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6+ish pax vehicles? with high mileage so cheap.....


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having a "crisis of cars"  presently... moved from kansas to colorado... told wife we get her a "new" car when we get here... sold old vehicles cause they were both 5 seaters.  have 2 kids, with nana and papa around or other relatives i like to take 1 car on outings... kinda silly, but seems sensible to me.

 

problem we have right now is our 91 land cruiser wont speed to the hospital when my wifes on call (unless its a school zone, haha) and our honda pilot (2005) is not "honda reliable"...

 

dave ramsey always says its cheaper to fix your current hoopty, but, i usually do my own mx. but that means car is down for 3-4 days while i await parts etc...

 

i have my eye on a f150, or a  camry/subaru/volvo if wife gets car.  question is the price range i wanna be in for a truck is gonna mean 160-212k miles i never have had a f150, what kinda stuff do i look out for? i kinda assumed engine tranny rebuilds are gonna be need around then?  so thats another 2-3k when that happens?

 

what you guys say?  im a form over function guy, and cheap/thrifty etc, ie, my motive is not to keep up with the joneses... anyways, bah!

 

thing with a f150 is i can get a bench seat in front, and gain a seat, without having three rows.  wont be super comfortable, but not gonna be long rides, i dont assume

Edited by saltydecimator
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For financial stuff dave ramsey is normally spot on, with some exceptions, I think used cars are not a very good value anymore, repairs are more and more complicated and expensive.. And since fewer people view new cars as status symbols there are fewer people buying new and selling at two years.. 

 

160-200K miles on a pickup is normally about used up, I know people that go to 300K miles but they are normally throwing a LOT of money at repairs to keep it that long.. My brother has a 05' F150 with 90K miles on it and it has issues just related to age, switches acting up, limited slip not working well ect.. My 07' Ford edge has 120K on it and I have some age related issues with transmission shifting poorly, basically it is a sensor issue and is a minor part, but basically you have to take a bunch of stuff off to get that one part out to replace it. 

 

 I would check on new cars and check what the financing options give you for cost.. Sometimes a less featured fleet type vehicle like a van will get you a cheap people mover that is reliable and affordable.. But your needs and wants may vary, I'm just not a big fan of used cars.. There are some very inexpensive new cars out there that are well reviewed.

Edited by csspecs
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Well, if you want to carry 6 people *comfortably* on trips, you're down to BIG SUV's or minivans...

 

If you want a good commuter car with decent mileage and AWD for Colorado winters, get a Subaru.

 

I get rid of vehicles when they have +100k miles on them, I don't buy them then!

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I would not get near an older V8 F150 with over 150k miles on it unless it was well maintained and supported with records. They don't seem to handle abuse and neglect like a GM LSX engine will. It took my pool company partner 3 engines to get to almost 200k in his 2005 F150 before he sold it. What does he do? … buys another Ford

 bad_smile.gif 

 

I bought a 2001 Chevy Suburban with 204k on it in late 2012. The original engine and transmission are still running fine at over 300k now. A very good friend of mine who maintained Jacksonville city vehicles took a good look at it recently and said it easily has another 50k in it if I continue driving and maintaining as I currently do. I would drive it on another trip to Michigan with an oil change, check of other fluids, a new serpentine belt, top off air in the tires, and check the spare. Knowing what I know now about the reliability of the iron block GM LSX engines, I'd stick to any 2000 to 2003 Chevy with a 5.3l engine that had been reasonably well maintained. As far as I know, those were the most trouble free years for engine and tranny. The truck runs so good, does what it needs to, and parts are cheap and easy to find. There is nothing else that will do all of the things it will do at the current market price of 3.5-6k for a 4x4 Suburban that has been treated ok.

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They all have the same drivetrains, whether its Silverado/Sierra/Suburban/Tahoe/Yukon. 4.8's, 5.3's, 6.0's, 6.2's backed by 4l60e's, 4L70e's, 4L80e's, 5L80e's etc. etc. I would stay away from the models with DoD (Displacement on Demand), AKA; cylinder deactivation. They can/may develop lifter and cam shaft problems. 

 

If looking at a vehicle with a 6.0, pay close attention to the exhaust manifold bolts at the head. They are very commonly known for breaking off, on the drivers side especially.

The all aluminum 5.3's found in '05-'06-'07's with the 8th digit of the VIN a B, are really good motors called L33's, a 325hp, 325ci V8.  

 

Figure out your dollar amount and go from there.

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weeeeelll, got skerd of suburbans when buddy was talking about 10k engine swap bills.... maybe they were newer ones...

 

so what about tahoes/denalis, same deal?

Sounds like that cylinder deactivation stuff, the $10k. I think that was '07-'11.

 

The Denali and Escalades scare me. Lots of tech there to break/fail. I'd stick to the more basic stuff.

If you are looking at a specific vehicle (say 2004 Suburban), have a look around at replacement parts, low mileage engines, etc. It may be a great idea to get a subscription to consumerreports.com and have a look at reliability ratings for each vehicle you are interested in and what are the best performers in the segment. That's what I did. About $35 for a whole year and totally worth it. I think you can even go $9.95 for one month. 

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I have a '99 Burban - 7.2,eng (454), 480le 4X4. Parts are not bad,considering they are mostly HUGE!  It is a typical Chevy, the door handles and window regulators are shit. The drive train is solid . 230,000 miles and still has not had a head pulled. Uses about 1 quart of oil every 3,000 miles. Will hold on to it forever, as they are just too handy NOT to have one. I AM looking for a more practical DD, as the Burban gets 10 MPG. The same mileage empty, full, pulling 9,000# trailer in mountains,or cruising empty. 10 MPG. BUT it hauls 7 people or 10' 4x4s or,a pallet of cement blocks .

 If you want something cheaper and still as useful then a full sized van is perfect. Just get a 3/4 ton chassis, the 1/2 ton ones are shit for hauling heavy things - including People!

I would go for a cheap used van and a couple smaller and less $$$ to operate DD's and a used van for hauling people and stuff-unless you can find a screaming deal on a Burban .

Edited by G O B
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