Mike.ASC
Well-known member
See post #5 & 36 . that Volvo will outlast most any GM product with less cost per mile over the lifespan . The novelty & excitement of a "New" car will wear off in about a year of payments.
Help with our car...
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flamewulfe
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You said you wanted 3rd row seating? Check out the Mazda CX9. We just bought a Grand Touring edition, couldn't be happier. Loaded to the gills with options, plenty of space, and beat out Chevy and Dodge for us. For a slightly used 2011 Acadia, the Chevy dealership wanted over $6k for the extended bumper to bumper warranty through 100k miles! I laughed, and asked them where the spare engine was they were pre-purchasing for us. Dodge was much the same experience for us with the Dodge Citadel. Salesman there had the nerve to tell us everyone pays exactly what's on the windshield, and that paying lump sum cash didn't mean any sort of discount. Also, the price they started with on the Citadel was $10k more than what was advertised on the windshield. Walked out.
Told all this to the Mazda salesman, his jaw dropped. Extended bumper to bumper warranty WITH NO DEDUCTIBLE to 100k miles added only about $1400 to the price. Really shows which manufacturer stands behind their product. I highly recommend the Mazda CX9. Fun to drive, and feature laden.
Told all this to the Mazda salesman, his jaw dropped. Extended bumper to bumper warranty WITH NO DEDUCTIBLE to 100k miles added only about $1400 to the price. Really shows which manufacturer stands behind their product. I highly recommend the Mazda CX9. Fun to drive, and feature laden.
pendragon1998
Well-known member
I would seriously look at Toyotas if I were y'all. You could get a nice early 2000s 4runner for less than half of that budget. I think we paid about $7k for our 1999 with 140k miles on it 4 years ago. We currently have 2 1999 4runners with 200k miles on them and they're in great shape. 200k is 'just broken in' for a taken-care-of 4runner
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Wow, that stinks. It may not even have required a transmission rebuild. He might've ripped you guys off.
Another option for a 7 passenger vehicle would be a minivan. They are less expensive than an SUV, get better gas mileage, and are not as big and bulky, and are more car-like than an SUV.
My mother-in-law has a Chevy Traverse SUV (same as Acadia/Enclave), and it's a pain in the **** trying to climb into the rear 3rd row seating. It doesn't have the large sliding doors like a minivan has.
That one we can't fix !!
If your parents would prefer a Terrain over say a Honda Odyessy or Toyota Sienna . . . . you've got your work cut out for you!!
Heck a Volvo XC90 would be better choice than any of those Chevy offerings you mentioned.
Best of luck to you, since you're 15 the BIGGEST issue you will face when driving ANY vehicle will be insurance cost. Your first call about any vehicle should be to your insurance guy.
Even if you don't want the Volvo, it'll sell for pennies if it has problems. If you fix the electrical gremlins, more than likely all (or most) the other issues go away. So replace that alternator, check the battery, reset the codes and see where you're at.
I wouldn't touch those GM products with a 10 ft pole. Honda Pilot or CX-9 are solid choices in my book. But I really question the utility of those 3rd rows in most of these SUV's. If they are a PITA to get in and out of and they really can't accomodate anyone larger than a child, then how useful can it be (assuming you don't have a small child to stuff back there)? I think people convince themselves that 3 must be better than 2 and then open the checkbook.
I wouldn't touch those GM products with a 10 ft pole. Honda Pilot or CX-9 are solid choices in my book. But I really question the utility of those 3rd rows in most of these SUV's. If they are a PITA to get in and out of and they really can't accomodate anyone larger than a child, then how useful can it be (assuming you don't have a small child to stuff back there)? I think people convince themselves that 3 must be better than 2 and then open the checkbook.
flamewulfe
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Believe it or not, there was enough room for me and my wife to sit comfortably in the 3rd row of the CX9. I'm short, but she's quite a bit taller, but I would definitely say it was surprisingly roomy. Not just for children. I remember the old Durangos had virtually useless rear seats, back in the day.
Oh, and our insurance only went up $9 a month! For full coverage!
Oh, and our insurance only went up $9 a month! For full coverage!
Good choice, I hope. I feel your pain, when I was 16 I "poured" over cars, reading stuff etc, and what my parents would do made me nuts. Dealers took horrible advantage of them, buying, selling, and repairing, and not a thing I could do about it.
As many have said, modern cars are VERY twitchy about voltage. Plenty here disagree, but those jump starts can create serious problems later on too. Good battery should solve most issues as long as its fully charged, at least until the charge runs down in half an hour or so with a bad alternator. Bad cables can be very deceptive as the corrosion can be mostly under the insulation, and the voltage drop causes charging and run time troubles.
As many have said, modern cars are VERY twitchy about voltage. Plenty here disagree, but those jump starts can create serious problems later on too. Good battery should solve most issues as long as its fully charged, at least until the charge runs down in half an hour or so with a bad alternator. Bad cables can be very deceptive as the corrosion can be mostly under the insulation, and the voltage drop causes charging and run time troubles.