I wanna GMC Envoy XL...

[Zorro]

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!

[[AK]Squidly]

I own a Durango and love it. Used for towing, lugging dive gear around, and the daily commute (such as it is.)

I find the seats to be very comfortable (except the back row, but I don't expect a 'real' third row in an SUV this size.)

[Drewski]

Lease the Durango...buy the GMC when it comes. Whats the point of buying a car you don't really like?

[the wolffman]

we just traded in our '99 durango for a new '03 ram (quite a nice truck). i thought the durango was quite a good suv. a really comfortable ride, nice looking design, and overall a satisifying experience. i'd recommend it to anyone considering buying an suv.

i have no experience with (or even knew about) the gmc envoy xl. i've heard about the envoy, but the reviews i read said it was a mediocre car. not really the bang for your buck.

drewski: leasing a vehicle is a complete ripoff for comsumers. never, under any circumstance, lease a vehicle. you basically pay more than what you would if you actually purchased the car. while it eases inital payments, it's just not worth it.

[[AK]Squidly]

That's not entirely true. There are plenty of perfectly good reasons to lease a vehicle.

+ You don't put much mileage on it
+ You like the idea of having a new car, often (and all that that means with regards to maintenance.)
+ You want to drive larger/more expensive vehicle than you can afford to purchase.

Yes, the financial elements say "buy", but these other reasons may override that for some people.

[Badwill]

I haven't seen the Envoy yet but I currently have a Tahoe and I give it 4 stars. It's bigger than a Durango (hehe Squid) but doesn't ride like a truck like the suburban does. It's a half ton so I can haul a decent load. Currently it only seat five with flip around seats so the entire back area could be a cargo area. I'm pretty happy with it.

[Zorro]

So, here's a funny ending to the story...

My wife had to go in for ankle surgery today, so while we were in Spokane and I was Mr. Momming it, I figured I'd go over to the Ford dealership to see what was available there. The only reason I even considered it is because my grandparents are both retirees of FMC and get a nice deal on cars for them and their families under the "Z Plan" (I think it's called the "A Plan" if you are an active employee of the company). Anyway, I went and looked at the 2002 Ford Explorer, and man was I impressed! It's a bit roomier than the Durango and has every feature that I like in the Envoy. There's even a few things I didn't particularly care for in the Envoy that are "fixed" in the Explorer. The test drive was very nice, so I decided to go for it. So, we'll be picking up our new Explorer LTD, delivered fresh from Seattle. For the price, I think we did rather well:

Model: 4X4
Series: Limited

Engine: 4.6L SOHC V8
Transmission: 5-Speed Automatic O/D

Packages
- Trailer Towing Prep Package Class III/IV

Power
- 4.6L SOHC V8
- 5-Speed Automatic O/D
- 3.73 Ratio Limited Slip Axle

Exterior
- Silver Birch Clearcoat Metallic
- 16" Limited Cast Aluminum Wheels
- P245/70Rx16 OWL All-Season/Goodyear Tires

Interior
- Luxury Leather Buckets (w/Power Driver/Pass. 6-Way Heated, Manual Driver/Pass. Lumbar Support and 3-Position Driver's Memory Seat)
- Midnight Grey
- Cloth Third-Row Seat (Vinyl when 1st and 2nd Rows are leather)
- 290-Watt AM/FM Stereo/Clock/6-Disc In-Dash

Options
- AdvanceTrac Enhanced Stability Control System
- Auxiliary Air Conditioning and Heater
- Safety Canopy Air Curtain System (protects 1st and 2nd row occupants)
- Power Moonroof w/Shade
- Reverse Sensing System

The price for this bad boy came in just over $32,000 with the Z Plan, and with got 3.9% financing for a 60-month term, which was actually cheaper than a lease. Anyway, I'll be sure to give you guys feedback on how things turn out over the next few weeks as I break the girl in and run her through the paces.

[[AK]Bribo]

Bribo still holding out for the Hummer H2 SUV:

[[AK]Squidly]

I prefer the 2002 Shaguar...

[[AK]Bribo]

Yeah baby!!!!