The Rambling Madman

Monday, March 14, 2005

Truck Shopping

It's time to replace my little POS shuttle truck. It's starting to die. About a month ago I did a oil change and engine flush. Big mistake - apparently the black sludge I called oil was actually preserving a bunch of the seals. For the couple weeks after the oil change I was blowing blue AND white (rings and head gasket). It seems to have stopped now, but I'd say that after 210K Kms, it's time for semi-retirement.

Plus, it's really tough to get me, Laura and Finn in the truck comfortably. Something about a 2.5 person bench seat :-).

We'll probably keep it and make it Laura's vehicle (to be driven once or twice a week) and a shuttle truck for me, for when we're going to ride Seymour and need an extra pickup.

After two and a half years of driving a beater, and the way I've been saving every penny, I think it's time to get myself a vehicle I like.

I've been thinking about this for a while - I'm going to go with a mid-sized SUV and add a 4-bike rack to the back. I want a truck that will last me at least 5 years. I *THOUGHT* I had it all narrowed down to either a Pathfinder or 4Runner.

I prefer vehicles to drive like a sports car, or like a truck. Luxury vehicles don't really work for me. I prefer to be bounced around when I hit a bump over rolling softly.

So I spent most of this weekend truck shopping. Poor Laura - she spent most of the weekend being dragged around. I also did a ton of reading online - from Carpoint to Consumer Reports and all over Google.

Here's some of my thoughts:

2000 Nissan Pathfinder
My first thought sitting down in a Pathfinder was "Luxury Vehicle", even though I wasn't in a luxury model. The dashboard feels big and over stuffed. The seats weren't right for me. Upon driving it, I found it's definitely a "luxury SUV", not a truck. The 2000 is a decent SUV, but is a bit underpowered. If you're looking for more of the "raised car" feel, then the Pathfinder is for you.

2001 Nissan Pathfinder
The 2001 Pathfinder is pretty much the same as the 2000 for look and feel, but has one major difference. An all-new engine. If you can afford it and want the Pathfinder, get a 2001. It has much more power than the 2000.

Toyota 4Runner
It's scary just how well the 4Runners hold their value. I've driven the 4cyl and V6 versions now. While the 4cyl felt about the same for power as the 2000 Pathfinder and would be great for the city, I'm betting the gearing isn't right for the highway or towing. The V6 has plenty of power and a really good feel to it though. The one I drove had some strange clutch issues. Laura LOVED the power rear window. I can see why the 4Runner is generally the king of SUVs - too bad it's just so overpriced.

2001 Nissan Xterra
I originally didn't even have this truck on my list. I figured it was way out of my price range. One of the dealers near my house had one in my price range though, so I figured I'd try it. Boy am I glad I did. The Xterra is a SU-Truck to the bone (strong on the Utility bit). Like the 4Runner, it definitely has a truck feel. The interior is simple, which I like. I ended up driving two different models - the standard feels way better than the auto. It's a *little* underpowered at 170hp, but with the standard it goes quite well.

I'm going to have to up my budget a little, but I'm willing to live with that to find the truck that'll make me happy. When I talked to the bank about possible financing, they laughed at me. Something about a big secured line of credit and a low interest rate.

I have one dealer and a car broker both doing a bit of a search. They say they'll know in the next day or two what's out there.

-Mike | 12:29 PM | link |