Hey all, looking for advice.
We want to add a second family hauler to our garage. We're on a tight budget so I'm likely to be buying something that has a lot of age and mileage.
I currently have (and am happy with) a 1999 Suburban and a 2003 Grand Am. Grand Am is in fantastic mechanical shape but it's just too small.
Because of our tight budget, I usually do our mechanical repairs. For example, I rebuilt the rear end in the 99 Suburban when the pinion and carrier bearings starting howling (really bad pitting). I swapped the gear ratio to 4.10 (best mod I've ever done) and added an Eaton Truetrac Posi.
Help me decide, and please speak from experience (especially if you're a mechanic or have worked on these vehicles before.
I'd just as soon get another Suburban, or even better, a Ford Excursion V10.....I like them and they are not overly complicated. But I think the wife would be happier with a minivan to in addition to the Suburban.
I have to have AT LEAST 7 passenger seating. Not going to pay more than $4k-5k for anything.
What should I be looking at, in such a low price range? Hard to find a Honda Odyssea. Toyota Sienna? Honda Pilot? Ford Freestyle?
I read mixed reviews of the Dodge and Kia minivans. I've always avoided anything made by Chrysler or Korea, but I could be talked into it, I think Dodge has really come a long way since the 80's and 90's.
We want to add a second family hauler to our garage. We're on a tight budget so I'm likely to be buying something that has a lot of age and mileage.
I currently have (and am happy with) a 1999 Suburban and a 2003 Grand Am. Grand Am is in fantastic mechanical shape but it's just too small.
Because of our tight budget, I usually do our mechanical repairs. For example, I rebuilt the rear end in the 99 Suburban when the pinion and carrier bearings starting howling (really bad pitting). I swapped the gear ratio to 4.10 (best mod I've ever done) and added an Eaton Truetrac Posi.
Help me decide, and please speak from experience (especially if you're a mechanic or have worked on these vehicles before.
I'd just as soon get another Suburban, or even better, a Ford Excursion V10.....I like them and they are not overly complicated. But I think the wife would be happier with a minivan to in addition to the Suburban.
I have to have AT LEAST 7 passenger seating. Not going to pay more than $4k-5k for anything.
What should I be looking at, in such a low price range? Hard to find a Honda Odyssea. Toyota Sienna? Honda Pilot? Ford Freestyle?
I read mixed reviews of the Dodge and Kia minivans. I've always avoided anything made by Chrysler or Korea, but I could be talked into it, I think Dodge has really come a long way since the 80's and 90's.