Our Newer Suburban

[Briar Lee]

In 24 years of marriage my lovely wife has had two Suburbans, a 2004 we bought in 2004 and and 2005 we bought in 2017 and her last one has a ticking lifter at 250,000 miles.

We went to look at new ones today and they cost, well equipped, over $85,00. Even a 2021 which is the current generation is about $50,000 and up.

While shopping we saw a 12th generation, made from 2015-20, and she loved it and we bought it for $23,000 with a hundred thousand miles. Older people than us have owned it because it’s extremely cherry and reminds me of the cars my old widowed school teacher mother owned. This thing has never smelled a pipe, or seen any kids or even a driver under about 80 years old.

If there’s an option this 2015 LTZ does not have it’s not much. Even the back seats have power fold ups, and I’ll have to read the manual to see all the toys this has. This is the very fanciest and best rig I’ve ever owned.




It even has the deluxe 22 inch rims, brand new Goodyear tires, fully serviced, and adaptive suspension and a 5.3 with the full trailer tow package and 3.46 rear gears.



It got 21 mpg coming home and rides as quiet as a tomb.

Two questions

How do they sell little bitty SUVs?

And why does anyone pay nearly four times new what a really nice ten year old one costs?

 

[irishearl]

Nice rig, but suburbans have always been pricey. We do quite fine with the smaller medium-sized SUV.

 

[Briar Lee]

Nice rig, but suburbans have always been pricey. We do quite fine with the smaller medium-sized SUV.

My wife uses her three ton land yachts as modern day full sized station wagons but occasionally I’ll want to to pull something and that’s where a Suburban (or Expedition or Grand Wagoneer) are full sized pickups with a fixed camper shell.

There is a crazy premium over a full sized pickup for the sport utility version.

But ten years out, when there’s no status left, the sport utility versions have seen grocery getter and going to see the grandkids treatment instead of being used like a hammer, like many pickups are.

If I need a functional part for my Suburban every parts store will have what I need for fifty or more years.

I was reading my Car Fax report and the previous owners had the truck serviced at the same dealership right to the book, until they hit a parked car in February. Light damage, but enough their dad blasted kids probably took it away from them.

Buy those toys while you can use them up and get another one.

There’s no little bitty SUV that costs only 23K new.

And a really fresh late model Suburban with all the toys is a real ride, you know?

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

IMO that was the best looking body style.

Those beasts sail down the road with authority.

 

[BingBong]

Did you get trade in on the old one? Cars this age are unheard of up in the Rust Belt, I understand, as Eric O. says "on a quiet day, you can hear them rusting". The big advantage of living in the South is that they stay serviceable.

 

[Sig]

Did you get trade in on the old one? Cars this age are unheard of up in the Rust Belt, I understand, as Eric O. says "on a quiet day, you can hear them rusting". The big advantage of living in the South is that they stay serviceable.

Yep, a couple times a year we head to NM and Arizona to look for old vehicles. Unfortunately the Southwest has its issues too, but much easier to repair than body and frame damage. In the South the interiors rot like the bodies do up here in the rust belt. We find cars from the 40s-70s up here with completely useless exteriors, but the interiors look like new. It's the opposite down South. The bodies are great, but the sun has destroyed the dash pad and seats.
Sometimes the Midwest is the sweet spot. Many states out there don't use salt on the roads. My wifes 2013 Nissan Rouge looks like Corn Flakes underneath. The body metal is like new because I wash it a lot, but underneath it's completely rotten. NY uses a lot of salt.

 

[Sig]

It's a good idea to get a vehicle built prior to 2020, especially 4x4 or AWD.
Many of the newer ones have functions that can't be used without the internet. And many AWD have a very sensitive "limp mode". Just when you need the 4x4 function, they ho into limp mode which disables the AWD and limits engine output. This is probably the biggest flaw I've ever seen in a vehicle.....even worse than vacuum activated windshield wipers and brake lights. But it does keep tow trucks working.
Prior to 2020, this wasn't as bad and in many vehicles it wasn't even a thing. Now it's almost all AWD SUVs.

 

[ssjones]

Someone up in Northern VA was making a living dropping a rebuilt motor and transmission in older Suburbans, giving them a new lease on life.
My wife had two LTZ trim trucks, that is the best option package.
Your 5.3 would have all the kinks worked out by 100k and will easily go another 100k with regular maintenance.

I would have the fluids in the transmission, transfer case and differentials changed. No one gets those fluids changed these days, just run till trade in. On that year, you have to remove a cross member to change the transmission filter, its a challenging DIY.

 

[ziv]

The 2015 Suburban has had 10 safety recalls, ouch.

 

[Briar Lee]

True story once upon a time long ago—

Not only do I know every nostril nosed beer joint twanger of the golden age of twang I can sing every one of those old songs, as well.

In Flemington Missouri in late 1981 was a honky tonk named the County Liner’s Lounge and scenes of drunkenness and debauchery there were commonplace and ordinary.

My best friend Johnny was the drummer that night and the lead singer was three sheets to the wind, and I had an audience and a band and was in heaven, taking requests and doing my best Lefty Frizzell impressions.

We’d called a break and I heard a commotion out beyond the swinging doors in the parking lot and Johnny and I ran outside, and there were two drunken middle aged cowboys relieving themselves in the back seat of a brand spanking new 1982 Cadillac Cimarron, that still had the window sticker.

They had lady friends to match them, of course, and one of them said I just can’t believe he really did it!

The other honky tonk angel said we’d better get some towels and clean it up or else we’ll both have to ride in the back seat later on.

They went inside and got towels and were mopping up the mess while one cowboy announced to us all

I get a brand new Cadillac with all toys every fall and each year I take it out and piss in the back seats so I’m not too proud to use it!






That same year Merle Haggard had out a monster hit song Are the Good Times Really Over For Good. The tag line starts—

Let’s make a Ford and a Chevy, that will still last ten years, like they should.

Merle would agree if he was still with us, a Chevy is still really good when it’s ten years old.

But there’s no chance whatsoever my sweetheart would clean up the backseat if I did that, no she would not.





This thing has lots of cubbyholes to stuff pipes though, you know?

 

[Briar Lee]

Someone up in Northern VA was making a living dropping a rebuilt motor and transmission in older Suburbans, giving them a new lease on life.
My wife had two LTZ trim trucks, that is the best option package.
Your 5.3 would have all the kinks worked out by 100k and will easily go another 100k with regular maintenance.

I would have the fluids in the transmission, transfer case and differentials changed. No one gets those fluids changed these days, just run till trade in. On that year, you have to remove a cross member to change the transmission filter, its a challenging DIY.

This thing has never slept one night outside a heated and cooled garage. Ma and Pa had all the services done where it was sold, and they entered all the recalls and every oil change and service.

The one and the only repair it’s had is to repair a leaking brake line. They must have ran over something.

There is a thick paper manual plus Chevy now has this car linked online so I can get the manual and they know we own it.

I looked up transmission service. It’s had two, at 45,000 and 90,000, and another due at 135,000.

Even ten years ago, an optioned out LTZ was over $70,000 and I’m looking up all the build codes in the glove compartment.

It still had the six speed that was in our old ones.

Five forward gears and overdrive.

Where, did they get 355 horsepower out of 327 cubic inches that gets 22 miles to the gallon on the freeway?

And 90mph 15.5 quarter mile times and 0-60 in six something seconds, in a six thousand pound car.

And it’s a mere 5.3.

 

[Hillcrest]

Its beautiful ! But ... far too large and expensive for anything I would need to do on a regular basis. For $38.00 a day I could rent a brand new GMC Van from U-Haul fully insured that gets 24mpg around town. The last one I rented had 2300 miles on it. P.S. It says no smoking but shows a cigarrette not a pipe !

Enjoy your new SUV for many years to come !!! People I know who have them love them.

 

[Briar Lee]

Its beautiful ! But ... far too large and expensive for anything I would need to do on a regular basis. For $38.00 a day I could rent a brand new GMC Van from U-Haul fully insured that gets 24mpg around town. The last one I rented had 2300 miles on it. P.S. It says no smoking but shows a cigarrette not a pipe !

Enjoy your new SUV for many years to come !!! People I know who have them love them.

Don’t you never tell me there ain’t no Jesus.

From 2001 until she just sorta fell down in the traces and then got back up, my wife paid all my taxes, payroll, bills, etc and hired all my assistants and did my calendar and all I had to do was put on a suit and smoke a Lee all day and go to courthouses and have fun.

We are almost retired. We got away with it all without any of them there Dee zasters.

She hates to spend money.

But she’s going to love another Suburban that will flatten you back in the seat like a muscle car and has not only heated, but cooled seats.

Besides, since I’m officially still in practice 100% of this 7500 GVW heavy vehicle is all deductible in 2025.

I hoped 24 years ago we’d live happily ever after.

So far, so good.

She loved her 2004 Suburban with the tow package and 3.46 rear gears, but this one is better. A lot better.

 

[LeafErikson]

That’s a wonderful new car, Briar Lee. May it bring your wife and family many years of joy and safe travels.

I recently got a used car myself. 2018 Toyota Highlander with 90k miles on it. It was a single-owner vehicle with a great service history. Fingers crossed it will drive with minimal issues for at least a little while.

 

[Briar Lee]

One other advantage of a like new ten model year old vehicle with low miles is insurance and taxes.

Yesterday we went to several dealers in St Louis and they said over 90% of the used cars are financed.

If we’d financed the payments would have only been $430 a month.

We can put back $100 a week and if we outlive this Suburban we can buy another one when it rolls over dead.

The insurance was only $200 more every six months than a twenty year old one.

The property taxes will be cheap too.

Cars are the only toys that incidentally provide entertainment while serving a real need, for transportation.

 

[Sig]

Someone up in Northern VA was making a living dropping a rebuilt motor and transmission in older Suburbans, giving them a new lease on life.
My wife had two LTZ trim trucks, that is the best option package.
Your 5.3 would have all the kinks worked out by 100k and will easily go another 100k with regular maintenance.

I would have the fluids in the transmission, transfer case and differentials changed. No one gets those fluids changed these days, just run till trade in. On that year, you have to remove a cross member to change the transmission filter, its a challenging DIY.

You always need to check your rear-end. You don't want someone else doing it!

 

[Briar Lee]

You always need to check your rear-end. You don't want someone else doing it!

Ma and Pa Kettle bought all this on our latest toy Suburban-

A high dollar “Maximum Trailer Package”.

This puts a big alternator, oil coolers for the trans, extra cooling for a bigger radiator, a built in trailer brake, a trailer program shift mode, and 3.46 rear gears.

It also has a locking rear differential made by Eaton.

And they got huge 22 inch rims with welded wheels, and—

It has Premiun Ride Magnetic Ride control, which is just phenomenal. It rides better than our Chrysler 300S Hemi. The magnetic ride is a $2,500 option and if it breaks it’s expensive.

When they sold it in February it had a fresh oil change and my plan is to take it to a Chevy dealer and check every bell and whistle on it and service it by the manual.

Plus if will get a quart of Marvel Mystery Oil in the oil when it’s changed.

If MMO was prescribed for the P-51 Mustang it can’t hurt nothing, you know?.

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

This thread is making me want to go out and buy a Suburban...

Years ago I had a 99 Tahoe. I enjoyed driving it, but the transmisson went out within 6 months. I sold it and bought a Camry. I should have just fixed the hoe.

Camrys were good cars, but a Tahoe or Suburban is a real pimpmobile.

 

[Briar Lee]

This thread is making me want to go out and buy a Suburban...

Years ago I had a 99 Tahoe. I enjoyed driving it, but the transmisson went out within 6 months. I sold it and bought a Camry. I should have just fixed the hoe.

Camrys were good cars, but a Tahoe or Suburban is a real pimpmobile.

The transmission has been the usual cause of death for all modern Detroiters since about 1972.

Why the dad blasted gubbermint regulates Detroit is the bastards refused to regulate themselves.

As much as I dearly loved old time Freon 12 , asbestos, lawn darts, unfiltered cigarettes, lead paint, and especially leaded premium gasoline, until 1972 a gasoline engine made for a tractor or an airplane had hardened valve seats and good chrome moly valves, but the typical Detroiter needed the valves ground on a semi regular basis.

In 1972 the gubbermint decreed that every new car and light truck had to run on unleaded gasoline.

It was done to try and save the children, which are our most precious resource and only hope for the future.

But the wonderful unintended consequence was Detroit had to make engines with hardened valve seats and ordinance grade steel valves in order to get out of warranty repairs.

And the banks who only made two or three year car loans raised it to three or four years.

One reason to buy the 12th generation Suburban/Tahoe is they look from the windshield back about like the 13th and latest (last?) generation but have the time tested and nearly bulletproof 6 speed General Motors truck transmission.

Every transmission shop in the free world can and does rebuild the 6 speed.



Nobody will miss automatic transmissions when the electric motors are linked straight to the axles.

But by 2015 General Motors made a 355 horsepower three ton pimp mobile that hauls ass with seven on board all day long at speeds that will put you in jail.

 

[telescopes]

I prefer a small two seat convertible. I never cared for anything that had room for a passenger.