Mid-SUV purchase consultation

[gaidensensei]

Hey, seeing about getting advice from the car buffs out here. Tried registering at another forum but it's taken a few days of requesting email confirm and it's not coming thru.

I've been looking at purchasing a smaller SUV to make a cross country trip across the US, pretty much from CA to CT, stay there for some time and back.

After discussing with some friends and other people, I think it's came down to either grabbing an used 4runner or Highlander. Runner-ups would probably be Nissan pathfinder / Xterra or Honda pilot if the price's right. But if you guys have other suggestions I'd be willing to look in it.

The thing is, like every car, I don't want to make a big purchase for the endeavors of this trip. I'm thinking the max I'm willing to go is ~$10k, the cheaper the better, least repair hassle and would have a decent resale value in a few years in case I decide I don't need it later.

Also have been thinking of factoring other things like equipped for snow, stuff like that.

So was thinking something like a 00-02 4runner for around $8-9k tops as the current scope.

Any opinions?

 

[JS80]

I have a 4runner, 190K miles and running fine. I vote 4runner.

 

[herm0016]

how about an enovy/trail blazer? my mother has an envoy from about 01 and has well over 200k on it, its been pretty good for getting so many miles. no major repairs except the rear end not too long ago.

i have seen them around here going for less than 10 with 100k or so on them.

 

[PhoKingGuy]

how about an enovy/trail blazer? my mother has an envoy from about 01 and has well over 200k on it, its been pretty good for getting so many miles. no major repairs except the rear end not too long ago.

i have seen them around here going for less than 10 with 100k or so on them.

Those are decent but the interiors look like they were designed by a 5 yearold

 

[herm0016]

they have held up well, and im not sure how they look like they were drawn in cayron, the envoy interior is great, very practical and intuitive, unlike many of the other vehicles i have been in.

 

[PhoKingGuy]

You can't see how crappy that looks? Anyways did they ever figure out the block cracking issue with the vortec inline?

 

[DVad3r]

My aunt's husband has an Envoy and he's had a lot of problems with it, 4x4 dying, replacing a bunch of electronic modules etc. It is a nice car though when it's running, and I actually like the interior.

Dunno why you need an SUV to cross America, any car will be capable of doing that.

Now if you're planning on driving down to South America and hitting the most southern tip of Chile, Ill pitch in and we can buy something seriously bad ass.

 

[gaidensensei]

That's what I was curious about the domestic suv's, seems like they are still a ways from perfect reliability despite the lower price tags. Cosmetic wise they look like they can hold the same amount, but.. eh not 100% confident on putting my trust into it that it'll last another 5-10 years worth if I needed it to be.

My aunt's husband has an Envoy and he's had a lot of problems with it, 4x4 dying, replacing a bunch of electronic modules etc. It is a nice car though when it's running, and I actually like the interior.

Dunno why you need an SUV to cross America, any car will be capable of doing that.

Now if you're planning on driving down to South America and hitting the most southern tip of Chile, Ill pitch in and we can buy something seriously bad ass.

Must have SUV, probably 200lb's worth of cargo :\.

 

[jlee]

That's what I was curious about the domestic suv's, seems like they are still a ways from perfect reliability despite the lower price tags. Cosmetic wise they look like they can hold the same amount, but.. eh not 100% confident on putting my trust into it that it'll last another 5-10 years worth if I needed it to be.




Must have SUV, probably 200lb's worth of cargo :\.

You don't need an SUV to carry 200lb of stuff.

 

[PhoKingGuy]

That's what I was curious about the domestic suv's, seems like they are still a ways from perfect reliability despite the lower price tags. Cosmetic wise they look like they can hold the same amount, but.. eh not 100% confident on putting my trust into it that it'll last another 5-10 years worth if I needed it to be.




Must have SUV, probably 200lb's worth of cargo :\.

Its hit and miss, my 2002 Tahoe has needed nothing but oil changes since we bought it.

 

[herm0016]

this is the envoy interior i have seen, not sure when they used that other one.

200 lbs and how many people? why not get a largish sedan? like a crown vic or Lincoln town car, or a caddy deville, or foreign brand equivalent. they will all get better mileage than what you are looking at and last as long, each will go through most snow that you will encounter in a city and each can probably tow about the same amount you can with the small forign suv's you are looking at. if you want a something that is able to actually take some cargo and weight get a real truck based suv like a Tahoe or explorer or envoy/trailblazer ( they are built on a steel frame like a truck)

 

[obamanation]

Hey, gaidensensei, you do realize that driving across the country is going to be more expensive than flying and shipping your crap there, right? RIGHT?!!?!? Even if you drive there and back, it would still be cheaper to fly and ship your shit than to buy a vehicle, and drive it there with your crap in the back.

 

[gaidensensei]

Some of the stuff I'm gonna haul over is probably too long and too much for your average wide sedan.

I did the fees & calculations for the trip already. ~3 (4 days max) days of driving, will take ~36 hours @15-18 (18) gallon tank at 20mpg average, since it's 99% highway = 360 miles = maximum 10 stops at $3 a gallon = ~$540+ boarding 2 days + food + misc = ~$600-700 gross totals minimum.

I'm not 100% sure about using freight or cross country shipping services as I haven't done these before. I'd assume plus the airfare, we're talking a good $500 worth for ~200 lbs of stuff right?

Seems like it's worth it to me, and that at least I can drive when I am there.

 

[obamanation]

I don't understand, why do you say 360 miles? I thought you were driving from California to Connecticut... As for shipping services, I've had family members move across the country and used UPS without a hitch.

 

[gaidensensei]

18 gallon tank * 20 mpg = 360 miles between each fillup. I know from fact it's already about 2500 miles from CA to NY, did my math based on that.

 

[jlee]

18 gallon tank * 20 mpg = 360 miles between each fillup. I know from fact it's already about 2500 miles from CA to NY, did my math based on that.

You don't want to push close to empty - that's when you might get stuck in the 3hr traffic jam. On long trips (I drive NH -> FL and back each year) I prefer to fill up with at least 1/4 remaining, if not 1/3 or so. But that's me.

 

[gaidensensei]

OH, yeah good thinking. Keep figuring it's like a walk in the park to SF and back down kind of ride.

 

[obamanation]

I suggest you try out this calculator and you'll see things will be either cheaper or more expensive than you think
http://www.gasbuddy.com/Trip_Calculator.aspx

This will calculate JUST the cost of fuel. Don't be making ANY estimates for this trip because otherwise you'll end up spending more $$$ than you had expected and end up with a net loss. You also seem to be forgetting that you can bring the majority of what you want on the plane vs. shipping. But either way, shipping freight or even ground + flying is cheaper than driving + hotel stays, not to mention much nicer and easier on you.

 

[Jzero]

Some of the stuff I'm gonna haul over is probably too long and too much for your average wide sedan.

You should bring along some of the stuff you'll be transporting (what will you be transporting anyway?). Some of the small-to-mid size SUVs having shockingly small "trunks", so you're going to end up folding seats down or using a roof rack.

A sedan might not be perfect but you might want to check out Forrester, Outback, Matrix, Mazda3 hatch, Mazda5, Mazda6 Wagon, etc. I wouldn't worry about the weight...200lbs is just one beefy person. Even a Smart could carry 200lbs of cargo if you could fit it in and don't have a passenger!

 

[vi edit]

Outback wagon would be my first choice if a super high towing rating isn't needed.

 

[PricklyPete]

Outback wagon would be my first choice if a super high towing rating isn't needed.

Yep..outback or forester would be my immediate gut reaction for a cross country trip.

 

[jaedaliu]

quick questions:

how long are you staying there?

Do you need 4/all wheel drive? or is FWD good enough?

200 pounds can be a beast to get in and out of a sedan if the individual boxes are heavy and you have to lift out of the trunk. An alternative to SUV would be a minivan (lower bed) or a hatchback (like the subarus others have mentioned) I'm a big fan of 3 door hatches. I have a mental block that says that 5 door hatches are stationwagons.

 

[desy]

Look for an 06 Saturn Vue 6 cyl
Same Honda powertrain as a Acura MDX, better on gas than a 4runner, smoother ride,
and you get much newer cheaper cause its a domestic

 

[JS80]

Be careful. Scary shit driving from coast to coast with yellow skin.

 

[yh125d]

What are you taking with you?



And don't underestimate the hauling capacity of a midsize sedan. I fit a 52" DLP in the back seat of my fusion