My parents are going to buy a car for my bro to drive (he is 17), and I told them to get an SUV for the skiing trips etc.

The budget is only $15k. I've looked at the Saturn Vue, Honda CR-v, etc etc, but I dont know how they are used, or what I should look for in a used SUV (never owned one before), with the biggest factors being AWD and reliability.

So...what are the important factors in buying a used suv? What are some other good used suv's I should look at?

 

great, now no one will ever read this

 

ur best bet is the honda element or aztec..in my opinion both are fugly
if i were you save up and get a Yukon Tahoe or MDX the best SUVs on th market

 

hah actually the Aztec HAD crossed my mind

...for .02 seconds

My bro needs a car soon though because he needs to get to school and since I just graduated and moved out, I can't drop him there anymore

 

let em use this

 

not Xaclty an SUV but it'll get em A--------------to------------B

 

come on guys you are the internet car masters...give me some suv-insight

 

I like the element

 

What features do you want/need? There's so much out there.

 

Why a SUV? I didnt want a big car when i was 17 cuz then all you friends would make you drive everywhere since u got the biggest ride.

Get him somthing cooler Like a A4

 

QX4 or RX300

 

well for long trips and stuff my parents would want a bigger car. For our ski trip we took a Nissan altima (96)...very tight fit in there with all our gear.

 

for 15k im guessing u can get an 02 CRV. the 97-01 models were the one of the most reliable according to CR

 

for 15k you can get a used trailblazer/envoy/explorer/grand cherokee...those depreciate like a mofo

just make sure you get the extended warranty

 

Cherokee.

NOT a Grand Cherokee but a Laredo. Those 4.0L engines and trannys will run forever. I had one as my first car and loved it. I

 

One to look at that would be in your price range is a 99-01 Discovery Land Rover. Has plenty of room and runs like a champ.

 

not a fucking chance didnt the discovery almost bring Range Rover down or something? Was thinking about the highly depreciating american suvs, but ya I would want a massive warranty.

Are jeeps fairly reliable? have no knowledge on that...

thanks for the input so far

 

Look into a pathfinder or Xterra, and possibly a used land cruiser, the toyota's are reliable and not too bad on price.

 

4.0L Jeeps are reliable, Most Nissan's are too. Ford's Explorer is also not bad. They do have small problems but nothing major. You could pick up a V8 Explorer for your price range. Do you want real 4wd with a low range?

 

The 4.0L's are very reliable. The grand cherokee's seem to have a lot of problems though, so I'd stay away from those.

I used to have a cherokee and I knew almost everything about it so, if you've got any questions let me know.

 

cool so the 4.0 is reliable in every aspect or mostly powertrain stuff? Is it fairly comfortable for long trips? how much are tire replacements? when I go look at used jeeps at a dealerships what kinds of things should I look for?

I was thinking about awd...but they live in southern cali and we would only go skiing once or twice a year, and I would think 4wd would add a lot to the cost...is a 2wd cherokee pretty good too?

 

dont know what you mean

 

There's full time 4WD which is also AWD. It will activate automatically if the wheels slip, if it's not always engaged. Then there's Part time 4WD which has a manual lever or switch to put the SUV into 4WD. You will USUALLY only find 4WD LO on part time 4WD Trucks/SUVs. 4WD LO will gear down your transfer case for going up rocks and steep inclines etc.

I look at the Pathfinder/QX4 for a truck like SUV or Highlander/RX300 for a car based SUV.

 

It's reliable in every aspect. I had one out of the ordinary problem with mine in that the crank positoning sensor needed replacing around 130K miles, which was somewhat common on only those trucks, but mine was an 89'. I ran it over 220K miles and other than regular maintanece, I had to replace the starter, alternator and heater core (most of which usually need replacing in any high milage car/truck). The engine and trans will run forever and the frame is one of the strongest. I also had it lifted and replace the suspension, but that was obviously a mod. I never got an bs problems like window actuators breaking or annoying rattling coming from random places.

As for tire replacements, I used to get stock tires from costco for around $80-85 each. I usually got Michelen LTX M/S. It was a farily comfortable truck ride, but it is a truck. I'm sure the newer jeeps ride much better, you'll just have to test drive it. Also, I don't think the cherokee offers full time all wheel drive. It's only necessary if your gonna use it, but for a used one I don't think the price difference will really be that high.

If your going to go through a dealership and you get one with higher milage, 80K or above, I'd have them replace the timing chain/belt before you buy. I think I did that before 100K came along but I'm not sure. Also be sure there aren't any leaks. Some tranny's needed a new front and rear seal at around 110-120K miles. Mine never leaked but I heard some did. That's about a $400 job though. I think that was due to some material in the seals they used to put on the trannys though. That problem shouldn't exist anymore.

Hope that helps.

 

used Pathfinder (stay away from 1996 model)

 

good info guys thx a bunch. I'm going to go test drive a bunch of them in a bit and see

anyone have any info on mitsu. montero or montero sport?

 

IMO mitsus are pretty bad reliability wise. If you want AWD (kinda), the Honda CR-V is a good choice, especially since it is the best on gas. Another smaller SUV is the Toyota Highlander, or the Rav4 (maybe that's too small). I used to own a Toyota 4Runner. They don't depreciate much and they are very reliable. Only bad thing was fuel usage was a little high.

 

for close to 14g's u can get a used Tahoe/Suburban/Blazer any one of the american SUVs pretty much... just make sure and buy a "certified used"

 

yea but the certification program is only 3 months/3000 miles for many american brands EXCEPT saturn and jeep

btw rep points for all your help!

 

RX300s are actually pretty well priced used.

You can find older ones for close to 15g. just another option.

Other then i recommend a CR-V or Rav-4