst idea ever" would be a used Touareg V10 TDI
Good luck finding one. Those things are unicorns and everyone wants one.
Dr. Hess said:I got 14.88 MPG last tank in the LX. That's good, right? RIGHT?
Better than my last tank in my Ranger, and I'm sure it's a much nicer place to spend time
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