new (used) vehicle decision

[pontifex]

I've owned only sedans my whole life.
I've always wanted a truck but due ot being gas hogs and price, I never bought one.

I've been working from home the last 5 years so gas wouldn't be too big of an issue now. Problem would be if I lose my job or something like that where I have to travel an hour to work again. Although still only getting under 20 mpg is bad.

The price is still an issue too.

I want something that I can haul stuff around in, like my lawn mower or snowblower if they need service or need to use them elsewhere, lawn/home supplies/appliances, pull a trailer for coal (I have a coal stove for the winter), and I also hunt so hauling a deer or just going back fields and stuff would be nice.

I need crew cab or at least extended cab for when I have my nieces and nephew or want to go somewhere with more than 1 other person.

I'm trying to find a truck in my price range and it's a bit tough.

I test drove a 2012 Nissan Frontier but it was too small for leg room.
I sat in a 2016 Frontier to see if it was any different and it seemed smaller yet I think (probably same size in reality).

Sat in a Nissan Titan too and that was too small.

Sat in a Ford F150 and that had good room but I don't have a good opinion on Fords. Have yet to try a Tacoma, but afraid that will be the same as the frontier in size. Want to try a Silverado 1500 and Ram 1500 yet.

My 2nd option is an SUV but not sure what I want there. I drove 2 different Chevy Equinoxes (rentals) from PA to MA on 2 different occasions and I really liked them, so that is 1 option. Not sure what else is a good option to look at.
With the SUV I would have more storage capacity and if I got a v6 could haul stuff in a trailer.


pretty sure whatever I get I want a v6 at least and either 4wd or awd

 

[lxskllr]

I just got a dakota(V8). Gas mileage won't be great, but it has plenty of room.

 

[microAmp]

Don't forget to check out Chevy Colorado, then next year? Ford will have a new Ranger out, which will be similar to Colorado and Tacoma. These kinds of trucks will get you better MPG than a full size F-150 and maybe GM 1500 series.

I've settled for Colorado or Tacoma when I decide to get rid of my Dodge Avenger. Due to towing abilities, looks, V6 HP.

My 2007 F150 Crew Cab 4.6L V8 got 16-17 MPG pretty much. My 1999 GMC 1500 Single Cab 4.8L V8 got 18 MPG on a regular basis.

 

[pontifex]

Don't forget to check out Chevy Colorado, then next year? Ford will have a new Ranger out, which will be similar to Colorado and Tacoma. These kinds of trucks will get you better MPG than a full size F-150 and maybe GM 1500 series.

I've settled for Colorado or Tacoma when I decide to get rid of my Dodge Avenger. Due to towing abilities, looks, V6 HP.

My 2007 F150 Crew Cab 4.6L V8 got 16-17 MPG pretty much. My 1999 GMC 1500 Single Cab 4.8L V8 got 18 MPG on a regular basis.

Problem is not enough leg room with the smaller trucks even though they better gas mileage.

I havent seen any colorados in my online searches.

 

[lxskllr]

The Colorado worries me. I considered it when I was looking, but early on they had motor problems. They're supposed to have been fixed, but I don't have much trust in GM in general. For the right price, I may have given it a shot, but I prefer Dodge and Ford for trucks. My perfect pickup would be a dakota, with a jeep drivetrain, featuring the 4l inline 6.

 

[Torn Mind]

I have a hunch that it will get pretty old lifting gas equipment into those high beds on trucks and you'll pick up a landscape trailer soon enough. Those trailers can be hauled by smaller vehicles, with the 4'x 8' trailers towable by small cars with a 1500lb towing capacity.

You can consider vans or minivans. I have never owned minivan, but the "open sesame" doors can make a convert.

 

[WackyDan]

For what you are talking about hauling you are better off with a V6 Sedan or SUV and buying a small utility trailer large enough for your snow blower. The other advantage is you can get a small trailer with a ramp so you can load the snow blower by yourself and much more safely.

The newer car/suv with trailer will be cheaper than a full size truck and get better mileage.

I say all that as someone who owns an F-150 Super Crew with the 5.0 V8. I also work from home. I put maybe 6k miles a year on it and half of those miles are towing a 7000 pound trailer. It is comfy, but I got the super crew with the 6.5 bed and it can be a PITA to park in some parking lots... But in my case it fit my needs. In yours, a full size truck is probably overkill and wasteful... But it's your money.

 

[pauldun170]

Buy an older pickup for under 3K and keep it as a second car.
Dodge Ram, Ford 150's..Chevy....whatever is in good shape and make sure you research the trim level for common issues.
Try it out and see if you actually use it to its full potential.

At the very least get the pickup bug out of your system.
if it turns out you truck nut, then go ahead and get a pickup you like.

For actual hauling household stuff...I'd rather a Dodge Caravan or a Ford Transit.
Keeps the stuff dry and no need for ramps or shenanignas to load stuff up.

OR for the rare occasions I need to haul a big item that won't fit in the back of the car...u-haul or trailer is a hell of lot cheaper than committing to a pickup truck

 

[pontifex]

Have looked at several trucks and SUVs at different dealers so far. This is a draining and frustrating experience, although I have narrowed things down a bit. Chevy Silverado 1500 is the truck I want.
Haven't found a SUV I really like yet. Not sure what the deal is with the Equinoxes as the one I tried so far is too small for me. I don't recall any issues with the rentals I had several years ago. Not sure what year Equinoxes they were but the 2015 as too small. Ford Explorer has fit the best so far.

Finding that I really

Only found 1 that I really liked but it was at one of those "our price is the best price, we don't haggle" places and it was just too much imo.
It was a really sweet loaded Chevy Silverado.

There was a slightly less awesome Chevy Silverado at another place and it turns out they were one of the "our price is the best price, we don't haggle" places and it cost too much too.

Trucks are too expensive for how old they are and how many miles are on them. It's ridiculous. I think it's going to be hard to find something I like that I can afford.

Only had 2 pushy salespeople so far. Really wanted to punch the one guy in the face, that was how annoying he was.

 

[master_shake_]

The Colorado worries me. I considered it when I was looking, but early on they had motor problems. They're supposed to have been fixed, but I don't have much trust in GM in general. For the right price, I may have given it a shot, but I prefer Dodge and Ford for trucks. My perfect pickup would be a dakota, with a jeep drivetrain, featuring the 4l inline 6.

i called the GM dealership for a part for one and the parts guy called it a piece of shit isuzu.

take that as you will.

to me it sounds like a good idea to stay away from them.

 

[zerocool84]

With has prices having been so low for a while, truck and suv sales have gone up huge again. Trucks are definitely not cheap and yea someone will buy it for the sticker price. You'll just have to shop around for a good used deal.

 

[pontifex]

found a 2010 silverado from a private seller, low mileage, was owned by his 86 yr old uncle. add says it's like new. it's a little over 2 hours away though, and I'd have to apply for a loan up front since it's a private seller. going to call tomorrow and see if it's still available and get more info.

 

[pontifex]

The one from the private seller was already sold.

 

[Tweak155]

I like the F150 that I drive around, mainly drive it because I like it, not so much need (although it comes in useful fairly often... just yesterday I transported a bunch of lawn equipment).

Overall I probably don't get the dollar value out of it, but I just like driving it. Only drive about 8-10k miles per year and this thing averages a little over 20mpg even on my work commute. It's the newer style with aluminum body.

Debating what I will do when the lease ends... lots of options that I could see working from a sedan all the way back up to an F150.

 

[BurnItDwn]

How much do you plan to tow or haul? Many small SUVs can tow 1-1.5 Tons, and with seats down, can carry decent amount of crap.

Many Hatchbacks can carry a decent amount of crap in the back and can tow 3/4 of a ton.

But, they are nothing compared to a proper truck, or even a truck sized SUV (Durango can tow a shitton, even the modern unibody version, though I am biased against Chrysler after having owned one a number of years ago)

You already mentioned Equinox, just be aware that they seem to not have the most reliable engine in history...
http://longtermqualityindex.com/vehicles/Chevrolet_Equinox.html

 

[The J]

If you liked the Equinox, but wanted something larger, would a Traverse work?

 

[pontifex]

If you liked the Equinox, but wanted something larger, would a Traverse work?

Maybe, but from what i saw they got low reviews.

 

[BurnItDwn]

Chevy Tahoe is more or less the same thing as 1/2 ton pickup, built heavy and come with the 5.3L vortec standard. We were looking at them for a while and really liked em for the Woman's car.

But we didnt need something so big, and have more or less settled upon Ford Edge...

 

[Demo24]

Problem is not enough leg room with the smaller trucks even though they better gas mileage.

I havent seen any colorados in my online searches.

The Colorado seems to have the best seating position of the new small trucks. C/d made mention of this recently and were not thrilled with the Tacoma's "legs forward" position. I figure if you fit well in an equinox, you'll fit well in a Colorado/canyon. Even get it with a diesel for 30mpg.

Can't comment on the engine reliability, but all the gas engines are shared amongst many different models (v6 especially), just make sure if you look you are looking at the new model. The old model never scored well in reviews.

 

[Demo24]

i called the GM dealership for a part for one and the parts guy called it a piece of shit isuzu.

take that as you will.

to me it sounds like a good idea to stay away from them.

That was the first gen which was co-developed with Isuzu.

 

[pontifex]

Drove a 2013 Dodge Durango today. That was one sweet SUV! Only "problem" was that it was silver. I've been driving a silver car for 12 years and kind of want a change in color! Although I wouldn't hesitate to buy if it was at the right price.

It's also slightly more than I want to spend, but it was nicely loaded. only thing missing was a tow hitch.

Hard to find one with my criteria and in my price range though.

So when guys are looking for a used vehicle, how much does mileage matter. I know the lower the better usually. Is there a recommended cutoff point?
My dad is telling me not to get anything over 50,000 miles.



Going to an estate sale this weekend where there is 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 with 16,000 miles. I'm expecting this will go for a lot, but maybe I'll get lucky and no one else will want it? No, I'm not that lucky.
Not sure if there is a reserve price on it either.

 

[lxskllr]

I expect 200k relatively problem free miles. Figure out how much you want to pay per year based on the miles you drive.

Silver's a good color for a car; doesn't draw heat. When I'm buying used, color doesn't matter. Core function is more important, but then I'm also a fan of dents. Lowers the price without lowering the function. A car's a car. Use it up, toss it, and get another.

 

[Meghan54]

Going to an estate sale this weekend where there is 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 with 16,000 miles. I'm expecting this will go for a lot, but maybe I'll get lucky and no one else will want it? No, I'm not that lucky.
Not sure if there is a reserve price on it either.

Just a few things about this. Be sure you find out how much the buyer's premium is...most auction houses charge a buyer's premium, a markup on the final bid. Typically it's 10% at the vast majority of auction houses. You can find the rare auction without a buyer's premium, but it is rare.

Also ask if the title is clear and in hand, or will you have to wait for the title to be paid off from your winning bid. And also be aware you'll probably not get a temp. tag....auction houses typically don't do the small things dealers do because...they're not car dealers.

And I think you are correct in that it won't go cheap. I attend an auction a few years ago when I was looking for a "new" vehicle in the driving rain. I put up with the rain because I, wrongly, assumed the pouring rain would drive prices down. Boy, was I wrong. People ended up paying more than what a comparable vehicle was selling for at a dealer, when buyer's premium was included. Never forget auction fever strikes fast and frequently and prices have been known to climb above retail when that happens. Don't get caught in up in that.

 

[pontifex]

Just a few things about this. Be sure you find out how much the buyer's premium is...most auction houses charge a buyer's premium, a markup on the final bid. Typically it's 10% at the vast majority of auction houses. You can find the rare auction without a buyer's premium, but it is rare.

Also ask if the title is clear and in hand, or will you have to wait for the title to be paid off from your winning bid. And also be aware you'll probably not get a temp. tag....auction houses typically don't do the small things dealers do because...they're not car dealers.

And I think you are correct in that it won't go cheap. I attend an auction a few years ago when I was looking for a "new" vehicle in the driving rain. I put up with the rain because I, wrongly, assumed the pouring rain would drive prices down. Boy, was I wrong. People ended up paying more than what a comparable vehicle was selling for at a dealer, when buyer's premium was included. Never forget auction fever strikes fast and frequently and prices have been known to climb above retail when that happens. Don't get caught in up in that.

No buyers premium and title s clear and in hand.

 

[pontifex]

well, the GMC Sierra wasn't comfortable for me to sit in. I was told that it was the same size as the Silverado, but there's no way because the Silverado fits me just nice.
now this was a 2015 compared to 2013 and 2010 models I checked out, so maybe the newer ones are slightly smaller?

It went for way more than I was able to pay, hell the 1st bid was more than I could pay so I didn't even get to bid n it.

Made an offer on the Durango I drove the other day and they wouldn't budge off their listed price.