looking to purchase a used suv. curious to hear opinions on the best used one to buy. need reliability, 4wd, fairly economical etc. looking at under $12k. newer the better. also has to be no larger than an xterra. would also like opinions on what to stay away from. thanks in advance.
Best Used SUV to buy?
- Thread starter venmos1
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Wintermute
Banned
If you dont need anything big I'd say find a used wrangler. They hold their value, motors are bullet-proof, and they are a blast to drive.
Toyota Highlander
Explorer. Get it with the V8, because the V6 is slower than snail snot and doesn't get great mileage.
i have seen lots of escapes within our budget. anything wrong with the escape? around me ive seen wranglers to be highly priced (overpriced imo). i have seen a couple deals on a kia sorrento (has kia reliability improved?) and there are quite a few jgc laredos. keep the opinions coming.
There is nothing wrong with the Escape 3.0 V6. Its bullet proof:rockon:
Mine has 45k miles on it and its the limited version.:rolling:
My lease is about to expire in Feb:banana:
If you do get an Escape get the V6
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We have a V6 Jeep Grand Cherokee, its AWD and gets 18mpg, good for icy roads and my girlfriend that tailgates. (She had an Altima that she wrecked 2 times, both were following to close)
I'd shoot myself before I owned a Hybrid, especally an Escape Hybrid (I drive one for work and it SUCKS)
now I do have an 01 Explorer Sport 4x4, great vehicle and BFG All Terrains does quite good off road, of course I did loose about 3 mpg going from the OEM tires to the All Terrains, but IMHO it's worth it (get about 18 on the highway at 65 now)
My roommate has an '05 Explorer Sport. Really like a small F150 with a shortbed and dual cab. Works well for our dog hauling purposes. Just a tad over your desired price but worth it in my opinion. Decent milage for a V6. Good luck.
Exploder, hands down.
IMO, Jeep Wrangler owners are just like Harley Davidson owners. They hold the vehicles so high, even if they are old with tons of mileage simply because they are in love with them. Print out the KBB value of a Wrangler and bring it with you when you go to buy one. Same overpricing on Wranglers over here. :bash:
How about a Trailblazer? I had a 4x4 as a rental when I was TDY to Vegas and got a pretty consistent 18-19 mpg. The inline-6 seemed pretty stout with good acceleration off the line and at highway speeds. I believe they can be had for your price with decent mileage.
NXSVTCOBRA
New Member
I've got a black on black ML430 that can be had for $12k. Let me know.
4.3L V8, AWD, NAV, 6 CD Changer
4.3L V8, AWD, NAV, 6 CD Changer
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thanks for all the replies guys. this vehicle is for my fiance. she has always owned smaller cars. we will have to trade in our 03 saab. she is particular with size. i think that she needs to get into some of these and try them out. we stopped into a few dealerships to look around this weekend. as stated, she wants something small but not tiny. i have found many trailblazers around, but she says they are too big (long maybe?). i want something that is going to last and not require tons of money to be put into it every few months or so.she likes the honda crv but anything with a honda emblem is gold right now. there are alot of explorers around. but i have the feeling they may be too big for her. but she needs to try a few to get the feel of them.
we did own a jgc laredo awd before. decent vehicle. jeeps transmissions worry me though. also, i will not buy another awd. great in the winter but useless and a waste in other months. i did find a 2005 kia sorrento with 25k miles for 11. has warranty until 60k. sounds like a good deal. loaded too. but kia quality worries me. my sister has owned 2 and likes them. any opinion on kia? has their quality (and safety) improved? thanks guys, keep them coming. :beer:
we did own a jgc laredo awd before. decent vehicle. jeeps transmissions worry me though. also, i will not buy another awd. great in the winter but useless and a waste in other months. i did find a 2005 kia sorrento with 25k miles for 11. has warranty until 60k. sounds like a good deal. loaded too. but kia quality worries me. my sister has owned 2 and likes them. any opinion on kia? has their quality (and safety) improved? thanks guys, keep them coming. :beer:
+1 on a trailblazer we have a awd I6 and think it's a good DD.
Are older Toyota Highlanders too expensive still?
Jeep Grand Cherokee for sure. My family has owned one of each generation and loved them all. Used, they usually are priced the same as a Wrangler or cheaper but with a lot more creature comforts and an available V8.
jeep liberty
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