To buy or not to buy?

[prl67]

Is there any SUV 2002+ in the area of X5, Volvo XC90, Lincoln Navigator that someone would recommend? Every car I think of has some kinda reliability problems. Maybe that's just the downside of a nice car.

[Boston X5 4.4]

Originally Posted by prl67

Is there any SUV 2002+ in the area of X5, Volvo XC90, Lincoln Navigator that someone would recommend? Every car I think of has some kinda reliability problems. Maybe that's just the downside of a nice car.

A 2002+ will be 9 yrs old - any SUV of that age/higher mileage is going to need parts replacing ...it's just that there is more to go wrong in the X, Volvo etc. and they cost more to repair both in parts and labor.

[prl67]

Originally Posted by Boston X5 4.4

A 2002+ will be 9 yrs old - any SUV of that age/higher mileage is going to need parts replacing ...it's just that there is more to go wrong in the X, Volvo etc. and they cost more to repair both in parts and labor.

I know that any car that old is going to need repairs, but I want to know if any SUV along those lines are better than others.

[Boston X5 4.4]

Originally Posted by prl67

I know that any car that old is going to need repairs, but I want to know if any SUV along those lines are better than others.

Regardless of mfr. the most important thing in buying a 9+ year old car will be previous history - is a service history available? was maintenance performed/on time? were most common high mileage issues fixed? ...better again if you know the owner and can get an honest answer.

...to answer your other question about dealership, either be willing/able to do the work yourself or find a good Indy........do not go to the dealership for out of warranty repairs unless you have deep pockets.

[prl67]

I was thinking about the Volvo for safety and design, but the guy at the dealership even admitted the transmission "wasn't their best". I heard the Infiniti FX is reliable but I'm not sure, nor am I in love with the design, but it could grow on me if it never breaks down... lol.

[Boston X5 4.4]

Originally Posted by prl67

I was thinking about the Volvo for safety and design, but the guy at the dealership even admitted the transmission "wasn't their best". I heard the Infiniti FX is reliable but I'm not sure, nor am I in love with the design, but it could grow on me if it never breaks down... lol.

get a used Toyota Landcruiser...safe and reliable ....no more handwringing needed

[Ben71781]

No offense, but the Lincoln Navigator is not in the same league for many reasons.

[prl67]

Originally Posted by Ben71781

No offense, but the Lincoln Navigator is not in the same league for many reasons.

I mean luxury SUV. Of course it's no where near especially in terms of performance.

[Jordo]

Are you capable of doing any repairs your self? Not a transmission rebuild or anything major, but can you at least diagnose to determing what exactly is causing a particular issue? This is a big savings, as you can tell the technition exacly what the problem is and you'll be charged just for R&R, not diag time.

Sites like these are an excelent sources to help you at least figure out what the problem could be.

And BTW there is a few common issues the 4.4 has. Mine had a week torque converter, and ended up rebuilding the transmission. ($3500) BUT, it hasn't skiped a beat since then! It has driven beautifully and looking even better, for about 12 months, min.

[prl67]

Originally Posted by Jordo

Are you capable of doing any repairs your self? Not a transmission rebuild or anything major, but can you at least diagnose to determing what exactly is causing a particular issue? This is a big savings, as you can tell the technition exacly what the problem is and you'll be charged just for R&R, not diag time.

I know someone who's good with cars and I know someone who owns a shop, but I always thought you should only go to BMW dealerships to get it done right.