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C-Man's Tahoe is about to give up the ghost -- let's talk replacement vehicles!


C-Man

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Sadly, my beloved 2009 Tahoe is on its last legs. It's got a bad, bad oil leak that will be costly to fix and I've come to the conclusion that it's probably time to move on and get a new vehicle.

I haven't decided one way or the other if I'm going new or used (a year or two old) here. This is kind of what I'm looking at -- trying to figure out if there are any big "gotchas" to any I'm not thinking about. I am not spending $70K on a new Tahoe for several reasons -- I don't love the new body style and I've had more than a few clients with Tahoes/Yukons where the engine or transmission has completely shit the bed on them. If I'm going to spend that much on a bigger SUV, I'll consider the new Lexus GX and drive it for the next decade-plus.

Note that I've really got my eye on the electric/hybrid Scout SUV that is slated to come out in 2027 and have put down $100 to get in line to order one when available. So, this purchase could be a bridge to get to that point. Here's what I'm looking at:

  • Lexus ES sedan -- reliable, nice-looking, interior is very high-class (wife has a '22 350RX) but it's also very boring and I've driven an SUV for 15 years (note: I could go new or get a 2022 or 2023 as a bridge to the Scout since Lexus hold their values very well)
  • New Ford Bronco -- was very intrigued by these when they were first announced and then impossible to get once first released; have not driven one but have sit in a buddy's -- they're very Jeep-y feeling and I didn't love it; I don't make too many road trips but I will from time to time and I'd want some sense of good highway driving; ability to take top off, etc is very appealing (would look at either the 4-door or 2-door models) -- will definitely go test drive one before I make a decision
  • Toyota 4-Runner -- try as I might, I just don't love this car; some I think look great (dark grey with all-black emblems/tags) and others don't (would have to talk myself into this being my car for the next 10 years to justify the spend for the 4-Runner); interior is understandably utilitarian
  • Toyota Land Cruiser -- the newest version is very cool looking but also a step up in price from the 4-Runner (like the 4-Runner, it's very, ahem, rustic WRT to the interior)
  • Lexus GX -- this is a beautiful vehicle IMO and would give me some of the space back that I'm giving up with the Tahoe but it ain't cheap
  • Mercedes sedan -- I've always wanted to own/drive a Mercedes sedan and could definitely get behind the idea of buying a couple of years old Mercedes with an eye to trading it in for a Scout in a few years but I'm worried about these things when they're beyond the factory warranty (or need to have oil changed, etc -- is it a $500 oil change for instance); is this like a BMW situation? Great vehicle while in warranty but get the fuck out as soon as that period is over (wife's family mechanic who is like Seinfeld's mechanic/Soup Nazi but amazing at what he does does not work on Mercedes -- or any other German vehicles -- for various reasons

So there you go. Looking for any pros/cons here to the vehicles above. Also, wondering if there's any rush to pull the trigger between now and year's-end. Like do dealerships pay taxes for all vehicles on lots at the end of the year, etc. I also know you're limiting yourself to the vehicles on hand if you rush but Sewell and Park Place have a wide array of Lexus sedans in stock for instance.

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8 minutes ago, C-Man said:

Sadly, my beloved 2009 Tahoe is on its last legs. It's got a bad, bad oil leak that will be costly to fix and I've come to the conclusion that it's probably time to move on and get a new vehicle.

I haven't decided one way or the other if I'm going new or used (a year or two old) here. This is kind of what I'm looking at -- trying to figure out if there are any big "gotchas" to any I'm not thinking about. I am not spending $70K on a new Tahoe for several reasons -- I don't love the new body style and I've had more than a few clients with Tahoes/Yukons where the engine or transmission has completely shit the bed on them. If I'm going to spend that much on a bigger SUV, I'll consider the new Lexus GX and drive it for the next decade-plus.

Note that I've really got my eye on the electric/hybrid Scout SUV that is slated to come out in 2027 and have put down $100 to get in line to order one when available. So, this purchase could be a bridge to get to that point. Here's what I'm looking at:

  • Lexus ES sedan -- reliable, nice-looking, interior is very high-class (wife has a '22 350RX) but it's also very boring and I've driven an SUV for 15 years (note: I could go new or get a 2022 or 2023 as a bridge to the Scout since Lexus hold their values very well)
  • New Ford Bronco -- was very intrigued by these when they were first announced and then impossible to get once first released; have not driven one but have sit in a buddy's -- they're very Jeep-y feeling and I didn't love it; I don't make too many road trips but I will from time to time and I'd want some sense of good highway driving; ability to take top off, etc is very appealing (would look at either the 4-door or 2-door models) -- will definitely go test drive one before I make a decision
  • Toyota 4-Runner -- try as I might, I just don't love this car; some I think look great (dark grey with all-black emblems/tags) and others don't (would have to talk myself into this being my car for the next 10 years to justify the spend for the 4-Runner); interior is understandably utilitarian
  • Toyota Land Cruiser -- the newest version is very cool looking but also a step up in price from the 4-Runner (like the 4-Runner, it's very, ahem, rustic WRT to the interior)
  • Lexus GX -- this is a beautiful vehicle IMO and would give me some of the space back that I'm giving up with the Tahoe but it ain't cheap
  • Mercedes sedan -- I've always wanted to own/drive a Mercedes sedan and could definitely get behind the idea of buying a couple of years old Mercedes with an eye to trading it in for a Scout in a few years but I'm worried about these things when they're beyond the factory warranty (or need to have oil changed, etc -- is it a $500 oil change for instance); is this like a BMW situation? Great vehicle while in warranty but get the fuck out as soon as that period is over (wife's family mechanic who is like Seinfeld's mechanic/Soup Nazi but amazing at what he does does not work on Mercedes -- or any other German vehicles -- for various reasons

So there you go. Looking for any pros/cons here to the vehicles above. Also, wondering if there's any rush to pull the trigger between now and year's-end. Like do dealerships pay taxes for all vehicles on lots at the end of the year, etc. I also know you're limiting yourself to the vehicles on hand if you rush but Sewell and Park Place have a wide array of Lexus sedans in stock for instance.

Like you, I tend to prefer to buy a couple of years old, with mileage under 30k.  

And, I share your views on a lot of those vehicles.  

Looks like the good news here is that you only want/need to drive it for a couple of years assuming you carry through your threat to buy a Scout.

So, depending on the vehicle warranty and exact age, you should get approximately that two years out of the standard warranty, another year or so from a CPO, so that may be something worth considering.

Also, on the sedan-end of things, you might wish to add gently used Cadillac CT4 (small) and CT5.  The depreciation situation on those is favorable for the gently-used buyer and they are more fun drives than the Lexii, as a general proposition, even with the base engine.  Up the ante to the -V, non-blackwing, and you have a pretty fun rig that's different from the ubiquitous krautwagens and lexii, yet possessing a certain upper-middle dignity.

 

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I have a 23 4 door Bronco as my daily driver. It's fun but I'm not sure it's what you're looking for. Mine is the twin turbo and it eats gas like a mfer. I bought it with a hard top and have bought a factory soft top for the seasonal swap. The swap is not easy and is not a one man job. The hard top is 4 pieces. Two "t top" panels which are very easy to remove and put back on. A larger middle panel which is cumbersome and a little heavy but I've managed to get it off by myself. The rear piece that sits over the cargo area is a 2 person job though they do make overhead lift systems if you have access to a garage that can make it a one man job. 

With the soft top on, the main advantage is it's very easy to put it back and forth to position 1. To take it all the way down you have to remove both side windows and the rear window but it makes it a full on convertible. Doesn't take more than a couple of minutes and it is a one person job. 

The soft top is way noisier and I wouldn't want just a soft top on the winter here or in the summer if I lived somewhere very hot like Arizona or TX. 

If you have any specific questions let me know. 

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I should get in line for a scout. Do you get a number with your reservation so you know how far down the list you are?

as to OP- if it’s a 2ish year gap to the scout delivery, I’d think seriously about something like a 10 year old 4Runner or LC (or comparable Lexus sister). 

Edited by Pato del Muerto
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Repeating myself from other threads, but I've had great experiences with the last 4 MB sedans that I've owned.  Stay away from dealerships once you are out of warranty (in fact, some independent shops are qualified to do some warranty repairs), but having a solid independent MB repair shop is really important.  My last oil change on my MB E350 was maybe $225 - 250?

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Have very similar car preferences as you. Over the last 20 years have driven only tahoes, mercedes sedans and toyota trucks.

Rather than getting a nice newer truck or car I went with older both.

I have a 2012 FJ Cruiser for pulling the boat, camping, beach, lake, taking the dogs, home depot and short trips. I do like the new land cruisers and broncos, and may get one after this dies. Has 144k miles and now that I have the other car am only putting 5k miles a year, so it should last for a while. 

I have a 2018 e300 for longer trips. Yes maintenance can cost a lot, but compared to buying a newer one I could spend $3k in repairs for the next 10 years and still come out ahead of buying a new one. Mine has 82k miles and I got it for $17k, new ones are $50k. This is the 5th E I've had. They do start falling apart around 120k miles, but have had good experiences from 50-120k. I found a oil change place that lets you bring your oil and filter and does the change for $60, saving a few hundred over the dealer or nice shop. I'd do it myself but it's a huge pain to remove the skid plates. 

There's something about Mercedes sedans that just seems better than any other car. I think @TwiceHorn described it as "design aesthetics" Everything just seems to be in the right place, seats are comfortable and better adjusting than any other, and it's great on the highway.

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5 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Also, on the sedan-end of things, you might wish to add gently used Cadillac CT4 (small) and CT5.  The depreciation situation on those is favorable for the gently-used buyer and they are more fun drives than the Lexii, as a general proposition, even with the base engine.  Up the ante to the -V, non-blackwing, and you have a pretty fun rig that's different from the ubiquitous krautwagens and lexii, yet possessing a certain upper-middle dignity.

 

What has your experience been with maintenance for these?

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1 hour ago, KaiserSoze said:

What has your experience been with maintenance for these?

I have had two caddies straight. Second is an ATS coupe which is mechanically very similar to the ct4 and 5.  Have had zero problems that weren't warrateed and it's 7 years old, knock on wood. Its CTS predecessor was nearly flawless for 90k miles. 

 

Early ATS had some problems with the piston rings that led to bigger problems with the engine, but that was 20 years ago and tehe current 4banger is just a variant.  The turbo v6 is pretty well settled also. The bigger 4banger in the - V seems to be solid. 

Edited by TwiceHorn
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1 hour ago, blacklab said:

Have very similar car preferences as you. Over the last 20 years have driven only tahoes, mercedes sedans and toyota trucks.

Rather than getting a nice newer truck or car I went with older both.

I have a 2012 FJ Cruiser for pulling the boat, camping, beach, lake, taking the dogs, home depot and short trips. I do like the new land cruisers and broncos, and may get one after this dies. Has 144k miles and now that I have the other car am only putting 5k miles a year, so it should last for a while. 

I have a 2018 e300 for longer trips. Yes maintenance can cost a lot, but compared to buying a newer one I could spend $3k in repairs for the next 10 years and still come out ahead of buying a new one. Mine has 82k miles and I got it for $17k, new ones are $50k. This is the 5th E I've had. They do start falling apart around 120k miles, but have had good experiences from 50-120k. I found a oil change place that lets you bring your oil and filter and does the change for $60, saving a few hundred over the dealer or nice shop. I'd do it myself but it's a huge pain to remove the skid plates. 

There's something about Mercedes sedans that just seems better than any other car. I think @TwiceHorn described it as "design aesthetics" Everything just seems to be in the right place, seats are comfortable and better adjusting than any other, and it's great on the highway.

It’s hard to keep track of what you’re driving given how often you total vehicles.

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The soft top is way noisier and I wouldn't want just a soft top on the winter here or in the summer if I lived somewhere very hot like Arizona or TX. 


I was a first day order of the Bronco. I got rid of it last year because the interior would not drop below 90 degrees when it was 100+ outside. It was just miserable. I traded it in for a ‘24 4Runner and have zero regrets. I’ll drive this thing for 10+ years easily.
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1 minute ago, Chewbacca said:

Mister,

Can I have your Scout when you are dead?

it's pretty great.  I'm planning to do some work on it this summer.  For starters, the steering column needs to be shortened, because the steering wheel sits so far back that it rubs my big  cock  gut.

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The only issue with my 4Runner (2021) is keeping it aligned. I’ll keep it for at least a decade. It’ll probably be my kids second car after they total my wife’s Ford explorer.

I have issues in the 4Runner with road shake at 60mph -65mph.

I went through several rounds of wheel balancing at two different shops, tire swaps and ultimately an alignment adjustment to minimize the shake.

My next step if it comes back is to swap out a needle bearing.

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Wife and I are similar but different in car buying sense.

I tend to buy the best buy I can, new, then drive it until it is cheaper to buy a new car than to keep the old one, and maintain it to a T.

She tends to buy used cars, never do any maintenance, and either drive them into the ground, or sell them before any maintenance or repairs are due.

I think both work, it's just a matter of preference. I can't stand the idea of not taking care of a piece of machinery.

Edited by Rimbo
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1 hour ago, GottaB said:

The only issue with my 4Runner (2021) is keeping it aligned. I’ll keep it for at least a decade. It’ll probably be my kids second car after they total my wife’s Ford explorer.

I have issues in the 4Runner with road shake at 60mph -65mph.

Same here (2015 model).  I need to replace the front right tire, though, so I'm hoping that helps.

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57 minutes ago, Updawg said:

Looks like they are still built in Japan. There was speculation that the 6gen would move to Mexico or something but I guess not

I wonder about the components.  A few years back, GF's son bought a Rav4.  The dealer (owner)  is a family friend, and he was "assigned" a sales guy by that friend.  Sales guy told him hey, we've got 30 on the lot, go pick one out.  BTW, the "Xth" character in the VIN is a "C" or a "J".  That indicates where the engine was manufactured.  GF's son is quite literally married to a woman from China.  They met when they both lived in Japan.  She insisted on finding one with the "J". 

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Nothing personal but I think when you hop in an buy the "newly redesigned model" with a whole lot of unproven shit on it... it's generally a mistake.  As engineering meeting real life durability requirements usually takes a year or two to shake out.  A few years in you let the first buyer take all the depreciation, and you have a better idea of the longer term reliability.

I will likely consider a 4 Runner when I get rid of my truck.  Right now need the bigger vehicle for towing, but eventually 4WD Toyota product is likely on the list.  That will pair nicely with the wife's soon to be '22 Subaru Outback that my Dad is still driving.  He bought out the back end of the lease and I spent about $5K on long term transferable warranty to 150K. It's easier to let him keep the car until I finish off the remodel of his house.  But same rule, low mileage, couple year old car.

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Maybe I missed it but I saw nothing about the fairly new version of the Jeep Grand Cherokee.  Mine is about 2.5 years old and just over 30k miles.  I think it was around $45k loaded and new.  I drove a BMW 5 series for about 22 years (E39 and the F10 models) and the Jeep handles about like the boat-like F10.  The Jeep, so far, has been fantastic and I’m very pleased with it.  

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On 12/30/2024 at 9:02 AM, HouTex said:

Maybe I missed it but I saw nothing about the fairly new version of the Jeep Grand Cherokee.  Mine is about 2.5 years old and just over 30k miles.  I think it was around $45k loaded and new.  I drove a BMW 5 series for about 22 years (E39 and the F10 models) and the Jeep handles about like the boat-like F10.  The Jeep, so far, has been fantastic and I’m very pleased with it.  

I had the E34 and it was the best car I've ever owned.  Rock solid. 

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On 12/27/2024 at 4:11 PM, blacklab said:

I have a 2018 e300 for longer trips. Yes maintenance can cost a lot, but compared to buying a newer one I could spend $3k in repairs for the next 10 years and still come out ahead of buying a new one. Mine has 82k miles and I got it for $17k, new ones are $50k. This is the 5th E I've had. They do start falling apart around 120k miles, but have had good experiences from 50-120k. I found a oil change place that lets you bring your oil and filter and does the change for $60, saving a few hundred over the dealer or nice shop. I'd do it myself but it's a huge pain to remove the skid plates. 

 

Do you mean $3k every year or $3k over 10 years? I think you mean every year but just checking.

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On 12/27/2024 at 10:58 AM, C-Man said:

Mercedes sedan -- I've always wanted to own/drive a Mercedes sedan and could definitely get behind the idea of buying a couple of years old Mercedes with an eye to trading it in for a Scout in a few years but I'm worried about these things when they're beyond the factory warranty (or need to have oil changed, etc -- is it a $500 oil change for instance); is this like a BMW situation? Great vehicle while in warranty but get the fuck out as soon as that period is over (wife's family mechanic who is like Seinfeld's mechanic/Soup Nazi but amazing at what he does does not work on Mercedes -- or any other German vehicles -- for various reasons

I had a couple different CPO. I found local European shops with certified techs that were a lot less than MB Dealer on maintenance and they did good work. Even pointed out a few things the dealer didn't. 

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