i hate shopping for new truck/suv... help?

[BOSS351]

I got my 2012 at the beginning of the 2013 model year and its a SuperCrew XLT 5.0 with tow package, 18" wheels 2WD for just a tad over 26K. Strictly highway driving will get me 20-22 mpg depending on how I drive and headwinds. Plenty of room in the rear too. I tow a boat at least once a month to Plaquemines parish with no real problems but it does suck down the gas at that point...but admit my boat isn't considered light either. I too have had GM and Mopar dudes comment on how nice the interior is and the ride also. My only real complaint about ANY of the newer trucks is the height of the bed...I'm 5'11" and getting into the bed is a complete bitch. Luckily mine has the step built into the tailgate and makes things a lot easier. I know Ford offers a step in front of the rear wheel to reach into the bed and that would be nice. I"m not sure if any of the others offer that or not but feel that should be standard if they are going to raise these things to this height. I found out the hard way that taking heavy stuff out of the bed ain't like taking stuff out of the bed of my old 2000 Superduty...I unloaded a keg of beer out and pulled the **** out of my rt. hamstring due to the height difference.

 

[LACamper]

I love my Xterra. No issues, 110K mi so far. Bit of a rougher ride (more like a truck than a car/luxury suv) and a bit noisy. OTOH, it handles NO streets well.

That being said, have you looked at the Forester? I have some very wealthy clients that will drive nothing but. They could easily afford Mercedes, bmw, acura, etc. but choose subaru. And they don't trade them in. When they get to a certain age they buy a new one and hand the old one off to a family member... that says a lot.

 

[au01st]

My brother in law has a new Tacoma. My dad has a new Tacoma. Come December this year, I'll have a new Tacoma. The 4-door models are nice, can tow what you need, low enough that it's not sitting in the sky, but above the other cars. I'm 6'4" and fit in the back seats of the 4-door with no problems, and that's with my 6'5" brother in law in front of me. It hauls 4 bikes, coolers, and 4 guys up and down the mountain without issue (I know, no mountains here) and is quiet when the windows aren't down with the stereo cranked.

My dad helped me move and it towed an enclosed U-haul trailer (the biggest one they rent without being a truck) 600 miles with no problems except that it killed the gas mileage. It also tows the boat like it's not even back there. I almost can't wait...

 

[Kcabear]

Ford offers 60k but you can get up to 100k bumper to bumper through the dealer.


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[brfd557]

Here is my .02.... I am a GMC man, I've owned 4, two P/U's and two Yukon's which I drive my vehicles until the wheels are ready to fall off! Other than regular maint or things you expect to need replacing like alt, fuel pump etc, I have yet to put a wrench on them! I currently have the wife in 09 yukon and myself in 02 sierra HD crew cab with the 6.0..... 6.0 gets sucky fuel milage but its pd for and I love the 2500 frame for the safety for my family! My suggestion is GMC sierra crew cab.. sure making them fine these days!

 

[brfd557]

I thought about a truck, but an SUV was so much more practical for me. My terrain is in dark grey and has nothing feminine on it. Besides...I don't need to make up for the size of certain appendages like some guys with big trucks seem to.

--Sent From My Galaxy S4

Damn man........ I drive a big P/U gas guzzler for the protection of my family, to haul stuff and my big ass is more comfortable in it....I always seem to see this statement from people if you want I can send you a pic of my appendage and you can judge... BTW I wouldnt use that, the antis say the same thing about gun people!

 

[oleheat]

 

[JWG223]

I just traded my 370z for a 2010 grand jeep cherokee 4x4 qd2, limited, 5.7L, and love it so far.

 

[JWG223]

Damn man........ I drive a big P/U gas guzzler for the protection of my family, to haul stuff and my big ass is more comfortable in it....I always seem to see this statement from people if you want I can send you a pic of my appendage and you can judge... BTW I wouldnt use that, the antis say the same thing about gun people!

You defend your masculinity by offering to send penis pictures to another man? :/

 

[brfd557]

Lol touché


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[madwabbit]

Went and looked this weekend, here's the update:

the cherokee is small. like, smaller than a ford escape small. marked off list without even driving it.

drove an Xterra- really liked it but it may be a bit "too rough". not a nissan fan, but its still on my possibility list.

dodge 1500 sport was better than I expected but still not great. my issue with dodge is an industry worst resale value. 40% value loss in 3 years is abysmal. and yes, i am considering picking up a gently used one because IMO at 30k they are overpriced, but at 18k they are a huge bargain. still on the list if i find the right one.

Toyota FJ- i can't quite get over the looks, but otherwise its an incredible truck. I was impressed, I just cant stomach to look at it.

Drove the Tacoma - VERY impressed. Decked out + has enough room, suits all my needs, and without even discussing financials its mid 20's. Top of list currently, and would leave a few bucks in my pocket for fun stuffs.

Jeep Grand Cherokee- number 2 on the list, drove a '12 thats a cert preowned. 10k miles, and is the overland model. gentle negotiation gets it in my price range.

Tossup between the tacoma and the jeep grand cherokee at the moment. thanks for all the advice guys.

 

[JadeRaven]

I use a Acura MDX for my commute.

It works well, no issues.

My wife's MDX is very nice. Lots of space, very comfortable, lots of luxury features, etc. I would drive it more if she didn't.

 

[madwabbit]

never heard of it. ill take a look as I love honda/acura.

 

[JadeRaven]

Went and looked this weekend, here's the update:

the cherokee is small. like, smaller than a ford escape small. marked off list without even driving it.

drove an Xterra- really liked it but it may be a bit "too rough". not a nissan fan, but its still on my possibility list.

dodge 1500 sport was better than I expected but still not great. my issue with dodge is an industry worst resale value. 40% value loss in 3 years is abysmal. and yes, i am considering picking up a gently used one because IMO at 30k they are overpriced, but at 18k they are a huge bargain. still on the list if i find the right one.

Toyota FJ- i can't quite get over the looks, but otherwise its an incredible truck. I was impressed, I just cant stomach to look at it.

Drove the Tacoma - VERY impressed. Decked out has enough room for me, suits all my needs, and without even discussing financials its mid 20's. Top of list currently, and would leave a few bucks in my pocket for fun stuffs.

Jeep Grand Cherokee- number 2 on the list, drove a '12 thats a cert preowned. 10k miles, and is the overland model. gentle negotiation gets it in my price range.

Tossup between the tacoma and the jeep grand cherokee at the moment. thanks for all the advice guys.

I sat in a 4 door tacoma over the weekend and it was a nice place to be. Would this be new or used?

There's something nice about Toyota trucks, especially buying one new. I just wish they didn't uglify the 4runner so much.

I would love warm and fuzzies of buying a new Tacoma over a used Cherokee, but only 10k miles isn't so bad. You know resale will be good on the taco in a few years.

 

[madwabbit]

Taco would be new, unless too good of a deal on a pre owned to pass up I guess. and I get the very strong feeling that its something that could be a potential for my sons first vehicle. (hes 1 last month)

really a stellar vehicle, cant praise it highly enough. the more research I do online, the more I find with 2,3,400k miles requiring wear and tear replacement only. in fact, my wife was an insurance adjuster for years and told me that the taco stood out. she remembered owners HATED to have it totaled- they'd fight and get irate over it and say "just don't repair it all the way. let me keep my truck"

huge, huge selling point lol.

 

[JadeRaven]

never heard of it. ill take a look as I love honda/acura.

They're nice. One of the great things about them is that they're built as a luxury vehicle from the start, as opposed to luxing up a cheaper car. Also in the same range is the Lexus RX350. Brand new it might stretch your budget a bit but you can get one used for significantly less money, and you know it should run forever. We bought ours a couple years old.

I also love Honda but it seems like everything Honda makes is **** these days. Probably very reliable but odd design, cheap feel, etc. Not the case with Acura though, go figure.

Taco would be new. and I get the very strong feeling that its something that could be a potential for my sons first vehicle. (hes 1 last month)

really a stellar vehicle, cant praise it highly enough.

Yeah you could probably buy that new and it'll be running great in 15, 16 years with no sweat. Then when you pass it to him you know it was well maintained its whole life, as opposed to buying some cheap 3rd or 4th hand car as his 1st car.

 

[madwabbit]

ill look at the acura, but just a google on the images i'll say its leaning awful soccer-mom style imo. interior is what i'd expect from acura though. its like the opposite extreme from the xterra, but ill take a look if i see one.

 

[olivs260]

I just bought a '14 Tacoma last month, and so far I'm really impressed. It's hard to find something about it that I don't like. And as to the resale value- I wanted a used one, but the savings just weren't enough to justify not buying new. I looked the way down to '12 models, and we weren't going to save more than a couple grand. The only down side is that they don't mark them up very much on the lot, so you should probably expect to pay pretty close to sticker.

 

[noob]

My parents have a newer model MDX, and it honestly handles better than any other SUV of the same size that I've driven. Its big, powerful, and versatile. My sister has a older 2001 model and that hasn't given her any problems in the past 13 years. And I bought my wife a 2014 RDX which has pretty much everything the MDX has minus a 3rd row, and no direct injection that the 2014 MDX has. Overall it's quicker than my escalade. Easier to drive daily, and a lot easier to park. My only gripe is that it doesn't have park sensors. Problem with the acura's are they are pricey. The new MDX's float around 50k, and my wife's RDX was ~43k OTD, but I bought the premium package with extended warranty and wheel and tire warranty, but 0.9% financing.

 

[ChrisK]

My wife's MDX is very nice. Lots of space, very comfortable, lots of luxury features, etc. I would drive it more if she didn't.

I bought my wife a 2011 certified MDX on Friday, it's a very nice car. Incredibly solid and pretty quick for a 3 row suv. Mileage isn't that great in town -15ish MPG, hwy I got 22.

Next year I'm upgrading to a Tundra for myself. Nothing else even compares to Toyota quality in my book (except maybe Honda, but they don't make a real truck). Between the wife and my families, they've had 10+ toyotas and they have never had any (serious) problems. My FIL has a 2001 Tacoma with over 300k on it now and pulls a heavy twin axle trailer and tractor that is well over the max towing capacity of that truck, and has been doing so for years.