Someone as cynical as me...

[tomacGTi]

http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?country=us&uniqueid=b78d29ac-1470-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7

[Sven]

I have never wanted a Tahoe any more than I do right now.

No, really.

Never.

[PitterB4]

Ha, ha.  That was good.  I was all ready to move this thread over to OT, too!  

[mike]

   

That's good. My mom just sold her 00 Tahoe last September...  I'll send her the video ...

Back in Sept 05, I found a smaller Explorer Limited (top end model) for a great deal with the big rebates and employee pricing.  Funny thing is, it has more passenger room than the Tahoe inside and drives better being smaller/lighter and having better suspension and control.
Ford had some great deals on these 05's last Sept.  Her's listed for 39K and she got it for 28K after all the discounts, plus got 11K on the Tahoe as a trade-in.  I dropped her in a new top of line Exlporer for 17K +TTL...  all the optinos..  power all, leather heated interior, dual thermostat climate control, DVD system, premium rims tires and PSI system, premium sound with saellite radio and mp3 players, one tone cusom paint, etc...  I mean this thing had al the options, the only thing it didn't have was the laser reverse gear warning system...
Hell, my dad would've waited til 06 and paid a dealer full price, since he doesn't believe in buying vehicles online, much less know how to logon to a PC.  I've bought my last 3 vehicles this way and always end up on the  better end of the deal having it shipped in as a delivered vehicle.  Screw the old sales lotsaleman, I won't even talk to'em anymore-only the internet guys in place at the dealerships after all research has been done and a decision vehicle found that is a sure thing to ship in.

[Red01]

The way they keep adding more and more car qualities to SUV's, you might as well buy a Subaru, Volvo or BMW AWD wagon. I doubt many of them see a gravel road, let alone anything more rugged.

What happened to the good old days when you could actually take a SUV out 4-wheelin'?



The Jeep Wrangler is the only thing left anymore with any real off-roadability.  

[mike]

Boy, you're right about that Paul...

Seems like those days are gone almost, the old Cherokees, Wranglers, Blazers, and Broncos.

I guess they've evolved into what the public uses and wants now-so much road driving.

Heck, the main reason my mom has one, is so she can put the pet beds and mats in the back, block the front seats off with a gate behind the seats and take the 3 dogs on short vacation road trips.  Maybe uses the back to haul groceries and shopping spree stuff, easy load wth a hatchback and cargo net.  Plus a little more room to haul stuff from Lowes with the back seats folded down.  Really, it kinda does work for her much better than a sedan with a trunk, and has more clearance inside than a station wagon for hauling a new TV or whatever.

Other than that, I really think those tires have ever seen more than a dirt driveway.  Changing times I guess...

Personally, I still prefer a good xcab fullsize truck like the GMC Sierra, Chevy Silverado, Ford F150, Dodge RAM, or Toyota Tundra.  Can haul like a truck, tow stuff, and still have room in the xcab for groceries or passenegers.  My front 6 way power buckets in my GMC are quite comfy for road trips, the newer trucks drive so much smoother and have better creature comforts than the old style (like my first GMC an 85 with a bench seat)..  Guess I'm a truck guy..  Had a Firebird, 68 Camaro and a Mazda RX7 early on in life, but been a truck guy ever since.  Though I have owned and don't like the regualr cabs or the compact trucks (xcab or reg cab).

 

[scooter trash]

Back in 1975 I bought my first Blazer. I drove up to my Uncles house for a party and he said, "You bought a truck? This is what you go out to dinner in?"
I was a visionary. I saw the future. He saw a truck. Now the cycle has come full circle.  High horsepower cars are the future. GTO's. Mustang's, Charger's are all making a comeback along with muscle in the compacts. Also (and don't laugh) Station wagon's (grocery getters) will be next. Everyone got used to the space of the SUV's and don't want to give it up so you will see more and more manufactures building station wagons again. Lighter weight, better mileage but still a lot of room for the kids and dogs.


This is just my opinion, I could be wrong.

[Swamp Rat]

Uh? Bandit alley....motorcycles.....SUVs? You have just entered  the ....Twigh Light Zone. " Roll audio"

[Red01]

Back in 1975, I had a 1962 Willys Station Wagon. Not much different than the 1946 model, which is not only the original SUV, but the first all-steel station wagon body. Mine was modernized with a '72 Buick 350 and a TH400 automatic.
It was my first of many 4x4's. It was my 3rd cage, and oddly enough, my 3rd station wagon.  

[scooter trash]

Two of my friends Joe and Len Pullman had one of those Willy’s wagons. Joe and Len had strange ideas about racing. They pretty much did the same thing as you except they bored and stroked their Buick motor. Put a blower on it and drag raced it. It was painted green and called, “ The Incredible Hulk”. They raced it for a while then got bored with it and wanted something faster and more outrageous so they decided they could stuff a Cadillac motor in a TR-3 if they welded the entire front end together (hood and fenders) like the late model Corvettes. Actually the only problem they had was the transmission. The automatics were too big. So they found a 1950 three speed Cadillac transmission. And it worked. Couldn’t keep rear tires on the thing but it worked. These boys had way too much spare time on their hands.
   

[tacoman]

Not too many purpose built 4x4s anymore.  Since the SUV/pickup craze started all have gone to IFS suspensions, auto 4 wheel drive, unibody, etc.  Even the Ford Superdutys have dropped the straight front axle.  Thats why I bought mine, high tech turbo diesel & tranny with suspension out of the 1950's, leaf springs all around.  The SUVs out there now that have good off road abilities (H3, 4 Runner, Grand Cherokee) all top out around $50k+, who's going to take that off road?

[PitterB4]

Not too many purpose built 4x4s anymore.  Since the SUV/pickup craze started all have gone to IFS suspensions, auto 4 wheel drive, unibody, etc.  Even the Ford Superdutys have dropped the straight front axle.  Thats why I bought mine, high tech turbo diesel & tranny with suspension out of the 1950's, leaf springs all around.  The SUVs out there now that have good off road abilities (H3, 4 Runner, Grand Cherokee) all top out around $50k+, who's going to take that off road?

The good thing about the GC is that they don’t hold their value well.  You can pick up a nice used one pretty reasonably (comparatively anyway).

[Red01]

The good thing about the GC is that they don’t hold their value well.  You can pick up a nice used one pretty reasonably (comparatively anyway).

And like the Bandit, there's a wealth of aftermarket support should you want to personalize/specialize your Grand. Not quite as much as the standard Cherokee or the Wranglers, but still quite a bit.

[jimmym1296]

I loved my 98' Tahoe. No, it didn't see any hardcore offroad use, but it came in mighty handy hauling the kids and the dogs and all our other stuff to camp and back, especially in the winter. My son cried when we downsized to an Aztek. Don't laugh!

[Sven]

My son cried when we downsized to an Aztek.

I think that's the way most people react when they see an Aztek.