I'm in the market for a new car...again! (braking, best, trucks)

[SpeedyAZ]

Well I just got back from the Lexus dealership and looked at both the RX350 and GX470.

RX350

PROS: I love the interior! Very comfortable seats with great support. The console was well laid-out and the navigation was fairly simple to use. This thing seemed to have every available option! I also liked the styling, very clean. Price was square with my budget at $46,000. Lexus is also known for its' reliability which is a plus.

CONS: The only real con I see is the power. The V6 does a good job in the city but highway driving was a bit of an issue. And it isn't a large SUV.

Overall the Lexus is a 9.5/10.

I also looked at the GX470 but the price was well over $50,000 and I really don't want to spend that much. It's was quite nice but I still perfer the RX350. Now I'm off to the Chevy/GMC dealership.

[Cosmic]

Originally Posted by SpeedyAZ

I take it that you're not a fan of SUV's ?

I'm not too worried about gas mileage, it's pretty low on my priority list. I really don't want to think about how much it costs to fill up the tank.

An SUV is the only thing I feel safe in while driving the crazy Phoenix traffic. I couldn't drive a car in this, I need to have some substance around me. I also like to sit up high and have a better view of the road (pretty bad reason but it's true). And I also need something that can haul clients around with ease and comfort.

I should be able to get around $22,000 for my Escape. My budget is right around $45K without stretching myself too far. Any advice would be appreciated, I'd love to hear from any owners of the SUV's I'm looking at.

Check ok got you. Dial in these factors, turn the crank.

• Forget the gas mileage
• Big and tough
• Up High
• Safety
• Phoenix intimidation factor
• Under $46,000
• Haul lots of clients

I also throw in the ability to go off road to show lake front property with very large families. Haul dirt, move family to close deals. Two models in stock at present. Olive and white available either model. Service with a smile.

[lionking]

I said it before,the Honda Element is awesome.I love mine.I use to work for Honda and can say that nothing ever goes wrong with them other than normal wear.

Great on gas,lots and lots of room.You may think they are ugly at first but it will grow on you.

It keeps its resail value well,and you can find a good used one for 13k to 17k.

[momof2dfw]

Originally Posted by SpeedyAZ

Well I just got back from the Lexus dealership and looked at both the RX350 and GX470.

RX350

PROS: I love the interior! Very comfortable seats with great support. The console was well laid-out and the navigation was fairly simple to use. This thing seemed to have every available option! I also liked the styling, very clean. Price was square with my budget at $46,000. Lexus is also known for its' reliability which is a plus.

CONS: The only real con I see is the power. The V6 does a good job in the city but highway driving was a bit of an issue. And it isn't a large SUV.

Overall the Lexus is a 9.5/10.

I also looked at the GX470 but the price was well over $50,000 and I really don't want to spend that much. It's was quite nice but I still perfer the RX350. Now I'm off to the Chevy/GMC dealership.

Two in one day.... you ARE going to need a drink when you get home if not sooner.

I know a few people that have the Lexus and I have not heard many complaints. They are nice. The only drawback is going to be the 3rd row seating is not there. Lexus is more of what I call the "Cadillac drive" where it just glides or floats. It is comfortable but it is not the performance car. Just depends on what you personally are looking for. If you are used to the 911 getting up and going can you easily make the transition from one to the other? At least that transition would be easier than one I have done: going from the 68 Camaro to the BMW or Porsche. From no power brakes or steering to TIGHT and touchy brakes, lol.

I have not read the reviews on msn.com for the Lexus or the new GM products but I'd recommend doing so just to give you an idea of what potential problems to look for.

[motormaker]

Speedy,
You might want to take a look at the GMC Acadia or Satun Outlook (basically the same vehicle. The 3rd row looks have more access than the Lexus.

[SpeedyAZ]

I also throw in the ability to go off road to show lake front property with very large families. Haul dirt, move family to close deals. Two models in stock at present. Olive and white available either model. Service with a smile.

Oh boy, where can I buy one?

Two in one day.... you ARE going to need a drink when you get home if not sooner.

Haha, time to break out the whiskey! And it was 3 dealerships...maybe a double shot?

I know a few people that have the Lexus and I have not heard many complaints. They are nice. The only drawback is going to be the 3rd row seating is not there. Lexus is more of what I call the "Cadillac drive" where it just glides or floats. It is comfortable but it is not the performance car. Just depends on what you personally are looking for. If you are used to the 911 getting up and going can you easily make the transition from one to the other? At least that transition would be easier than one I have done: going from the 68 Camaro to the BMW or Porsche. From no power brakes or steering to TIGHT and touchy brakes, lol.

I agree with you, the ride was very "floaty". The passing power didn't seem to be there; it rode well but didn't have a lot of get-up-and-go.

[SpeedyAZ]

Okay here's my thoughts:

I looked at probably 30 or so SUV's today. Each had different colours, options, prices, etc. There are 5 that I'm seriously considering. I didn't really take time to "haggle" today, I plan on going back tomorrow and doing the "dirty work". Here are the 5 main ones that I'm looking at (all '07):

1) Chevy Tahoe 2WD 3LT w/ navigation, sunroof, power liftgate and most other options- $48,000. Also has my favorite color combo (black ext. with cashmere int.).
2) Chevy Tahoe 4WD LTZ w/ navigation, retractable running boards, and various other options- $52,000. No sunroof thought.
3) Chevy Tahoe 2WD 3LT w/ navigation, sunroof, and various other options- $45,000. No power liftgate though.
4) GMC Yukon 4WD SLT2 w/ navigation, sunroof, power liftgate, and various other options- $51,000.
5) GMC Yukon Denali AWD w/ navigation, sunroof, and various other options- $55,000. Also my favorite color combo. By far the coolest.

Right now I'm leaning toward the 1st option but that Denali is really cool! Any input? Decisions....

[msjbrent]

I must advise against the GMC Yukon. Terrible, terrible, terrible gas mileage.

[momof2dfw]

1) Chevy Tahoe 2WD 3LT w/ navigation, sunroof, power liftgate and most other options- $48,000. Also has my favorite color combo (black ext. with cashmere int.).My favorite color combo too, lol. Love my black cars. Has all of the important options to make it a good car for yourself and for resale purposes. Navigation is the only one that can be forgiven if it does not have. Do you NEED the 4WD? If not then don't spend the extra dollars on it as most 2WD vehicles can do what a 4WD does for most people, unless you like to play in the mud.

2) Chevy Tahoe 4WD LTZ w/ navigation, retractable running boards, and various other options- $52,000. No sunroof thought.Nope, like my sunroof. And for the extra $4K all your getting is the 4WD and retractable running boards. Not enough to make up for not having the sunroof to me. Long term the sunroof can bring in more money on resale over the 4WD possibly.

3) Chevy Tahoe 2WD 3LT w/ navigation, sunroof, and various other options- $45,000. No power liftgate though.
And the color is? If it is not a color on the exterior or interior that you really like, don't do it as you are only going to regret it in the long run. Get the one that makes you happy even though it is an extra $3K.

4) GMC Yukon 4WD SLT2 w/ navigation, sunroof, power liftgate, and various other options- $51,000.
Basically the same as #2? Which one has the color you like the best?

5) GMC Yukon Denali AWD w/ navigation, sunroof, and various other options- $55,000. Also my favorite color combo. By far the coolest.Yep, they are NICE! Black exterior w/ the cashmere interior? AWD is nice. It is the most expensive so what does it have to offer to make you really happy over the others?

[SpeedyAZ]

Deb-

You're really helping make my decision easier. It's nice to have an unbiased person walk you through the process. Thanks.

I absolutely LOVE black vehicles. Both the #1 option, #4 option, and #5 option have black exteriors. However only #1 and #5 have the cashmere interior that I like. #4 has a black interior (which looks nice but it gets unbearably hot in the Phoenix sun).

I'm going to nix off option #2 and option #3 since they aren't exactly what I want. Might as well take off #4 as well since that black leather is absolutely unbearable.

This is quite a hard decision! I'm going to take the RX350 off my list after being in these two vehicles. I've decided that I really like the comfort and substance of the Tahoe/ Yukon.