getting screwed by GM, on the back end

[veeman]

Have a 2009 Buick Enclave with 99 thousand miles with all the bells and whistles.  A few months ago I paid off a 5 year 0% interest GM sponsored loan on it.  Really love this car.  Feels more expensive than it is, looks great, whisper quiet, great ride, feels like a tank in the snow.  Have had to do only few minor repairs, maintenance stuff. 

A week ago, the car doesn't seem to be shifting smoothly and I figure something's wrong with the transmission.  It's not easily noticeable right away.  An independent mechanic confirms my suspicions with a test-drive (he didn't charge me).  Once I get the low down by a GM dealer, if it costs more than 1000 to fix which I'm sure it will, I'll most probably trade it in.  The mechanic was concurring with me and said that as a trade in, even if they don't know about the transmission issue, an Enclave with 100,000 miles is going to go straight to auction.

This got me thinking about in how much better shape I'd be in right now, if I went my sister in laws route, and bought a Honda Pilot.  Same cost when new.  Worth much more after 5 years and 100,000 miles.  True the Buick looks better in my opinion and is a smoother quieter ride.  And it came with 0% financing.  But man, I'm going to take a bath on this car if I get rid of it.   

[ifcar]

Ouch, that's too bad.

I will say, though, that you'd have spent five far less pleasant years in the Pilot, and *still* might have ended up with the one that required transmission work or some other costly repair anyway. It's not like they're exactly bulletproof either.

What are you looking at next?

[veeman]

Ouch, that's too bad.

I will say, though, that you'd have spent five far less pleasant years in the Pilot, and *still* might have ended up with the one that required transmission work or some other costly repair anyway. It's not like they're exactly bulletproof either.

What are you looking at next?

That's true.  I was thinking more along the lines of taking a bath on the trade in versus the equivalent in initial cost Pilot but worth much more on the trade in.

The car's for my wife.  She again wants a large SUV and we both want three rows for when the grandparents come by and we can put our kids in the third row.  It has to have most of the bells and whistles.

The Tahoe/Yukon is too expensive.  The Land Rover LR4 is too unreliable and costly to maintain.  The Mercedes G-class and Audi Q7 are too expensive and too costly to service.  The Land Cruiser/Lexus equivalent is too expensive.  The Volvo XC90 is too old a platform and that model hasn't been that reliable. 

I think that leaves the Ford Explorer/Lincoln M(whatever - the three row SUV), Ford Expedition, Honda Pilot/Acura MDX, Nissan Pathfinder/Infiniti JX, Hyundai SantaFe, Toyota Highlander, and Mazda CX9.  No, I haven't thought about it

Really, the Mazda CX9 is out because it's too old looking styling wise.   I know that SUV probably handles the best but that's not super high priority for what the car is used for.  The Honda Pilot is again too old looking styling wise.  I don't like the look of the Highlander.  The Ford Expedition is a bit too big and too truck-like.  I rented one over the weekend and while it was comfy and freaking huge, it didn't feel very stable on highway bends going 75 mph plus.  It felt tippy.

Without having me or my wife test driving any of these except the Expedition yet, exterior wise the Lincoln looks the best.  Knowing I might get rid of it in 5 years and being wary of potentially taking another bath, I'm thinking the MDX may be the best bet with good resale value.  I've gotta test how it feels though.  Is it cush, quiet, and tank like enough.  The Enclave set a pretty high bar there.

I'm weary of certified.  Yeah its a better deal and i can get a more high end car, it doesn't have the new car smell though.  These sort of cars are not investments.  They're always money losing propositions.  It's an emotional thing.  A Yukon Denali with 10,000 miles coming off a lease might be very tempting however.  It'll still probably be too expensive though.

[ifcar]

The Santa Fe really impressed me for everything but pure space, though the Explorer (and Ford Flex, which they do still make if that interests you) might edge it out for cushy and quiet. The Hyundai's biggest strength is driving like a small car while still giving up little to the barges, though it only seats seven instead of eight and doesn't have as much cargo space behind the third row as you might be used to. The Pathfinder is nice and has a fairly similar feel to the Enclave but you might feel too big of a quality downgrade; the JX may fix that for you, though (haven't driven one). The latest MDX is supposed to be smoother and quieter than the sportier old model, so that's another possibility. And the Dodge Durango is another to look at, though I don't believe it's got the strongest reliability reputation; the Toyota Sequoia is another that's not on your list, though you probably don't need its towing and can therefore get crossover fuel economy.

[2o6]

Timing chains and transmission issues are a problem with those LAMBDA cars.


Transmissions and IIRC oil burning is a problem on the Pilot, too.

[Lebowski]

That's true.  I was thinking more along the lines of taking a bath on the trade in versus the equivalent in initial cost Pilot but worth much more on the trade in.

The car's for my wife.  She again wants a large SUV and we both want three rows for when the grandparents come by and we can put our kids in the third row.  It has to have most of the bells and whistles.

The Tahoe/Yukon is too expensive.  The Land Rover LR4 is too unreliable and costly to maintain.  The Mercedes G-class and Audi Q7 are too expensive and too costly to service.  The Land Cruiser/Lexus equivalent is too expensive.  The Volvo XC90 is too old a platform and that model hasn't been that reliable. 

I think that leaves the Ford Explorer/Lincoln M(whatever - the three row SUV), Ford Expedition, Honda Pilot/Acura MDX, Nissan Pathfinder/Infiniti JX, Hyundai SantaFe, Toyota Highlander, and Mazda CX9.  No, I haven't thought about it

Really, the Mazda CX9 is out because it's too old looking styling wise.   I know that SUV probably handles the best but that's not super high priority for what the car is used for.  The Honda Pilot is again too old looking styling wise.  I don't like the look of the Highlander.  The Ford Expedition is a bit too big and too truck-like.  I rented one over the weekend and while it was comfy and freaking huge, it didn't feel very stable on highway bends going 75 mph plus.  It felt tippy.

Without having me or my wife test driving any of these except the Expedition yet, exterior wise the Lincoln looks the best.  Knowing I might get rid of it in 5 years and being wary of potentially taking another bath, I'm thinking the MDX may be the best bet with good resale value.  I've gotta test how it feels though.  Is it cush, quiet, and tank like enough.  The Enclave set a pretty high bar there.

I'm weary of certified.  Yeah its a better deal and i can get a more high end car, it doesn't have the new car smell though.  These sort of cars are not investments.  They're always money losing propositions.  It's an emotional thing.  A Yukon Denali with 10,000 miles coming off a lease might be very tempting however.  It'll still probably be too expensive though.

Honda Odyssey.

Of what you listed, probably the MDX although I don't love the styling.

[veeman]

A minivan doesn't work for me.  It's a styling/masculinity thing. The new Kia minivan coming out looks pretty sweet but I don't think it's on the market for a few more months.  It may be worth it to hold out for it but I would then need to get a car for the summer and I'm not sure how to do that without throwing a lot of money with a long term rental.  I like the Ford Flex but my wife hates the way it looks so that's a definite no go.

[SVT666]

The new Explorer in all black looks kinda badass.

[GoCougs]

Ouch, that's too bad.

I will say, though, that you'd have spent five far less pleasant years in the Pilot, and *still* might have ended up with the one that required transmission work or some other costly repair anyway. It's not like they're exactly bulletproof either.

What are you looking at next?

Why Honda still has such major issues with ride and road noise I'll never know. The previous Pilot/MDX was terrible.

[68_427]

Flex is omg comfy

[MrH]

The Flex is probably the best in terms of space outside of a minivan.

If you could afford it, I'd go with the MDX for sure.  Nicest of the bunch.  Highlander or Sequoia would be second probably.

[Lebowski]

Flex is ugly though. I don't see the logic of discounting a minivan on the grounds of styling/masculinity but being open to a flex.  And this is for the wife correct?

[GoCougs]

The slushie AT remains the last weak point in the modern automobile - pretty much all automakers are vulnerable including Honda. You might get lucky though with a cheap fix - like just a sensor or solenoid.

Flex just doesn't wash. The Sienna with the V6, AWD and decked out is a sweet family hauler, in addition to being much more useful than a full-size SUV (but it's gonna cost not a lot less than a full size SUV).

[CJ]

The slushie AT remains the last weak point in the modern automobile - pretty much all automakers are vulnerable including Honda. You might get lucky though with a cheap fix - like just a sensor or solenoid.

Flex just doesn't wash. The Sienna with the V6, AWD and decked out is a sweet family hauler, in addition to being much more useful than a full-size SUV (but it's gonna cost not a lot less than a full size SUV).

Have you looked at the price on a new Tahoe lately?  It's absurd.  A Sienna is a considerably better value, in addition to having a superior interior.

[SVT666]

The slushie AT remains the last weak point in the modern automobile - pretty much all automakers are vulnerable including Honda. You might get lucky though with a cheap fix - like just a sensor or solenoid.

Had to replace the solenoid pack in the Explorer's transmission two weeks ago.  Cost = $1400.  Much cheaper than buying a new vehicle.

[ifcar]

Have you looked at the price on a new Tahoe lately?  It's absurd.  A Sienna is a considerably better value, in addition to having a superior interior.

Yep, a fully-loaded Sienna may have an obscene price tag -- but that's only the base price of a new Tahoe.

[Lebowski]

Have you looked at the price on a new Tahoe lately?  It's absurd.  A Sienna is a considerably better value, in addition to having a superior interior.

As I recall, tahoes/yukons/suburban have had absurd sticker prices for a long time (last 10-15 yrs or so), but they discount the shit out of them.

[68_427]

They also have very good resale.

[2o6]

Wave plate on the trans is probably going out. They go out like clockwork on these cars. Usually when this happens, the timing chain is usually not too far behind it.



I would dump it

[veeman]

The new Explorer in all black looks kinda badass.

That is totally badass.  I like the tint too.  Not so sure about the aftermarket wheels.  The overall look of this car would be hilarious as my wife's car but she might go for it.

[veeman]

Flex is ugly though. I don't see the logic of discounting a minivan on the grounds of styling/masculinity but being open to a flex.  And this is for the wife correct?

The car is for my wife's daily driver.  Her commute sucks being heavy slow traffic for about an hour each way.  We also would extensively use it for long distance trips in which I drive about 80% of the time.

I'm not against a minivan because of the word "minivan".  It's just stylistically, none of the current for sale large minivans looks even remotely cool.  Take that black ford explorer.  That's cool looking.  A black sienna with tinted windows still doesn't look cool.  It's hard to define cool looking.   It may be undefinable.  The new Kia minivan coming out, at least in pictures, looks pretty cool.  The flex I like.  It has a certain retro airstream flair to it.  My wife hates it however so it's an absolute no go.

[68_427]

Pretty sure those are the OEM explorer sport wheels.

[CALL_911]

That Explorer does not look cool at all imo

[veeman]

Wave plate on the trans is probably going out. They go out like clockwork on these cars. Usually when this happens, the timing chain is usually not too far behind it.



I would dump it

You are so on the money man.  Edmunds forums have a bunch of people complaining about the wave plate.  Taking the car to the GM dealer on Monday.

I just got done paying off this car a few months ago and I was so looking forward to having it for two more years saving 800+ dollars a month. 

This last weekend, because of the Enclave issue, I rented an Expedition and drove it with my family from Connecticut to Detroit and back.  Beast of a car and looks decent.  My Enclave regularly gives me 15.5 mpg.  The Expedition gave me 14.2 mpg; so basically no significant difference.  It's just too trucky especially for my wife to use as a daily driver.  I naturally felt like driving it at 65 mph rather than the 75 mph I would in my Enclave.  It's a tad too tall and feels more roll over prone. 

I don't think it very wise to drive my Enclave with a rebuilt transmission on a trip like that.  If the car fails at 2 am on an empty stretch of highway with my family inside, that would suck ass.

[veeman]

That Explorer does not look cool at all imo

What's wrong with it?  Maybe a little too police vehicle looking.  Other than the wheels, it looks pretty cool to me. 

Probably because I just visited the Ford museum in Detroit, but the Lincoln's are looking pretty nice.  Yeah, they're gussied up Fords but so are a lot of other luxury nameplate vehicles (the Infiniti JX is a gussied up Nissan Pathfinder). Resale I'm assuming would majorly suck with any Lincoln and so I might go the MDX route.  It'll depend on the test drive. 

All of this ultimately depends on what GM says is wrong with car but my hunch is the transmission is f__ked.

[CJ]

But it's just barely still in warranty, right?

[veeman]

But it's just barely still in warranty, right?

I'm pretty sure warranty expires after 5 years.  It's these frequent long trips usually late late in the night I'm worried about with a rebuilt transmission. 

I haven't done any research on it but I also have a feeling that if I had bought a Pilot, I'd get 5 more grand on the back end on a trade in.  That's a lot. 

[TBR]

Pilots also have transmission issues (as does pretty much any Honda with the V6 / 5AT combo), but I'm sure the resale value point is right on.

[ifcar]

I'm pretty sure warranty expires after 5 years.  It's these frequent long trips usually late late in the night I'm worried about with a rebuilt transmission. 

I haven't done any research on it but I also have a feeling that if I had bought a Pilot, I'd get 5 more grand on the back end on a trade in.  That's a lot. 

You could try to see if they'd be flexible with you being just out of warranty, especially if you're a loyal customer at the dealership.

[2o6]

That might not work