Thinking about selling TB. What to get???

[OPIEFAVORS]

Hey all I'm thinking about selling or trading in the wife's Trailblazer and getting another SUV of some sort. What other vehicles out there are reliable? I line GM vehicles so I was thinking about a Traverse/ Acadia, or maybe the smaller Equinox/ Terrain. I also don't mind the Saturn and Pontiac versions of them either. I know they are difficult to work on. What should I look for when test driving it? What kind of problems do they have?
Thanks.

 

[Playsinsnow]

You said "SUV" but listed crossovers, cuv's. Are you set on GM? I would go full sized, Tahoe. My wife's fwd car handles snow better than her dad's equinox. I'll say it, Toyota. 4runner or highlander if you/she likes cuv's. There are so many now and the factory warranty on imports are hard to beat. Nissan, Hyundai, even Kia

There's a reason Pontiac and Saturn do not exist anymore. Can find them for cheap though.


You need to give us a few more details. Quite a vague question. Edit: Are you replacing a vehicle or want something with similar capabilities as the TB? Perhaps better mpgs?

I'm always looking and never buying.

 

[OPIEFAVORS]

Well the wife's TB has about had it. I have a Yukon XL 2500 myself and I'm thinking about trading it in on a truck. I guess your right they are considered crossovers. I work at GM and my wife just started at Chrysler so foreign vehicles are a no no. I've seen first hand what happens to peoples vehicles when they pull up in a foreign vehicle. Its not as bad where I work but at my wife's work they don't like nothing but Chrysler products in there lot. Hard to make that call when your company is owned by FIAT. The GM vehicles just seem to be better than the Chryslers all around. Better MPG, quality, performance. I'm mostly going off of what she likes and what will not be another mess like the trailblazer has been. Its been a good vehicle hasn't ever broken down on us but it seems like every time I get something fixed something else breaks.

Or should I just continue to fix it. The wife still likes it but the thing pisses me off lol.

 

[The_Roadie]

Do you have a mission that requires tow capacity (how much?), the strength of a body-on-frame design, or the ability to lift it for more ground clearance? If so, shun crossovers.

If it's groceries and the mall and babies and juice boxes and diaper runs to Costco and limp-dick AWD performance that reassures poor drivers that they can go through two feet of snow, then crossovers are your goal. They're this decade's evolution of the minivan, IMHO.

Your total cost of ownership will almost always be lower by extending the life of your current vehicle, assuming you haven't been cheaping out on required maintenance and you've been fixing it right with quality parts, not Cheap Chinese Crap.

 

[IllogicTC]

limp-dick AWD performance.

Thanks for helping cement my notion that 4x4 offers a better performance advantage. Both have their ups and downs, but for sheer power-to-the-road (or rock or dirt or whatever) 4x4 is still on top I guess :wootwoot:

They're this decade's evolution of the minivan

More like platypus-mobile. Part SUV (subtract the S-part and half of the U-part), part minivan (soccer moms rejoice!), part station wagon (lower sedan-like construction) with a hint of goofiness here and there, like those ridiculous-looking turn signal lamps on the Nissan Juke. The Juke actually almost had me sold on companies being able to create a decent-looking crossover, with the way the curves look on the back side. Then I saw the front and realized I need to mark it up with Nissan's Veloster for stupidity.

 

[IllogicTC]

I've seen first hand what happens to peoples vehicles when they pull up in a foreign vehicle. Its not as bad where I work but at my wife's work they don't like nothing but Chrysler products in there lot.

The first part, we're gonna need pictures. The second part, isn't that a bit anti-competitive? Not in the strictest sense, as in illegal, but come on. While I would find it disappointing to see my employees using a competitor's product, it offers a sobering look at how the company stack up to the competition (especially if discounts are offered for employees). I understand their mindset, but just because they're in their building doesn't suddenly bullet-proof them from the economy they deal in. Consultant Steve Tobak said that high-level people certainly should exhibit as much loyalty as possible, but for the common 9-to-5 employee, personal purchases are their own business, as long as you didn't receive "inside" discounts from the competitor or anything like that, really it should be legit. Just one of those things, though.

Edit: To keep this on-topic, do you feel you need to have something that offers different advantages than what the TB gives? Every car has its problems, some more than others and I guess you got one of the not-so-shiny apples. It can be aggravating, but the same thing COULD (big if here) happen with any other vehicle you get anyway. The question isn't so much about maintenance if the vehicle is relatively newer, it's about the total cost of ownership and having a feature set that matches your needs.

 

[Playsinsnow]

Get a Grip: 4WD vs AWD - Tech Feature - Truck Trend

Some awd vs 4wd reading material...

 

[OPIEFAVORS]

The first part, we're gonna need pictures. The second part, isn't that a bit anti-competitive? Not in the strictest sense, as in illegal, but come on. While I would find it disappointing to see my employees using a competitor's product, it offers a sobering look at how the company stack up to the competition (especially if discounts are offered for employees). I understand their mindset, but just because they're in their building doesn't suddenly bullet-proof them from the economy they deal in. Consultant Steve Tobak said that high-level people certainly should exhibit as much loyalty as possible, but for the common 9-to-5 employee, personal purchases are their own business, as long as you didn't receive "inside" discounts from the competitor or anything like that, really it should be legit. Just one of those things, though.

Edit: To keep this on-topic, do you feel you need to have something that offers different advantages than what the TB gives? Every car has its problems, some more than others and I guess you got one of the not-so-shiny apples. It can be aggravating, but the same thing COULD (big if here) happen with any other vehicle you get anyway. The question isn't so much about maintenance if the vehicle is relatively newer, it's about the total cost of ownership and having a feature set that matches your needs.

Its more of a UAW thing than anything. At her union hall they have a sign saying that all non-union vehicles will be towed. Some of her "co-workers" complain about even GM vehicles. I get to ask them "Why? You dont drive a Fiat". lol

But seriously , I don't want her to be driving a glorified minivan.

 

[IllogicTC]

Its more of a UAW thing than anything. At her union hall they have a sign saying that all non-union vehicles will be towed. Some of her "co-workers" complain about even GM vehicles. I get to ask them "Why? You dont drive a Fiat". lol

But seriously , I don't want her to be driving a glorified minivan.

The solution is to ride a Harley there, if they complain about it tell them that until GM offers a motorcycle there is no way to comply.

 

[Ghost]

Hummer ftw, ballen:thumbup:

 

[IllogicTC]

Hummer ftw, ballen:thumbup:

Depending on the model, those are girly.

No, seriously. There's a bunch of people with money around here thanks to the gas wells and coal, and their wives all drive H3s. Smaller county, and I know of at least 5-6 H3s all driven by women.

 

[Ghost]

Depending on the model, those are girly.

No, seriously. There's a bunch of people with money around here thanks to the gas wells and coal, and their wives all drive H3s. Smaller county, and I know of at least 5-6 H3s all driven by women.

Lmao @ H3 !
H2 buddy

 

[BoldAdventure]

My wife and I have always wanted an H3T Alpha. Love the looks, have test driven a few. Problem though is less room than the TB, and less towing capacity even in the 5.3L version. More expensive to lift, but a bigger aftermarket. Also, Alpha's are holding their value thus driving up the price. With the high prices in comparison to the con's, it's just a rig we'll probably never own, doesn't fit our mission. Still looks cool.

 

[TollKeeper]

The Acadia/Traverse/Enclave/Outlook counterpart all have big issues with the tranny. Some have gotten long term results, most have not. Great options in the Acadia thou. I love the HUD that they have. Better power options in the Enclave thou (if you want power pedals). Good highway gas mileage.

The Terrain/SRX/Equinox/Torrent/XL7/Vue (same vehicle) are better CUV's, with better fuel mileage, but not a very capable AWD system. I would go as far as to say that the AWD systems are incapable. The only one I would get, of the current model year, is the SRX with the Turbo Engine.

With her working for Chrysler, I would go buy a Jeep Grand Cherokee with the Eco-Diesel, if you are worried about fuel economy, or maybe the new Jeep Cherokee. I hated them, but I am a big guy, and the new Jeep was not built with people like me in mind. I think they are chick Jeeps anyways.

Last model of the Ford edge is also an option, the new ones have the same problem as the Jeep Cherokee (SMALL!). I hear ALOT of good things about the Ford Edge, and the Ford Fusion. The Taurus is also another great option that comes in AWD.