Need A New Car

[The_Ancient]

Well I have been Putting some thought in to Buying a New car, or rather a SUV

I currently own a 1994 Tbird, and a 1991 Chevy 4x4 Truck.. Sold my Camaro awhile back so I need a new car

I can not decide what I want, I would like to spend around $15,000 realitically I will probally have to go up to $20-25,000 to get what I want though

Looking for a Late Model, 4x4 or AWD SUV that has a good amount of Cargo Space, and good Ride. This will be my Primary Work Transporation, I travel about 100miles on any given day to differant locations as part of my Job

Gas Milage is not a Concern, Company Pays for all Gas, Relaiblity however is.

Any Suggestion?

I have looked at 2000-2002 Tahoes and Expolers even an Expoloer Sport Trac..

Been thinking about a nissan even though I hate import brands they have been getting good reviews..

any ideas?

[geolemon]

I'm a fan of the Sport Tracs.. comfy little trucks, full interior, handy-sized bed. No idea on their reliability though.

I've got a Pathfinder myself... everyone I've ever talked to has raved about them. Personally, I preferred my Hardbody... but that's simply because I can't haul stuff like sheets of wood like i could with the Hardbody, and I thought I would be able too.
The Pathfinder I have is a 2wd model, and it handles much better, drives much more like a car, since I've lowered it about 4".
(I doubt you'd be doing that... besides, you want a 4x4, it's actually hard to find a 2wd one)

You've got a truck... why do you want an SUV?
Why do you want 4x4?
For driving on the highway, there's got to be better choices, I think... just fundamentally.. but I obviously don't know what you plan on really purchasing this for.

[The_Ancient]

Originally posted by geolemon@Jun 18 2004, 11:50 PM
I'm a fan of the Sport Tracs.. comfy little trucks, full interior, handy-sized bed. No idea on their reliability though.

I've got a Pathfinder myself... everyone I've ever talked to has raved about them. Personally, I preferred my Hardbody... but that's simply because I can't haul stuff like sheets of wood like i could with the Hardbody, and I thought I would be able too.
The Pathfinder I have is a 2wd model, and it handles much better, drives much more like a car, since I've lowered it about 4".
(I doubt you'd be doing that... besides, you want a 4x4, it's actually hard to find a 2wd one)

You've got a truck... why do you want an SUV?
Why do you want 4x4?
For driving on the highway, there's got to be better choices, I think... just fundamentally.. but I obviously don't know what you plan on really purchasing this for.

well I will explain my job again in more detail, that is the MAIN function for this vechile..


I have 4 Stores assinged to me, May be getting a 5th soon but that has yet to be decided.

the furthest store is 100miles from my location, the closest is 300ft :P

I need enough space to Hual a Small Tool Box, and Rather Large Product Signage and Display Racks.. but it has to be Covered due to it being in cardboard boxes and the sings made of carboard or paper. they cant get wet....

Now you said "you have a truck" yes I do, but it is Uncovered, I thought about Putting a Hard Top Cover on it or even a Topper (which I HATE) but................ (see next item)

all of my Cars are 10++ years old, Reliablty is becoming a Concern, I can not afford to go out and have car problems, grated a new SUV will not absolve me from that but if I pick on properly it will limit that.. Plus the tranny in my tbird feels like it is on its last legs, I give it about another year before I need to replace it, so I either need to trade it off, sell it, or make plans to fix it. if I fix it I will probally do a whole drive train swap for a 5.0 v8 ...

anyway, the final point is I WANT a nice newer (under 4 years old) car, I about the tbird in 1999 or 2000, and that was nicest car I ever Owned. before that I alwats 1980's vechiles..

Now I have a career, one that is the most stable job I have ever Had, and I make enough money that I can afford the payment (up to $450-500/mo) so I think it is time I buy what I want this time

Finally you asked why 4x4..

I want 4x4 or awd because of winter concerns, I can drive a RWD car or truck in any condistions with no problems, I have been for years but I like the stablity of a 4x4, I dont need it for off roading, mainly for saftey

[sandt38]

Look into the Nissans. My wife wanted a truck, so I got her the most reliable truck out there. I wanted her and the kids to get where they needed to go, without having to worry. The truck has 110,000 miles, and outside of regular maintainance (well, our tranny crapped out young, but the factory rebuilt unit has held up for over 80,000 miles) no issues. At 110,000 I have put belts on it (it didn't need it but we were driving cross country) 3 sets of plugs, and done 1 brake job. Yes, 1 brake job at 75,000 miles. They did have issues with inhibitor relays, but I have a spare under the hood and my wife knows where it is and how to connect it should an issue ever arise.

The 2.4 liter Nissan motor is one of the very toughest out there. The V6s have some issues, but the generally are not too bad. My suggestion is a pickup with a bed liner and cover. Whether a teaneu cover or full cab cover is your choice.

For $20,000 I would look into the new Chevy Equinox. I have a customer who bought one and he loves it. It is not all wheel drive, but it is front wheel drive. The only issues I forsee with the engine may be the common intake manifold gasket issues on the 3.1 liter Chevys. The 3.4 the Equinox houses is a modified 3.1. They may have resolved the issue though, so who knows. Not to mention, there is a ton of room under the hood. I suspect repair bills to be soft compared to the heafty bills we see due to crammed engine bays that are too common nowadays. And, with all that space, it would not bee to imp[ossible to imagine you doing the job yourself. I seem to recall you are a bit handy, correct?

[geolemon]

I'd pass on the 4x4.
Remember, I live in Buffalo...

4 wheel drive doesn't get you through the snow safer - traction does.

There's just three things to consider... accelleration traction, cornering traction, braking traction.

4 wheel drive helps accelleration traction.
4 wheel drive does not help cornering traction in the snow.
4 wheel drive does not help braking traction in the snow.
This is fundamentally why you see more SUV's off the side of the highways than absolutely anything else... false sense of security.

On the other hand, you can take I'd almost say any 2 wheel drive vehicle in the world, shoe it up with four good snow tires (something akin to the Dunlop Graspics we got for my wife's Beetle 2 years back), and it'll not only easily outhandle, outbrake, and just generally outdrive ANY production 4wd vehicle out there shod with typical all-season tires, but it will even out-accellerate it in the snow.

The bottom line is traction... always.

It's similar to autocrossing...
I've got a whole catalog worth of suspension and chassis upgrades that I've made to my Civic, which is not only lightweight, but has the dynamic advantage of the dual-unequal-length A-arm suspension, and the benefits of it's dynamic camber with body roll...
And I autocross it with my Nitto street tires on it.

And I get my butt handed to me every single event by bone stock cars like Neons and Miatas - running in stock classes - shod with sticky autocross slicks on a spare set of wheels.

Good traction will ALWAYS be a bigger factor than absolutely anything you can do to a vehicle... in the case of snow, that means 4wd, as well.

Personally, I've never owned a 4x4, despite living up here.
But I usually end up tearing away from stoplights, being able to exceed the speed limit, and not worry about that next stoplight, because I usually take the stock wheels that came with the car/truck, and have a good set of real, quality snow tires put on them.

That would be my advice...
WAY cheaper than 4wd, and way more effective in the snow, because it does more than let your vehicle accellerate in the snow.

You aren't going to find many emergency situations where you need to accellerate from a stop in the snow quickly... and it would really suck to be in an emergency situation where you find yourself needing to corner or brake quicker - but are driving a vehicle that only accellerates marginally better in the snow. (maybe even brakes or handles worse in the snow, because it's heavier than it's 2wd counterpart - or other vehicle on the road! )

[Honest Bob]

Hell yeah, I got some decent snow tires for the front of my Sentra, it gets me anywere I need to go in the snow.

[The_Ancient]

well

1> Snow is not my olny Concern, as I have stated, I NEED the cargo space, you dont understand how much Room the Signage I haul Takes up,

2> your Preaching to the Choir on 4wd, I have drive 2wd in snow and everything else, my truck handles it 10000000000x better than my tbird ever did.....

3> I like SUV's :P

but if you think there are vechiles out there that fit my need that are NONE suv's NAME SOME, i am open to suggestion, the fact of the matter I dont have a CLUE what is out there anymore, I have not be paying attention to what the car makers are producing , well besides the "hot rod" stuff which I can not afford anyway

[sandt38]

Chris,

Being from Buffalo (and driving durring some blizzards you are likely to barely be able to remember ) I too agree that a 4WD is not really nessicary. However, I do beg to differ about the ability to turn not being affected by the 4WD vehicle over a RWD vehicle. On a 4WD and FWD car, the front tires pull the front end in the direction you ask the car to go. In a RWD the only turning you do is though pushing the front wheels through the snow/ice. There is a differance.

But, FWD is also very good in the snow and ice Mike, and in the price range you are considering the Equinox will be brand new, FWD, and an SUV. I think it would be a great fit for you.

[The_Ancient]

I have looked at the equinox online.. I will probally stop by a local dealer and look at it in person next weekend..

but I am still keeping myself open........

[sandt38]

It looks better in person than it does online too

My customer has a white one with a beige interior.