Looking for a solid suv with under 100k miles and under 10,000

"G. Homer" (goyshahomer) 12/05/2013 at 12:16 • Filed to: None

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I have come up with two suvs so far. 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee laredo with leather with the six and a 2008 Chevy Trailblazer with the 4.2 six. I want something that will be reliable and decent mileage for an suv. Any other thoughts or suggestions on what to get? I am in Minneapolis and need something with 4x4 (prefer that it also have a 4 wheel drive low) as well.

For Sweden > G. Homer 12/05/2013 at 12:17

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Durango

G. Homer > For Sweden 12/05/2013 at 12:18

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don't love the 'older' style. the new one is too much $$$.

Party-vi > G. Homer 12/05/2013 at 12:20

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Grand Cherokee. Real 4WD, no ugly Trailblazer looks.

For Sweden > G. Homer 12/05/2013 at 12:21

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2002 Dodge Durango SLT 4x4 - $4500 (Ramsey)

2004 DURANGO 4.7Ltr V8, full time AWD - $4750 (Chanhassen)

offroadkarter > G. Homer 12/05/2013 at 12:27

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The trailblazer is a POS, the last gen durango is a huge POS

the jeep will probably be okay, its still a chrysler though so I'm sure it'll have some stupidity.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > G. Homer 12/05/2013 at 12:28

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Don't forget to check Jeep Commanders. Same as the Durango - it's the stretched Jeep GC frame/platform. You can get them with a range of engines and 4x4 options.

We like ours a lot (08)

THOMAS5 > G. Homer 12/05/2013 at 12:31

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I have a 99 grand cherokee laredo with leather, I think you could find the v8 for under 10,000, they are great engines.

Busslayer > For Sweden 12/05/2013 at 12:33

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I was going to suggest the same things. I've had both, an 00 and an 05. They were both reliable. I traded the 05 in on a newer Ram and the 00 for the 05. The 00 had 110K on it and nothing ever needed repairs - zero. Even thought the 05 was a Hemi with 3.92 gears, the 00 with the 4.7 felt punchier. The 4.7 was the best snow basher I've ever had also. It was really controllable sideways. You could drive it sideways while drinking hot coffee in a school zone without any anxiety.

None of the options you listed are going to sip gas. Don't think that getting a 6 cylinder means you are going to get better mpgs. You'll end up getting ~15mpg in any of them.

William Byrd > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 12/05/2013 at 12:35

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I was recently looking for a 3-row and was impressed by the Commanders. +1, good option.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > William Byrd 12/05/2013 at 12:39

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we found a great deal on a certified used one that only had 2 rows but was 4x4 so we took it.

We may miss that 3rd row in about 5-6 years but right now the storage back there is nice.

There is a shockingly large fanbase and there are some cool parts because its mainly a Grand Cherokee underneath. Easily lifted and looks tough as hell with some meaty tires and a 2-4 inch lift. Check them out if you go with one! A lot more fun than you would imagine!

William Byrd > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 12/05/2013 at 12:42

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We have a Suburban and really like it, but I'm always looking at other options. I will have a hard time not putting this sticker over the name. Actually my wife will ensure we don't.

GhostZ > G. Homer 12/05/2013 at 12:43

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Get a RWD car with snow tires and salt bags in the trunk. Save yourself from driving an SUV.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 12/05/2013 at 12:43

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Nice option, I like Commanders. Even though when I was in college it seemed to be the rich-daddy-sorority-girl-car-of-choice.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > G. Homer 12/05/2013 at 12:45

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My uncle has an expedition that's approaching 200,000 miles, he's been very happy with it. Perhaps they are worth checking out. But I suppose there is a reason chevy sells way more SUV's than Ford. I know one of the things with the Expedition is that it gets very low mpg's with its 5.4.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > William Byrd 12/05/2013 at 12:47

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It's definitely going to fall small next to a Suburban.

Love the sticker idea. maybe I'll get a magnet, sneak it onto my wife's truck and see how long before she notices?

William Byrd > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 12/05/2013 at 12:49

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Yeah, I'm curious how big the area behind the 3rd row is. We skipped the Tahoe/Yukon because there was barely room for a grocery bag when the 3rd row was up.

Magnet is a good idea. Cobraaaaaaa! haha

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 12/05/2013 at 12:51

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Well my wife drives it as her daily.

That being said, I'd drive it too. If it were mine I may have picked the V8 though. It's a nice truck, but she has a 2 mile commute and I have a 53 mile commute.

And when I was in college the rich-daddy-sorority-girl-car-of-choice was the Jeep Liberty. There was not a single one on campus (Michigan State) that didn't have sorority letters on it.

Biggus Dickus (RevsBro) > G. Homer 12/05/2013 at 12:52

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Being a Minneapolis resident myself, I'd say go with a mid to late nineties Jeep Grand Cherokee. This will save yourself a lot of money to get a nice set of tires and not destroy your sports car fund. (Shameless plug warning) For tires, I'd recommend Nokian Rotiiva AT's. They aren't cheap but I've gone through two sets of them and they have been excellent.

ZJ's are getting harder to find, but in all honesty don't let the miles deter you from this model jeep. I drive a 1996 ZJ that my dad handed down to me 5 years ago and it currently has 130,000 miles. So speaking from experience:

The straight six could survive a nuclear blast.

It does have some rust issues, but sixteen Minnesota winters will do that to a car.

The interior has held up pretty well with the exception of the driver side rear door panel.

I average about 15mpg summer and 13 winter, but I have a lead foot. (My dad said he used to get around 17-18mpg.) However, the 22 gallon tank goes a long way. You won't be able to find great gas mileage in any SUV in the price range you are looking at.

The all-time 4x4 is incredibly fun in the snow due to the ridiculous rear bias but has loads of grip when you want it to. The low range will get you out of damn near anything you could drive into.

The ZJ will hold its value if well taken care of and you could convert it to an off road monster if you wanted.

There are tons of extra parts for this model jeep lying around.

I know this ad is a bit sketchy but its what i recommend looking for:

1998 Jeep grand Cherokee - $2500 (new Brighton)

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > William Byrd 12/05/2013 at 12:54

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Google says...there isn't room for a grocery bag. People always say "well you can fold down the seats" and my response is, my kid doesn't appreciate that when he's sitting in them.

but they can look like this:

G. Homer > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 12/05/2013 at 13:01

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What kind of mileage do you get with the Commander? Isn't that a huge v8? I don't think I need a HEMI or a v8. Plus, the inline 6 is so well regarded with the Jeep.

Stupidru > G. Homer 12/05/2013 at 13:25

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Ehem... A Forester XT will do the job nicely. My wife averages 23mpg on her 09

G. Homer > Stupidru 12/05/2013 at 13:40

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I think it's rather difficult to find an XT. Plus, the backseat is tiny tiny! I have two kids with two big carseats in back.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > G. Homer 12/05/2013 at 13:41

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Sorry, no inline 6 available. Ours has the 3.7L V6. It's shared from the Jeep Liberty. I know it well from my wife's last Jeep...Liberty lol.

We actually get better mileage in the much larger/heavier 2008 Jeep Commander than we did out of the 06 Jeep Liberty, same motor, except in our "Sport" trim Commander it's fulltime 4wd as opposed to the Liberty's selectable traditional 4x4.

We can actually beat the EPA rating on the highway and pull 19 when I can get her to slow down to under 80 mph lol. With the cruise around 75 mph or so we crack 19, she's been stuck on a 65 speed limit in Ohio and was able to actually hit 20. I'm not sure everyone would get these results, but if it makes you feel better the 20 was achieved with 4 adults and 4 bags of luggage.

I believe it came with the 3.7L V6, a V8 and then a Hemi V8.....not sure about the 2 different v8s or not though.

Overall- we love it though.

G. Homer > GhostZ 12/05/2013 at 13:42

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I do love a town car, but I think it's too much of a pain. It wouldn't compare even with snow tires to a Jeep with decent tires with 4x4.

G. Homer > G. Homer 12/05/2013 at 13:45

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Do you think if I can find a clean 2004 Grand Cherokee with a little over 100k it would still be a solid runner and reliable for another 100k miles? I need the thing to work everyday, it will be my daily driver. I really like the 4runner but sadly, it's way too much $$.

Stupidru > G. Homer 12/05/2013 at 13:45

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Have you ever been in the back of an 09+ Forester? I'm 6'3" and the first thing I did when I got to the dealership was to set the driver's seat how I wanted, then I got in back. There was still about 8" of space for my knees and even more for my feet. There's surprisingly a lot of room in them, and nimble enough for an Opponaut like yourself

I suppose there's not too many 09+s for sale under $10k though

G. Homer > Stupidru 12/05/2013 at 13:48

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I am just re reading your post. Didn't see the 2009 part.
I was under the impression it was the older gen Forester xt your wife had. yeah, 2009+ would be a great suv for me, but alas, too much money.

G. Homer > Stupidru 12/05/2013 at 13:50

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Do you think because it's the first generation of the new model it will have any bugs or issues? Is it as reliable as the previous gen was?
I did lease a 2012 legacy. Hated the cvt transmission, but LOVED the awd.

GhostZ > G. Homer 12/05/2013 at 13:52

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My winter suggestions have always been a Crown Vic/Town Car, or a Jeep CJ5 or YJ.

Stupidru > G. Homer 12/05/2013 at 14:04

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My sister leased her 09 Forester for 4 years I believe, and had 0 issues with it. We're coming up on 80k miles on our XT with no issues. From everything I've read on the forums, the stock tune is pretty conservative at 220hp, so there aren't any engine issues to speak of and the rest of the car is pretty bulletproof as well.

Added bonus points: Mostly everything is swappable from the WRX/STI

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Party-vi 12/05/2013 at 20:45

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Ehem, the Trailblazer has real 4WD. High, Low, and Full Time. It also consistently got my Dad 20+ MPG's as well.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > G. Homer 12/05/2013 at 20:48

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We had an 02 Trailblazer and the only problem we had with it was the transmission, but it's a 4L60 so its not that big of a deal. It got great mpg's with my Dad driving (20+) and around 16-17 with my heavy foot. The 4.2 has loads of power and contrary to the Jeep buffs, it does have real 4WD. I drove it confidently in snow and ice, since not only does it have High and Low range, it also has a fulltime AWD selection.

Party-vi > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 12/06/2013 at 10:14

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Full time is the type of system; high or low is the transfercase speed. Plus it still looks like a Trailblazer.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Party-vi 12/06/2013 at 16:27

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I don't think the Trailblazer looks nearly as crossoverish as a 99 and up GC. But that's just me. I think the Trailblazer is just unappreciated. If the GC was badged as a Dodge and not a Jeep, it wouldn't sell nearly as well. If you aren't in a body on frame, solid axle Jeep, you aren't in a real Jeep. Plus, aren't 05 and up GC's a fully independent suspended Mercedes with Chrysler engines?

Party-vi > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 12/06/2013 at 16:34

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The Cherokee was a real Jeep and was also unibody with solid axles, so is the WJ ('99 - '04) Grand Cherokee. I'll give you that the straight-6 in the Trailblazer is awesome and there's probably more interior room, but you can't beat a WJ Grand Cherokee for luxury or offroad prowess. Plus his GC is going to get similar mileage to the Trailblazer.

Yes the '05-and-up Grand Cherokees looked terrible but they did have a HEMI option.

ss_lump > G. Homer 12/07/2013 at 12:20

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Used to own an '02 4.2 Trailblazer. Definitely more reliable than the GC and smooth as butter i6.

brakesnow > G. Homer 12/09/2013 at 11:05

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Previous generation honda pilot! 3 rows of seating, 4wd-low setting, incredible reliability, and acceptable gas mileage! Loved mine for all 120,000 miles of service. Never had a major issue.

brakesnow > brakesnow 12/09/2013 at 12:45

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http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/…