Valuing older Tahoes

[joshft91]

Hey everyone! I'm brand new to these forums but have been a Chevy fan since... well, my first and only car so far -- which brings me here!

I'm a 24 y/o single guy looking to move on my from my '03 Monte Carlo SS (233k miles) and have always liked bigger vehicles since it gets me up over a lot of people on the road. My family has had Suburbans ever since I was a kid so we're not strangers to the Chevy line. Since I don't have a family to haul around I don't think I'd need the extra length which is why I'm considering a Tahoe.

That said, since I'm moving on from my first car, my budget is around $10k and after doing a bit of searching, this gets me to the 2005-2007 (but probably quite high miles on an 07) range of Tahoes. I'm from Minnesota and my vehicle will be parked outside (apartment living, yay) during the summer and exposed to salt during the Winter.

My question to you guys is, how should I value Tahoes around the area? Anything specific I should look for? I came across this listing on Craigslist for an 05 Tahoe (http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/ctd/5503170121.html). Seems to be in the range that I mentioned as well as lower-than-usual miles... Would you guys consider that a fair price range for that package? Overvalued?

Thanks!

 

[yates ™]

Start by looking it up I kbb and made for base pricing for your area then search comparable vehicles.

 

[SUBURBIAN]

I don't know the market in MN, but just finished a 4 month long assessment for where I reside, and this thing's priced high for where I live, especially considering this is their "end of the month closeout" or whatever. Any/all pricing is dependent on condition and pedigree. Check for rust. Check carfax. Check for dings/dents/etc. Check function of every last feature on the rig; mirrors, windows, sunroof, locks, all positions/speeds/temps of the HVAC system, etc. It's worth going to look at.

 

[clandr1]

Compare local listings on various websites like Cars.com and Craigslist to get a feel for what the typical asking prices are. Check daily, and see what vehicles are still listed a week or two later, and which ones are gone after a few days. Set up a distance of 200 miles which should give you quite a few results so your sample size is as large as possible.

You can bet that those vehicles getting snapped up quickly are priced right, and those sitting for weeks in the ads are either in bad shape, or are overpriced.

Unfortunately there isn't an MLS-type database for vehicles so you can't really tell what the final sales prices were, but keeping an eye on the local ads on a daily basis should tell you the approximate prices of a certain vehicle.

 

[nastety92]

Welcome to the forum. You also want to consider the 2007 is the first year of a new body style. From my experience, working at a GMC dealership for five years in the service department, the first year of a new body style is almost always the most issue prone. Buying a 05-06 would be a better idea in my opinion.

These are great trucks and the engines last a LONG time. A friend of mine has worked on one with 330K. The transmissions aren't as durable as the engines but if it hasn't been beat during it's life you should be fine.

Good luck with the search.

 

[Yukon John]

What ever you get make sure you check the condition of ALL of the cooling system components i.e. Hoses, Belts, Radiator, Serpentine Belt and especially connections thru and around the firewall. There are a few pass thru connectors that are made from plastic and DO crack and leak. In addition...battery and cables.

I mention this because I lived two years in Cleveland (winters) and these are things that WILL FAIL in areas with severe winters.

Good luck with your search...with average to good care 100K miles isn't a big deal with these SUV's...I have had 2 go 250K miles...both lost transmissions at 150K. If you find one with more than 150K that has the original transmission without a rebuild...walk or figure on a $2000 rebuild in the near future.

 

[Flexx]

It took me a long time to find exactly the one I'm looking for. I'm in TX, have a friend that runs a very large GM service dept. In Michigan, he's my go to guy for anything Chevy.

For whatever reason, the pricing is usually quite a bit lower down here than up north. And we don't have bad winters or salt to increase rust.

Him and several of his friends have flown or driven down south to pick up these "older" Tahoe's, burbs, and trucks and driven/towed them home for a lot cheaper than they would have paid up north.

Don't know if that's feasible for you but throwing it out there. Besides rust the Tahoe's are pretty simple robust trucks, just have to check all the little things and look for signs of neglect or abuse on older or high miles trucks really carefully. Nobody is going to tell you they went mudding and drove it like a race car.

Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

 

[iLikeEggs]

Carfax means nothing. My 08 Envoy was in an accident (not my fault) and was repaired to the tune of almost $10 grand. The body shop did amazing work and I was happy with it. The other drivers insurance paid for the whole thing. I wound up selling it to a dealer thru CL. The guy came by and I was up front about the accident. He scanned the vin with his Carfax app and it came up clean.
He sold it for $5k more than he paid me, and I got my asking price for it.
I have a buddy with an 06 Tahoe. He paid $8k for it with over 110k miles on it. Shop around. Another one will come up soon. If you really like that vehicle though then get it. It may just be nothing more than it appears to be. Just have someone check it out first. You don't want to buy a former stump jumper. Those used car dealer lots can clean up anything and make it pretty again. It's their business. If you look at something, don't be afraid to walk away.

 

[joshft91]

Thanks everyone for the input, I really appreciate it. One of the things I have a hard time with is determining what exactly a used vehicle is worth, but this definitely helps with what to look for. Cheers!