Let me preface this by saying I already have a '99 Tahoe 2WD that I love to death. I'm actually in the middle of fixing it back up after an engine and transmission incident some time back that left both fried (clutch pack failed on the highway combined with cruise control running means hello spun bearing). So believe me when I say I love these old trucks, I have experience with them, and I realize they're not gonna be perfect. But this one takes the cake.
I found a 2000 Z71 Tahoe for sale online at a local Chevy dealer, priced at $3k with 165k miles. My '99 has 161k miles and it's in fairly good shape, aside from the mechanical side of things, so this one should be comparable in that regard as far as wear and tear and things of that nature. I could tell based on the one exterior pic that the body needed some loving, namely some paint touch-up, a few dents popped out, and a brush guard, since there isn't one to be seen. Now, I've always been one to believe that if a dealership is going to actually list a vehicle for sale, it's going to be decent at the minimum. Obviously something this old is going to have a few issues, but nothing too serious, right? I mean, it's my town's big Chevy dealer, there are standards they must have with a vehicle.
Let me tell you, I've never been so wrong in my life. I look at it, the aftermarket wheels have some cracking around the lug nuts, again, the brush guard is missing with the holes exposed on the bumper, the hood is faded pretty bad, which I knew going in and wouldn't have a problem with. It got dicey once I got to the interior. The vehicle does have seat covers, which weren't in bad shape. The dash was cracked, the plastic around the steering column is cracked and made some weird noises when I moved the shift lever, the gear indicator on the dashboard doesn't light up anymore, the radio is missing and is just a big, empty hole in the middle of the dash. I know it's an old truck, and these things can be fixed, I mean, a decent aftermarket radio can be had for under $100, and I'm sure the dash can be found fairly cheap and in good shape at a Pick-N-Pull or something.
Now I'm gonna get into the best part of the experience: the actual drive. The gas is extremely stiff, easily more so than any car I've driven before. That's workable with. Spongy brake pedal? Got used to it in the more than 4 years I drove my '99, it's not an issue. Loud exhaust that shook the door panels when stopped and at idle if I didn't hold my left leg against it, and rattled it like crazy no matter what if you're going over 15? That could be a bit of an issue, but probably a simple fix somewhere. An engine with 10 PSI oil pressure at a 500 RPM Idle? That's low, but it did get to around 40 at 2000 RPM, which isn't bad. Full throttle not causing the car to downshift and the vehicle struggles to go from 30 to 35 on flat ground? Yeah, I think this is gonna be a problem. I shortened the test drive route and cut out the highway portion of it because I was afraid the car wouldn't make it above 45, even going down the ramp! The heat did work very well though, that's the one compliment I can give the truck.
During the ride, I mentioned the K&N sticker on the back window and asked the sales guy about it. When we got back, he offered to pop the hood to check and see what it had. Except the hood didn't pop when he pulled the handle. After a couple of minutes, I did the old lean on the hood trick and that worked. Turns out that sticker wasn't accurate. It had the stock intake (broken and no clips to be seen, not surprised by now) with a very black air filter. So at this point, we go inside to fill out paperwork (the dealership has a monthly money giveaway that you're eligible for just by taking a test drive, so I got entered into that, very nice actually) and he asks me what I thought, it took a lot to not call it some choice words. After it's filled out, he goes and gets the manager to sign the form as needed, and the manager comes and asks me about it as well. The kicker of the entire thing was after I said it needed some work and said I wasn't ready to make an offer, he says "I'm not trying to sound like a typical used car salesman, but we do have someone else in here right now looking at purchasing the vehicle." I may be a 21 year old college student, but I don't think I'm quite ready to get into a bidding war over a vehicle that I'm not sure can hit the speed limit on my way home from class.
Anyone else have some interesting test drive stories, like a vehicle that you feel was extremely overpriced or misrepresented? This is the first time I've ever had this experience (honestly, the first time I ever went to a dealership by myself to look at a car as well), and I never thought it would happen at a branded dealership of all places, but I definitely learned my lesson. If the price sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
I found a 2000 Z71 Tahoe for sale online at a local Chevy dealer, priced at $3k with 165k miles. My '99 has 161k miles and it's in fairly good shape, aside from the mechanical side of things, so this one should be comparable in that regard as far as wear and tear and things of that nature. I could tell based on the one exterior pic that the body needed some loving, namely some paint touch-up, a few dents popped out, and a brush guard, since there isn't one to be seen. Now, I've always been one to believe that if a dealership is going to actually list a vehicle for sale, it's going to be decent at the minimum. Obviously something this old is going to have a few issues, but nothing too serious, right? I mean, it's my town's big Chevy dealer, there are standards they must have with a vehicle.
Let me tell you, I've never been so wrong in my life. I look at it, the aftermarket wheels have some cracking around the lug nuts, again, the brush guard is missing with the holes exposed on the bumper, the hood is faded pretty bad, which I knew going in and wouldn't have a problem with. It got dicey once I got to the interior. The vehicle does have seat covers, which weren't in bad shape. The dash was cracked, the plastic around the steering column is cracked and made some weird noises when I moved the shift lever, the gear indicator on the dashboard doesn't light up anymore, the radio is missing and is just a big, empty hole in the middle of the dash. I know it's an old truck, and these things can be fixed, I mean, a decent aftermarket radio can be had for under $100, and I'm sure the dash can be found fairly cheap and in good shape at a Pick-N-Pull or something.
Now I'm gonna get into the best part of the experience: the actual drive. The gas is extremely stiff, easily more so than any car I've driven before. That's workable with. Spongy brake pedal? Got used to it in the more than 4 years I drove my '99, it's not an issue. Loud exhaust that shook the door panels when stopped and at idle if I didn't hold my left leg against it, and rattled it like crazy no matter what if you're going over 15? That could be a bit of an issue, but probably a simple fix somewhere. An engine with 10 PSI oil pressure at a 500 RPM Idle? That's low, but it did get to around 40 at 2000 RPM, which isn't bad. Full throttle not causing the car to downshift and the vehicle struggles to go from 30 to 35 on flat ground? Yeah, I think this is gonna be a problem. I shortened the test drive route and cut out the highway portion of it because I was afraid the car wouldn't make it above 45, even going down the ramp! The heat did work very well though, that's the one compliment I can give the truck.
During the ride, I mentioned the K&N sticker on the back window and asked the sales guy about it. When we got back, he offered to pop the hood to check and see what it had. Except the hood didn't pop when he pulled the handle. After a couple of minutes, I did the old lean on the hood trick and that worked. Turns out that sticker wasn't accurate. It had the stock intake (broken and no clips to be seen, not surprised by now) with a very black air filter. So at this point, we go inside to fill out paperwork (the dealership has a monthly money giveaway that you're eligible for just by taking a test drive, so I got entered into that, very nice actually) and he asks me what I thought, it took a lot to not call it some choice words. After it's filled out, he goes and gets the manager to sign the form as needed, and the manager comes and asks me about it as well. The kicker of the entire thing was after I said it needed some work and said I wasn't ready to make an offer, he says "I'm not trying to sound like a typical used car salesman, but we do have someone else in here right now looking at purchasing the vehicle." I may be a 21 year old college student, but I don't think I'm quite ready to get into a bidding war over a vehicle that I'm not sure can hit the speed limit on my way home from class.
Anyone else have some interesting test drive stories, like a vehicle that you feel was extremely overpriced or misrepresented? This is the first time I've ever had this experience (honestly, the first time I ever went to a dealership by myself to look at a car as well), and I never thought it would happen at a branded dealership of all places, but I definitely learned my lesson. If the price sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
