I hate the automobile industry; more precisely, I should say that I hate sales people associated with the automobile industry...

Our family is in the market for an SUV with 7-passenger seating. Since my wife will be the primary driver of this vehicle, we have decided to avoid the Suburbans, Navigators, and Excursions in favor of one of the pseudo-midsized models becoming available of late. Being as it is that we live a half hour from one of the largest GM/Dodge dealers in the country (really...I'm not kidding...we DO have cars in North Idaho), we decided to go and see what was being offered by the American contingent of the auto industry (I guess Dodge is still American, right? Ford doesn't count BTW: I've been scared of their trannies for too long to remember...).

Our first contender was the Dodge Durango SLT+. I was impressed by the off-road capabilities of this particular SUV (yes, I do plan to actually take this bad boy off road). The engine is a 4.7L V8 with plenty of torque. The default tires are actually quite nice. I was not, however, very keen on the interior comfort of the Durango. The bucket seats are anything but comfortable. The leather seems very cheap and rigid. The second row of seats are very low to the floor, so you have the impression of less leg room. The third row seat is little more than a jump seat, really, which is fine for now with little children with little heinies, but little heinies get bigger over time... Dealer Price: $28,500

Next we decided to look at the Yukon. The Yukon seems to have been built as the poor-man's Suburban... It looks and feels much like its slightly bigger brother, but it doesn't seem to have been designed with off-road excursions in mind. The stock tires, while large, look like they come off a Lincoln Towncar. The interior is much roomier than the Durango, but it's really not significantly smaller than the Suburban. Oddly, I had the biggest hangup with the Yukon's steering wheel. It could have been transplanted from my grandpa's 1972 Ford pickup. No cool amenities of any kind. Overall, I'd say the Yukon gave me the overall impression that I'd get pissed if someone tracked mud into it, which is not what I'm looking for in an SUV... Dealer Price: $40,000

Then our salesman showed us the Envoy. He remembered that the newer version of the Envoy (the XL) had a full-sized 3rd row seat. Puzzled that he couldn't find an XL on the lot, we test drove a non-XL model to get a general feel for the series. I gotta tell ya, this one was all but perfect. The size is just right, the look and feel is good, it comes with some very impressive off-road amenities. Plus, there's some nice interior appointments, like the high-quality (and comfortable) leather seats and an optional DVD player for the kids. The only thing I wasn't thrilled about was the Inline 6-cylinder engine under the hood. It does come in at a nice 275hp and does have more torque than a V8, but I like the smoothness that a V8 provides in that size of a car. I immediately said, "We'll take one!" Dealer Price: $32,000

We went back to the salesman's office to spec out our options (since it would have to be ordered or acquired from another dealer). The salesman goes away for a few minutes to do a dealer search on the computer. In about 10 minutes, he comes back with the news that the Envoy Xl isn't actually available for purchase yet because one has yet to roll from the production lines at GM. We decided reluctantly to go with the Durango, which I'm still not so sure about... Thankfully, due to some other requirements of the sale (refinancing of our other car), the paperwork took too long to be completed that day, so I get a reprieve of a couple of days to think about it before making a bad decision. To further complicate things, I read on GMC's website last night that a V8 will be offered in the 2003 Envoy XL. GAH!

Keeping in mind that our need for a larger car is pretty urgent at this point, what the heck should I do? Do I get the Durango that I don't particularly like, but don't hate either and be stuck with it for 4-5 years? Is there a way to get a 9-12 month lease on the Durango and then come back for the 2003 Envoy XL without losing my shirt? Surely there's got to be some string I can pull at the dealership with the promise of a purchase of the Envoy as soon as it's available...anyone ever had anything like this happen to them? Oh well...sorry for the long rant...advice is appreciated!