Need help from car experts!

[AllyandJack]

I have a 2002 Chevy Blazer that I love. It has over 110,000 miles on it - I drive a lot.

I've looked at other cars...Trailblazer....Jeep Grand Cherokee....Chrysler Pacifica....Ford Escape Limited....none of them do it for me. I want a small SUV, 4WD, V6 (not V8) ideally at least a 4.0L engine and priced at about $25,000.

I love my car. I want my car. They don't make my car anymore.

What are my options? Can I have a new engine put in and have the odometer go back to 0? Is that possible??

What can I do to keep my Baby?

 

[chadfromdallas]

Can I have a new engine put in and have the odometer go back to 0? Is that possible??

What can I do to keep my Baby?

No, you sure cant, but you can toss in another engine Although, you will continue to run into problems with other parts.

 

[Christine]

My cousin had a 1990-something Blazer and loved it too. She did end up putting a new engine in it but still had to get another car. She ended up with a Toyota Highlander and she really loved that one. I'm not sure it comes in a 4.0 V6 though. I have one and I really like it. I believe that it is a 3.3 V6.

And, no, you cannot roll the odometer back.

 

[chadfromdallas]

V6 (not V8) ideally at least a 4.0L engine and priced at about $25,000.

Question about this: Why?

I wouldn't go around measuring an engines quality by the liter.

 

[AllyandJack]

Question about this: Why?

I wouldn't go around measuring an engines quality by the liter.

I have a 4.3L V6 now and I'm afraid I won't have enough pick up behind me to merge into traffic. I admit, I'm not ENTIRELY sure what the L has to do with the actual engine, but this is the first car I've ever owned, so I want everything to be the same. I fear change.

What exactly does the liter of the engine do? Is it related to horse-power? I need a good pick-up behind me to get up my driveway. I'm up a hill and, in the winter, it gets a bit treacherous even in 4WD.

Christine....I've seen the Highlander and it looks really nice. I'll have to check out the mpg. My Blazer gets good mpg on the highway, which is where I drive. I also don't want anything too big....I'm not into those monsters. I can't park them.

 

[Christine]

I have a 4.3L V6 now and I'm afraid I won't have enough pick up behind me to merge into traffic. I admit, I'm not ENTIRELY sure what the L has to do with the actual engine, but this is the first car I've ever owned, so I want everything to be the same. I fear change.

What exactly does the liter of the engine do? Is it related to horse-power? I need a good pick-up behind me to get up my driveway. I'm up a hill and, in the winter, it gets a bit treacherous even in 4WD.

Christine....I've seen the Highlander and it looks really nice. I'll have to check out the mpg. My Blazer gets good mpg on the highway, which is where I drive. I also don't want anything too big....I'm not into those monsters. I can't park them.

The Highlander appears about the same size as the Blazer; however, it is roomier inside. The highway miles on it are around 24-26 mpg. I commute in lots of traffic, and I get around 20 mpg. My engine is a 3.3 V6 and, believe me, there is plenty of power for merging. I don't think you will have any problems. It drives like a car (it is built on a Camry frame) and zips in and out of parking spaces quite easily.

You can get a low-end Highlander for about $25,000 (that's what I paid). It has cloth seats, power seat, windows, a 3rd row seat, towing package.

They come with leather, moon roofs, etc. I just couldn't afford that. That will run you at least $27K.

 

[AllyandJack]

The Highlander appears about the same size as the Blazer; however, it is roomier inside. The highway miles on it are around 24-26 mpg. I commute in lots of traffic, and I get around 20 mpg. My engine is a 3.3 V6 and, believe me, there is plenty of power for merging. I don't think you will have any problems. It drives like a car (it is built on a Camry frame) and zips in and out of parking spaces quite easily.

You can get a low-end Highlander for about $25,000 (that's what I paid). It has cloth seats, power seat, windows, a 3rd row seat, towing package.

They come with leather, moon roofs, etc. I just couldn't afford that. That will run you at least $27K.

Hmmm....I'll have to look into that. My Blazer that I adore is basic....cloth seats, power windows and doors, single CD, no moon roof or anything....I don't need that. I'll have to check out the Highlander. I'm probably looking at February to make my decision. That mileage is really good. I used to get about 23 on the highway, but I can see the mileage dropping and I'm not about to spend the money on a tune-up. I just bought it new tires, which will add to the trade-in value, but I'm not willing to sink in anymore money if it's not going to help long-term.

Thanks for the recommendation and information.

 

[Marseeya]

Except for one problem I had with mine, I just bought a Hyundai Tucson that I'm extremely happy with. Since they fixed the problem, I'm totally in love with it. However, it has a 2.7 liter engine, not 4.0... not sure why you'd want a 4.0 with gas prices the way they are. It's a V6 and has plenty of zip. You can get the Santa Fe in a 3.5 liter engine -- the biggest difference between it and the Tucson is cargo space. The Santa Fe has about 7" more room for cargo, but the Tucson actually has a tiny bit more passenger room.

 

[safetymom]

Is there a reason you want to buy another SUV? Most cars last much longer than 110,00 miles or do you just want a newer car?

 

[AllyandJack]

Except for one problem I had with mine, I just bought a Hyundai Tucson that I'm extremely happy with. Since they fixed the problem, I'm totally in love with it. However, it has a 2.7 liter engine, not 4.0... not sure why you'd want a 4.0 with gas prices the way they are. It's a V6 and has plenty of zip. You can get the Santa Fe in a 3.5 liter engine -- the biggest difference between it and the Tucson is cargo space. The Santa Fe has about 7" more room for cargo, but the Tucson actually has a tiny bit more passenger room.

I've seen the Santa Fe and it looks nice....3.5L is good enough. Hyundai has a great warranty, too, right? I looked at the Suzuki XL.7 and the cargo room in the back was non-existant. Nice car though.

I need an SUV, but I don't want to go crazy....I'm probably biased toward my Baby, but none of them give me that "wow" feeling. I have until February to get over it, I guess.

 

[AllyandJack]

Is there a reason you want to buy another SUV? Most cars last much longer than 110,00 miles or do you just want a newer car?

I need an SUV. I need the 4WD to get up my driveway in the winter. I have a 400ft driveway that goes up an incline and I'd never get home without the 4WD. I've looked at the Subarus, but to get a decent size (the wagon), it's really pricey to "upgrade" to a V6. I need the V6 to get good power behind me to get up the driveway....a 4-cyl just isn't going to cut it for me.

My parents have a Buick with front-wheel drive and they can't get up the driveway in the winter. Plus, DH and I have plow packages attached to both our cars. He leaves before I do, so sometimes I have to plow myself out after he leaves.

 

[Marseeya]

I've seen the Santa Fe and it looks nice....3.5L is good enough. Hyundai has a great warranty, too, right? I looked at the Suzuki XL.7 and the cargo room in the back was non-existant. Nice car though.

I need an SUV, but I don't want to go crazy....I'm probably biased toward my Baby, but none of them give me that "wow" feeling. I have until February to get over it, I guess.

Here's the thread where we discussed it and some pros and cons on Hyundai: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=918537

You also might want to check out user reviews on epinions.com and msn auto, plus vehix.com. I spent months researching a new car for myself!

 

[AllyandJack]

Here's the thread where we discussed it and some pros and cons on Hyundai: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=918537

You also might want to check out user reviews on epinions.com and msn auto, plus vehix.com. I spent months researching a new car for myself!

Thanks! I guess I should start now with the researching and test driving - I'm also the type that will research every aspect before I buy....that explains why I didn't buy during all the "employee discounts". I wasn't going to buy just for the sake of buying. I hope they're having some good President's Day sales. They say sales of SUVs are down....this could be good for me....maybe prices will drop.

 

[cec311]

Jeep Liberty perhaps?

 

[AllyandJack]

Jeep Liberty perhaps?

I looked at that and it was too small. I'm nearly 6' tall and I felt very cramped. There was also very little cargo room....trips to Home Depot would be difficult and they don't make a plow (yet) that fits on the Liberty - just like the Chevy Colorado DH liked. There just isn't a plow made for that car.

I loved the Grand Cherokee Laredo though....I just can't let go of my car. It's a sick obsession, I know.