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Price range is under 4k so obviously very used. I have 3 kids and plan on more so bigger the better...I am used to the gas guzzling so no problem there.
The OP has three kids and wants more and he can only afford 4k vehicle.
The problem is he is on the wrong forum. He should be on the relationship forum asking how many kids should I have before I can't afford any car?
The OP has three kids and wants more and he can only afford 4k vehicle.
The problem is he is on the wrong forum. He should be on the relationship forum asking how many kids should I have before I can't afford any car?
I can afford plenty I just don't want a car payment for one and don't want to spend my entire tax refund for two.Oh and we plan on having another baby.
I can afford plenty I just don't want a car payment for one and don't want to spend my entire tax refund for two.Oh and we plan on having another baby.
How many miles...200K?
If all you can afford "without a car payment" is $4000, you definitely shouldn't be having any more kids. Maybe you should focus on saving money.
I highly doubt any vehicle that costs $3500 is going to last for much more than a few months without some major repair expenses. That's just stupid.
LR Discovery? Could you get a more top heavy, underpowered vehicle to look any more goofy?
Well I love the look of them first off, they just need different, bigger wheels. Under powered? I dont plan on going 100mph in the thing, I just need it to handle rough roads. Its still a V8. I love the fact they offer manual transmissions also. If you know how to drive the thing it doesnt matter how top heavy it is.
I could see why that wouldnt qualify to lug children around but then again, if you knew the limits and how to drive, it wouldnt be a problem...that, aside from an act of god.
Dodge in general has a reputation of making vehicles with high maintenance costs. My current roommate has an Escalade. He loves it but has admitted that he has to take it in about once a year to get something fixed at a cost of about $1000 each time (dealership mechanic pricing I'm guessing).
My personal take is that no one needs a big, fat gas guzzling SUV regardless of the reliability factor or manufacturer. Wars have been fought and good red blooded American soldiers have died in the name of securing US oil interests just so us fat bodied, over indulgent Americans can continue to drive gas guzzlers. We consume like 60% (not exactly sure on this number) of the worlds natural resources and then wonder why people thing we're a train wreck.
I went back and read a few responses. Escalades are NOT off road vehicles. What joke. You want to go off road get a Jeep.
If all you can afford "without a car payment" is $4000, you definitely shouldn't be having any more kids. Maybe you should focus on saving money.
I highly doubt any vehicle that costs $3500 is going to last for much more than a few months without some major repair expenses. That's just stupid.
My personal life is my business not anyone else's. If I wanted to stay in debt I would get a vehicle with a car payment. I prefer older vehicles anyways and I know its going to eventually have problems. My vehicle was stolen and burned a week and half ago so I have no choice but to use my income tax refund to buy something,I wasn't planning on doing so. Oh and with a car payment I could spend my entire refund on a down payment and damn near pay off something 2005 or newer if I wanted to...just don't want to.
I would very storngly recommend a full sized conversion van. More room, cheaper, more comfortable.
However between Escalade, and Durango, Escalade is a considerably better vehicle if ou do not mind the image that comes with it. I can no longer rememebr the year, but some time ago Durango had a problem with a propensity to roll. BE careful what year you get. Also with the suburbans and avalanche the 2004 and later models were markedly better and less problmeatic than earlier models. Escalade is probably the same since they are all mroe or less the same vehicle.
Can ou do your own repairs? We have found cars under $5,000 tend to end up needing repairs in the $1000 - $4,000 range before too long. If you can cobble it together yourself, you can usually keep alive for a few years an if something major goes, just scrap it and get another one.
Another bit we learned. A $5,000 vehicle is usually not signficantly more reliable than a $2500 car (both are pretty likely to need work from time to time), however if you buy two $2500 vahicles, then you are much more likely to have something running while you fix the other.
By the way, when I was looking for an avalanche, I found quite a few of them with 250,000 to 350,000 miles on them, so obviously they are capable of lasting that long if they are cared for. The trick is finding one that was well cared for.
I think the Escalade is a little played out. It was fashionable at one time when the P Diddy white diamond paint and 22 inch chrome wheels were popular but it's cliche now and says "wannabe gangsta" and carries little class. Plus, it's one of the most stolen cars in America because it attracts a certain crowd and they like to steal them for the parts. i the plastic chrome is rather annoying. I feel like GM cars are kind of cheap and break down after a while. The Escalade is just a dressed up Suburban. If you want upscale and class then purchase a used Land Rover like a Land Rover Sport, Porsche Cayenne, or Mercedes GL or ML. You can get a certified used one with a lot of miles with an extended warranty. They drive better, are better made and will last longer.
In the original poster's budget of $4k, and considering his needs to comfortably carry a family of six, I suggest a used Suburban / Yukon XL. Although, a good conversion van would also do the trick nicely.
In my very posh neighborhood, there are plenty of Escalades running around. Not driven by "gangsta wannabe's", but by very affluent families who want a higher level of luxury and can easily afford it. The full size GM platform is well proven to be highly reliable and long lasting, far better than the Durango.
A $4,000 LR Discovery would likely be a disaster, extremely unreliable and very expensive to repair. Leave them for the Orvis catalog types seeking a "rugged" persona... An M-B ML would also be a poor choice in that price range, again: unreliable and very expensive to repair. And just where can you find a Cayenne for $4k? I didn't think so...
My advice: buy the newest, lowest mileage Suburban you can find.
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Not really...they're both nice SUV's.
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