Bye-Bye Tacoma...

[drcollie]

Similar history. I've had a 525i, 528i, 330i and an X5, and each one was bought with under 5K miles. I'm feeling the pain of new now while contemplating trading my '10 Cayenne.

You need the new Range Rover! For 2013 they redesigned it and its all aluminum now, took nearly 900 lbs off the weight off the prior model, and that's huge. Its a big nut though, they cost about $ 100K. And a Range Rover just may be the world's fastest depreciating vehicle - unlike the Tacoma!

[cuse69]

Duane,

Great looking ride, you will enjoy the trip up route 1. How does the "1" series fit for us big guys? I need a new car for my wife but want something I can drive on occasion too.

Larry

[drcollie]

I like small cars, always have. Its MUCH bigger than my ex-Porsche Boxster and higher off the ground meaning its easier to egress...you have to try one out of course, BMW of Sterling is not too far away from you.

[artielange]

Duane, do you have any experience with the Cayenne or X5 diesel?

[drcollie]

Just from pals that own them....

X5 Diesel is crazy fun. I know it sounds slow, but its not. It has huge torque, and that makes it squirt off the stoplights like nobody's business. People buy Horsepower, but what they really want is Torque, and the X5 Diesel delivers. Option it with the better seats (the standard ones are horrid affairs) and its a pretty hot ride. Get a new one and for 4 years you don't have to put any money into it except for tires. There are some Federal and State tax credits on that too, I think,

Porsche Cayenne. Really a nice handler, has WAY-WAY-WAY too many buttons to push for people like me that need reading glasses to see 4-point type. I drove a pal's for half an hour after I dropped him at the airport and never could figure out how to get the radio to operate. Also, typical Porsche weirdness like the battery in a compartment under the driver's seat which makes it very difficult to service. Higher repair / service costs than the BMW. Still, fun to drive but fuel mileage is going to be far worse than the X5 diesel.

Or wait for the new Range Rover Sport...

http://www.carscoops.com/2013/03/thi...ver-sport.html

[artielange]

No RR. The new alum body is crazy expensive but gorgeous. I love that it comes in 35+ colors and 11 interiors. We already have a TDI Touareg and it's a great car. I'm just not sure how I'd feel about the TDI in the Porsche. It just seems wrong to me but I could learn to appreciate the 700 mi range. In my loaner Cayenne I have never encountered a problem with all the buttons, and my Porsche dealer will let me have one for the weekend to try. The service is a major plus to the X5 but it bothers me to get the last year of the body style that's been in existence since MY 2007. I do like the larger cargo area of the X5 and you're right, the seats definitely need an upgrade. Thanks Duane.

[MJM_CA]

Awwww...nice Taco!

The resale on those is insane! My brother has a 2004 4x4 Crew cab Tacoma (low mileage)...says trade-in value is still $14k, $17k if private party!


For a luxury SUV, I like the Toyota Land Cruiser or Lexus LX470. Better resale and reliability than the RR, but looks aren't for everyone. Toyota needs a diesel. I've heard they may be introducing a diesel in the next Tundra.

[drcollie]

Resale is nuts on them, I agree. I paid 28K for the truck three years ago this coming June and just sold it for $ 23K in one day with 25,000 miles on it.

I had a Land Cruiser ('98) we bought brand new when that new body style came out. It was very nice, but fuel mileage was awful, averaging 13 mpg around town. And the painted leather in the seats was really cheesy. But when we took it out in the sand in Corona NC and locked the diffs on it, we could go ANYWHERE and passed many a F-150 digging out by hand with a shovel.

[MJM_CA]

I agree the fuel economy sucks! They should start by eliminating the silly 3rd row seat...that would save over 100 lbs I'm guessing.
Toyota really increased the power and luxury since the first '98 models, but $78k for a Toyota causes me pause. For a few grand more you can get the Lexus LX with a higher level of customer service and more cache. The Lexus LX also has a luxury package that upgrades the seats to semi-aniline with ventilation. A certified pre-owned one may be a good buy.

[drcollie]

Its a fast-moving market, that's for sure. I'm looking forward to seeing the next BMW X5, which is due out next fall or early winter. I'm not the SUV person in my house, my wife is - I'm a car guy all the way. I think she'll be eyeing an X3 however, something a little smaller. Her current ride is a Mercedes GLK350 4Matic (2010) which with 60K miles on it has turned out to be the most reliable SUV we've ever owned. Its never been in the shop and all I do is oil and filter changes, and a set of tires and windshield wipers.