What car? AKA I have made a terrible mistake.

Today this happened: 

1. I cleaned my truck up 

2. A nice lad with a 12v swapped F250 came by 

and placed a not small stack of Benjamin's on the hood. 
 

This was all predicated by an ad on FB for a 2005 excursion v10 Eddie Bauer with only 98k Miles a couple of hours south in Macon. 
 

I loved my truck- but it was small for the family, loud and missing creature comforts. The ex would be bigger, could still tow, and comfy. Sadly when I got there and test drove the ex I could see that they had covered the far left digit with a piece of dark plastic. So the 98k mile ex actually has 198k miles and the seller is likely not selling it for his grandfather with cancer who has always garage kept it. 
 

I'll be honest, I'm sort of devastated over all of this. I need a vehicle and it would be nice if it could tow, and under $10k. I don't like most normal cars. I don't want a basic F150 or similar. My last several cars were 2 diesel F250's and a Range Rover classic. I don't "need" a truck- but I need some space. Please help. I'm in Woodstock GA. 

This: https://www.truecar.com/used-cars-for-sale/listing/WVGFK7A95AD002830/2010-volkswagen-touareg/

I did a long string of Ford trucks until I 'settled' on a Porsche Cayenne as a utility and tow pig. When the Cayenne started getting old, I gave it to my daughter and got a newer, similar, VW Touareg V6 TDI. I love my Touareg (now about 6 months of ownership).

My Ford trucks since the mid 1990s off the top of my head: '72 Camper Special, '79 F250, '78 F350, '89 F150, '80 F250 6.9 idi. Still love them, but comfort, drivability, and economy.

In reply to AAZCD (Forum Supporter) :

I do like that very much. Bummer that is has the rub off vag interior though. Thank you for pointing this one out- I may go test drive it 

Here's some old news for the 2010 models: https://www.myturbodiesel.com/d2/1000q/treg/2009-2010-VW-Touareg-TDI-buying-guide.htm

Docwyte's thread is about a 2015 Cayenne, but much of the basic info applies to the Touareg TDIs as well: https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-projects-and-project-cars/my-new-dd-2015-cayenne-diesel-the-anti-porsche/136033/page1/

2500 suburban with a 6.0 gas is the droid you seek. Just like an excursion, but better. $10k should get a pretty nice one. Here in ohio rust is what kills them, usually with 3-400,000 miles. In a rust free place like Georgia you should be able to run it a loooooong time.

Have nothing for you here, but that driveshaft in that blue truck is scary.

In reply to noddaz :

I think that's a track bar of some sort. I saw that as well. 

noddaz said:

Have nothing for you here, but that driveshaft in that blue truck is scary.

I think that's a control arm, not a driveshaft.  Looks like it hits the axle too low to be a driveshaft. 

grover said:

In reply to AAZCD (Forum Supporter) :

I do like that very much. Bummer that is has the rub off vag interior though. Thank you for pointing this one out- I may go test drive it 

Be VERY VERY careful with Touraegs.  My boss had a 2nd year V8 (he bought it new) and that thing was the biggest pile of crap I've seen.

It went pretty well and managed to hide its titanicness.  But within 100,000 miles it needed probably half its sticker price in major repairs.  It had dozens of electrical gremlins.  And the cabin leaked water like a sieve.

It was basically a poster child for stereotypically bad Oughties VAG products.

In reply to AAZCD (Forum Supporter) :

I'm trying to talk my wife into one of these to replace our Santa Fe. I need a tow rig once a month and she wants a nice SUV. Seems like a win win to me and so far my A3 TDI from dieselgate is a good rig. Are you running heavier rated tires and higher PSI for towing? Anything changed from stock besides hitch?

grover said:

In reply to noddaz :

I think that's a track bar of some sort. I saw that as well. 

Yeah, it's too small and it comes in below the centerline of the axle.  I assumed it was a strut and we just can't see the passenger side one from this angle.

I haven't looked in your area yet but old suburbans are great. They are huge, they are easy to maintain, they can tow, and you can usually find some that have been taken care of well.

I'm revising my needs.  

-lots of space.  we already have a lexus gx460 and we'd like a little more room.  I'm still doing some roofing sales on the side so it would be nice to be able to put my fold up ladder inside- not a requirement.  

-comfy.  

I like the idea of the touareg, but that interior peeling would drive me bonkers.  

Thanks for the all of the idea. 

Like this:

https://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/cto/d/atlanta-1998-chevrolet-suburban/7236621165.html

I am not one to worry too much about miles if the vehicle is maintained right

https://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/cto/d/grayson-2009-suburban-ltz/7248004435.html

I've got a 2003 Yukon Denali I need to move, I bought it for towing the race car with, but haven't had time to go racing, and still have the truck for doing that.  Higher mileage, but runs great.  I had my mechanic go through it to make sure I could tow from Chatsworth, GA to Watkins Glen and not worry.  Clearcoat sucks on hood and front of roof, crack in the windshield, but has the 6.0, dvd player, leather interior and drives great.  Just had new fuel pump/sending unit put in, and gauge cluster rebuilt as well.  Put on new shocks, brakes, etc. when I bought it.  Can't think of what else.  $3800.  

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/cars-sale/2004-yukon-denali-60/170484/page1/

In reply to New York Nick :

I would love to like the old surburbans but I don't.  And i've been looking at some of the newer ones, the wife loves them- so it's possible we trade her car in to get one of those.  Still leaves me without a vehicle and suburbans do not excite me. 

In reply to HoserRacing :

Looks like a good deal but not what I am looking for.  thank you though!

In reply to grover :

fair enough, we all like what we like. 

The list of big SUVs isn't large. If GMs aren't an option, then you're pretty much left with Expeditions/Excursions, Armadas (And their Infiniti twin), Sequoias, Benz GL (or whatever they're called now), and... That's about it. I guess you could trade the GX for a Land Cruiser/Lexus LX too.

They are never really cheap but I think these Nissan NV3500 vans are an interesting replacement for the no longer available Ford Excursion.  No, they don't offer a diesel but the 5.6L puts out nearly 400 hp and rated to tow 9,000+

In reply to STM317 :

I just hate driving cars that aren't different in some way.  My powerstroke was neat because it was a last year truck with a great motor and that was just sort of quirky.  The suburban would be great for my wife but they are the soccer mom vehicle. I suppose we could trade her car in on a suburban and then I could buy something.  I wouldn't mind a tundra or similar if we did that- or even a 4runner- but it's more drama than I was hoping for. 

This is what happens when you are always trying to get a deal- eventually you're going to get smoked.  

John Welsh said:

They are never really cheap but I think these Nissan NV3500 vans are an interesting replacement for the no longer available Ford Excursion.  No, they don't offer a diesel but the 5.6L puts out nearly 400 hp and rated to tow 9,000+

I love these. With my parents and inlaws aging and moving near me - 4wd 3500 SL is my next purchase in 12-15 MOnths or so 

In reply to mr2s2000elise :

There is no factory offered 4wd in these vans but there are conversions that use Nissan Titan truck parts to make what they never offered.  

Another word to shoppers, Nissan offered a V6 version too as in 4.0L Nissan Frontier engine.  

In reply to John Welsh :

I am very familiar with the dealer that puts the Titan parts on the NV. The guy who started it (all over youtube) is my first cousin 

what do we think about this?

https://www.usaautosalesatl.com/inventory/ford/expedition%20el/a39109/

2008 excursion EL.  King ranch so comfy with cooled seats.  9000lb tow rating. 

Is this still the 5.4 with cam chain guide issues? I like it. A little more than I wanted to spend.