Opinions on models

I know plenty of people here love their PPV but there’s no way in hell I’d ever buy one. They get used and abused, they’re usually in very rough shape, interior is barren, tons of idle time, bare minimum maintenance. Either buy an 03-06 or spend more money. The money you think you’re going to save on the purchase price will get eaten up in repairs very quickly.

X3+ on consideration of a little older, but I’d specifically say focus on 2005-06 as they had an updated alternator. 2003-04 had the same exterior look but had a bunch of internal changes aligned with the then new Silverado design and I always stay away from the first 2 model years.

I’d also second the recommendation to look Suburban / XL to let you have 6 people plus their bags without relying on roof or trailer hitch boxes.

The other thing to know is the average PPV / special service didn’t come from the factory with 3rd row seating. I believe everything since 2000 has the ability to mount them securely, basically OEM, but you might have to buy the mounts & seats yourself. I did this to my 2002 and it was easy, but would be an extra step & expense. They also have some interior differences (flooring, seats, & stereo are cheaper but are more likely to have a dual battery set up already). They are a good option though as maintenance “tends” to be more consistent even if driven harder.

Thanks
How many miles my might be too many for the Escalades?

91RS said:

Yeah, you're going to need to spend more than $7k if you want a good GMT-900 that isn't going to eat you out of house and home. $15k is that sweet spot where you can find a good used vehicle that still has a lot of life left in it but keep in mind any 10 year old car is hard to find in good shape. You will definitely want to avoid the AFM but especially on the 5.3L. The main problem isn't cam/lifter failure but oil consumption. They used low-tension piston rings to help with fuel economy but the AFM cylinders get hot when they're disabled and caked the oil in the rings and caused oil consumption. If the oil wasn't changed often or they always used crap oil and filters that just accelerates things. My uncle bought his 08 1500 brand new and we never let the oil go more than 5k miles and it still started using at 8k and got so bad by 125k that we replaced the pistons and deleted the AFM at the same time.

Anyway, my advice is up your budget to $15k and look for a 2007-2009 Yukon Denali or Escalade and be picky if you're not in a rush. 2009 is the best year but they're very hard to find due to the recession.

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Very much depends on the vehicle. My Yukon had 176k miles on it when I bought it and a bunch of people I work with told me I was insane even though the truck is clean enough to pass for half the mileage. I did have to delete the AFM but I knew I was going to do that when I purchased it it was cheap because of the mileage and the exact truck I wanted otherwise I wouldn't have pulled the trigger. It isn't easy to find high mileage vehicles that are generally in good shape though. I would always get a pre-purchase inspection done at a dealer and ask for the pickiest guy in the shop to do it.

Been doing research on this.

What did you do to delete?

91RS said:

Very much depends on the vehicle. My Yukon had 176k miles on it when I bought it and a bunch of people I work with told me I was insane even though the truck is clean enough to pass for half the mileage. I did have to delete the AFM but I knew I was going to do that when I purchased it it was cheap because of the mileage and the exact truck I wanted otherwise I wouldn't have pulled the trigger. It isn't easy to find high mileage vehicles that are generally in good shape though. I would always get a pre-purchase inspection done at a dealer and ask for the pickiest guy in the shop to do it.

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You have to change the cam to a non-AFM cam, change the lifters to non-AFM lifters, delete the VLOM, and have a tune done. I also consider it good practice to replace all possible wear items while there like the timing chain, tensioner (or delete and go to the LS2 chain and tensioner), oil pump, etc.

Ok welcome to the forum man... So here is the best scoop I can give with my knowledge from 99 to 2014... The 00- 06 are a tried and true workhorse. Personally I love them more for the longevity vs the nnbs.. Simplicity is also nice too... Cheap to own and maintain also.

For features and comfort the 07-14 is hands down awesome. From the seats, to the suspension and steering, the traction control etc. Hence why I have owned a few for sure also. So known issues I can tell you about...

AFM failures are real, mostly due to people not doing maintenance etc. Most of our vehicles are already past the first owners, so seeing what they did is key. CARFAX report will show you intervals of oil changes etc to help that out in your decision factor.
The 6 speed trans is a large step in the enjoyment of driving. The 4 speed going up to 2008 was ok, tried and true but had some issues all its own.. The 6 speed is a better trans than the new 8 and 10s that are out, Id keep the 4 or this 6 any day compared to the failure rates of the new ones so there is a check in the positive for the 07-14 pltf.

Dash cracks are normal on all 07-14, deal with it is best I can give you on this. Dash covers are cheap and look pretty good. 00-06 dash paint flakes off thats the normal on those.

There are little quirks here and there on everything. End of the day. This is the 3rd NNBS I have owned. Tahoe LTZ- 2009, Suburban LT 2012, and 2011 Denali XL... I am very **** about my vehicles and how they drive. This is the one vehicle I keep going back to.

PPV/ssv stuff rides rougher just be warned, they can be picked up alot cheaper, but NO 3rd row seating etc either.

In your position, put a few more k together. I sold my 2012 suburban Leather texas edition, 140,000 miles for 10500 cash 4 months ago... You can find them in that area also just may have to negotiate down.

I think the Variable valve timing on the 2010 and up really make the motor use up some of the held back performance.

Stay away from vehicles from Salted road places.

Stay away from hybrid ones due to repairs being not the cheapest.

If I was to pick you something to hit the 7-10k mark.. 2009-2011 tahoe, suburban, yukon... 140k to 150k miles. There is still life in it for sure, just check carfax data on service history and accidents etc. That is key... Reason I paid more than market on my yukon I own now is the service history is very detailed on the report.

For 7k and under 03-06 with anything less than 200k you will be good... Just put some money to the side for repairs if needed. There are tons of them still on the road and they are the most durable suv for a good price point.

Don’t fully rely on Carfax though. It’s a great place to start and I’d never buy a vehicle without checking it but they’re only as good as the information reported to them. There are tons of shops and body shops out there that do not report to Carfax. There are also plenty of police precincts that do not report either. That means the oil could have been changed every 3k miles and you wouldn’t necessarily know or that it could have been in an accident and you may not know. Carfax could show not enough information either, it could show “damage reported” but not say anything else which could be a parking lot incident or a pile up. That’s why a pre-purchase inspection is ALWAYS key if you don’t know what to look for yourself.