Thinking about buying and have some questions

[Muttster]

I've looked at quite a few messages on the board but I guess I just need some advice. I currently own a Lexus ls430 which is a great car but terrible in snow so one of the options that I am looking at is to sell it when the warranty ends and before it needs the 90,000 service which starts around $1,000 and goes up rapidly. I am also 6'5 and 270 so this is one of the big factors that could be a deal breaker for me. Small and most mid-size SUV's are out of the question due primarily to a lack of headroom and more importantly, shoulder room as I hate having my shoulder rest on the driver's side door. As a result, I am looking at larger SUV's but not as big as a Suburban. Gas milage is not a big deal as I'm resigned to the fact that I'm not going to get a SUV that fits me and also get 23-25 mpg's.

The VW Touereg looked interesting but from what I read, upkeep and maintenance can be a nightmare. What I'm looking for is a SUV that will fit me, is good in the snow and doesn't look cheap, especially in the interior. My wife had a Saturn Vue and the interior was just cheap looking with low quality plastic abounding.

It looks like the Tahoe/Yukon could be a good fit. I do have some questions though.

1. The size of the engine is not a deal breaker but I would like to have leather and a decent sound system. Is it better to get on with leather seats already installed or to get the leather installed later.

2. How is the sound system - I don't need whopping bass because I am 57 after all but I do like my classic rock and jazz. Is the factory sound system decent or should I be looking at an aftermarket player. Does the Tahoe/Yukon play nice with aftermarket stereos?

3. I will want to spend around $24,000 - should I be looking at 2007-2008's at this price range? How much play is there usually at the dealerships for SUV's? It seems that there is a big difference between what individuals are selling their Yukon's for versus the dealership - like a 4-5,000 difference. Is this normal?

4. I know that prices drop after a SUV has 100,000 miles. How many miles can one reasonably expect. Many Lexus's will go 150,000 to 200,000 miles no problem. What can I expect from a Yukon/Tahoe.

5. is 4wd/awd really necessary with these SUV's. I do like in Chicago if that helps. Do the 2wd do ok in the snow?

Thanks for putting up with my rambling and hope to hear from you soon.

 

[ranorris2]

First off welcome to the forum....I can answer some of your questions based on my experiences, others will have to chime in on the others.

1. You will want to go with an LT or LTZ if you are wanting leather and the bose sound system. I too came from a 2007 Lexus and still have a 2008 Lexus and I can tell you the leather in those is A LOT more nice and soft feeling than the Tahoes. Dont get me wrong the leather is nice (to me) in the tahoes but with you being used to Lexus leather you will probably see it as a downgrade. But overall I would much rather have Leather seats than cloth any day, so I will take what I can get. You could recover the seats with some new leather that is to your liking if you dont like the oem leather.
Also, I cannot be 100% sure, but I think the Denali's have better leather, maybe a more Lexus type feel.

2. I will also compare the sound system to Lexus sound systems....to me Lexus' base sound system is bad ass for stock, has just the right amount of bass and what not. I can't comment on the base Tahoe system, but the bose system is not as good as the Lexus sound system but still good. I had regular radio and just upgraded to the XM satellite radio, which sounds great. On the bose system, listening to regular radio stations, doesn't have much bass at all, but listening to XM the bass is awesome, it is more like the Lexus sound system. I almost started to purchase a sub and enclosure with amp, to get a little more bass, but after listening to XM I'm happy with the way it sounds...

3. When I was searching for mine, which was a few months ago in August '11 the prices were all over the map. I was looking for 2007-11 tahoes and they were priced anywhere from 20k-39k its all in what you want. I wanted blk/blk with leather and decent miles...I ended up paying 28k for mine with 40k miles on it. It's all in what you want out of it, I say at least where I'm at, you can get a 2007-2008 with miles in the 60-75k range for what your looking to spend and possibly less than that.
Its hard to buy from an individual IMO...you don't know if they are being honest with you or spitting BS at you. I like to buy from small dealerships, they usually offer good deals and will take care of any small issues that occur after you purchase it.

4. I can't comment on miles...I have only had mine about 6 months and drove it 6 or so thousand miles.

5. I can't help here either, I live in Texas so I could care less about snow when I buy a vehicle since we get snow/ice 1 time every other year or so lol.

I love my Tahoe, by far the easiest to mod, funnest to drive, and gets the job done whether its towing, getting the groceries, or just hauling people around...its a very usfull vehicle.

Be sure and post pictures up if you get a hoe/kon and good luck in your search.

 

[ChevyFreak]

to the forum Rich!

To add to Ryan's post -

1. The leather in my Tahoe isn't that bad. Of course, the leather gets better as you go up the food chain (Tahoe - Denali - Escalade). Leather can be added after the fact if decide you don't like the factory version. However, unless you are looking at a base LS, more often then not, leather comes on these vehicles from the factory. That's not always the case, but seems to be pretty common.

2. The Bose sound system seems to be okay for my needs. I have never liked "in your face" bass. I do have the bass turned all the way up on mine, and it is okay. Of course, a lot depends on the source of your music.

3. At that price range, yes, you will be looking at 2007-2008. Especially, if you are looking for some of those fancy options (leather seats, DVD, Bose, automatic climate controls etc...).

4. I cannot give you a definitive answer on mileage, but with the proper care, these vehicles can last a long time. Many members here have well over 100,000 miles, or at least close to it, on their NNBS Tahoe's/Suburban's, Yukon, and Escalade.

5. I cannot comment on the 2WD capability. I have never purchased a vehicle without 4WD/AWD. I live in New York, so winter can be pretty harsh. We have been lucky so far this year. That being said, my Tahoe handles GREAT in the winter. I was driving home the other night through 2-3 inches of snow on unplowed roads and I had no problems. I just slapped the 'Hoe in 4WD and kept right on going.

I hope that helps you a little. A lot of this must come from a personal choice/use aspect. I DO NOT think you will be disappointed with either a Tahoe or Yukon! Good luck!!

 

[ajaxnxs]

In my opinion get a Denali and everything else will work out as you smile to the drive!!!



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[JochenWoern]

In my opinion get a Denali and everything else will work out as you smile to the drive!!!



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^ +1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[edgaranah1]

or u can get a ls460 and its all good.


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[phileaglesfan]

Denali is the way to go. RWD only isn't the best thing for snow so if that is a big concern then go with AWD. Denali AWD is real good on power and fantastic in the snow. Gas mileage is around 18 hwy. If power is not a big concern then you could probably get closer to your 23mpg figure with a 5.3 or 6.0 Tahoe/Yukon especially the Hybrid.

Maintenance is generally easy with these vehicles. Everything can be reached relatively easily. I would consider looking at new ones also since they have some great deals going on now and these vehicles usually don't sell that great due to the gas mileage. Of course value takes a hit the first few years though.