[techprincesse]

Single mum here, trying to buy an Equinox. I'm a Chevy *****, longtime Malibu driver and I need an SUV and the Equinox has been on my drool list for months. I am finding many in my price range but they all have ALOT of miles... Over 100k and even over 200K!

Would you buy an Equinox with this many miles? Would that be dependable for my plus kids?

 

[GARYD]

Depends on price..... is it free? ;D
Personaly I wouldn't touch a car with that many miles. 50-60k would be my limit. Is there any kind of warranty? Dealer or private?

 

[RSchleder]

The issue with buying high mileage vehicles is they are getting to the point where things are wearing out and maintenance costs will probably be higher. The other problem is the history on how the vehicle has been taken care of is cloudy at best. The old adage of pay me now or pay me later will probably come to pass with a high mileage SUV. I'd recommend you wait until you can find/afford something with less than 75K miles and has proof, such as full maintenance records, that it's been well maintained. Good luck, Ron

 

[bballr4567]

Do NOT buy a first generation Nox/Torrent without knowing that the LIM gaskets have been changed with the correct ones. If not, you will have to negotiate out 800-1k of the deal due to the possible failure of that.

 

[NoobNox]

To be totally honest, I wouldn't buy a pre-2010 Equinox. Even though the current Nox shares the same basic platform as those earlier models...the exterior/interior styling really doesn't compare....and the Chinese assembled V6 engine is a big turn-off for me. That's not to say that you couldn't buy a used one that will serve you well for years...but I really wouldn't go past the 2008 model year and 50k miles.

edit- If you could find a low mileage 2009 Equinox Sport with the Honda V6 that would be pretty sweet....if the price is right.

 

[techprincesse]

Thanks for the replies, its from a new car dealer in my area. Claims the previous owner was a commuter and its ll "highway miles." I passed on the 200k mileage vehicle, it was a 2006 and is nice but with that kind of mileage it would be eligible for any kind of warranty at all. I am aiming for 75K or below from this point on.

As for a first gen nox, that would be a 2005 right?

 

[NoobNox]

Thanks for the replies, its from a new car dealer in my area. Claims the previous owner was a commuter and its ll "highway miles." I passed on the 200k mileage vehicle, it was a 2006 and is nice but with that kind of mileage it would be eligible for any kind of warranty at all. I am aiming for 75K or below from this point on.

As for a first gen nox, that would be a 2005 right?

First gen is 2005-2009. There were minor improvements every year, but they are all basically the same. I've seen on other forums that the 05-06 models seem to have the most reliability/quality control issues..but that could be due in part to higher mileage and more winter/summer cycles. Even though the current Equinox/Terrain uses the same basic Theta platform as the Saturn Vue and later the 05-09 Equinox, there have been significant revisions and improvements to the underlying mechanicals....not to mention that the current V6 and even the 4cyl are big improvements over the old 3.4 pushrod V6 in the first gen. Having said that, I still think it's possible you can find a fairly low mileage first gen that was well maintained and can give you a few years of trouble free service...but as with any used vehicle you have to be careful and take anything a dealer tells you with a grain of salt. Let an independent mechanic decide if the Nox you're looking at is worth buying or not.....at worst you can use those findings as final price negotiation.

 

[Guest]

Wow, how low is your budget? 5-7 year old GM vehicles in general (back before they started getting their act together, and who still knows with the "New" GM - Only time will tell)...are a dime a dozen!

06-07 Equinox's with between 75-110K Km seem to go between $8,000-$12,000 here in Ontario, Canada....the equivalent in the US would be approx $5,000-$8,000.

Personally I would just pick a monthly payment amount you are comfortable with and just have a longer loan term to make it fit. They do car loans for as long as 6 and 8 years now. Buy new, take car of it and it last's.

Just my opinion.

 

[RSchleder]

A new car is nice, however, not everyone has the resources ( make that money) to go from 6-8K for a used vehicle to 27-35K for a new one. The associated payments for a new vehicle, even though it's spread over a much longer period, would still be significantly higher than a used one that's 1/3 to 1/4th the cost.

 

[Guest]

Another thing to consider (if you're not paying cash) is that when you buy a used car usually a normal bank loan is upwards of 7-10% interest. On new vehicles, depending on the deal of the month, region and model you can easily get factory financing from 0-4%. Sometimes the difference in the interest rate alone makes your car payment the same only you got a new one over a used.

 

[techprincesse]

Keep in mind prices vary by area. My budget is $8k, you are correct, but all the Equinox in my area (Washington, DC ) for that price are well over 100k in miles and those are 05 and 06s. The 07s around 70K in miles are ALL in the $10-$12 grand range.

I'm not trying to pick up a car payment at this time. I just want to buy a used SUV cash that can carry me about 3 years. I'm a new homeowner and doing everything myself and my Malibu is not able to haul what I need it to haul.

 

[bballr4567]

Id look at used Escapes as well. For those years they were better than the 'Nox and Torrent. In fact, you might be able to find a Torrent for cheap too. A Saturn Vue of those years is another option.

 

[GARYD]

Find yourself the latest auto issue of Consumer Reports. They tell you which used cars are the best and which are the worst. Very handy issue. Hints on buying/selling cars, reports on tires and batteries etc.

 

[bballr4567]

Find yourself the latest auto issue of Consumer Reports. They tell you which used cars are the best and which are the worst. Very handy issue. Hints on buying/selling cars, reports on tires and batteries etc.

You also have to take into account where CR gets their info, from their readers. If someone doesnt subscribe, no info from them about their vehicle. Take anything in CR with a grain of salt.

 

[GARYD]

You are 100% correct. Of course they get their info from their subscribers, where did you think they got it from company sales brochures?

Is it because CR disagrees with your impressions that you're demeaning them? What specifically do they do wrong in your opinion?

I'd rather learn about a product from people that actualy bought and used it then from a paid tester probably with an agenda. That's why we are on this forum, to learn from other owners not company propaganda.
One of the best motorcycle magazines on the market is called Motorcycle Consumer News. Same format. No adds or any manufacturers input so they can be unbiased in their reporting.

 

[bballr4567]

Id rather have scientific data. You can have people report issues multiple times by mistake. What if some forget or fail to report it? That vehicle will get higher/lower marks because of those mistakes.

With CR, you have no idea how the consumers treat their vehicles. CR is great for small appliances and the like but I wouldnt trust them with cars.

Just strange that the Vibe and Matrix have (they used to but Im not sure anymore) different ratings but they are EXACTLY the same car.

 

[GARYD]

I'll stick with with feedback from multiple human beings. I'm human not a machine.
Scientific data is fine for some things. For example, a sound meter might indicate a particular sound is too loud or annoying, but to a human it might be completely acceptable. It all depends on how the data is interperted and by whom.
If one or two people report a problem it could just be their opinion, but if hundreds of people say the same thing, then I will listen.

The Terrain, Nox and SRX are also vertually the same, yet they each get different reviews not only from CR, but all testing facilities. 2 identicle cars, made on the same assembly line can be completely different in the real world.
That's why we belong to car clubs and bike clubs and forums like this....to hear from other humans on what they think of that vehicle.....not to read scientific data.....well maybe a little.

 

[NoobNox]

When trying to make a decision before a buy...I like to take a mix of professional and user reviews and use those to decide if the vehicle is right for me. Professional reviewers are good for telling you about the the things that immediately jump out to them, and aren't basking in the glow of new car ownership.....but actual owners will bring things to light that may be missed in a professional review where the vehicle may only be tested for a day or less.

 

[GARYD]

NoobNox, exactly

I do lean a little more to the actual owners opinions.

Some testers like certain things that I don't care about, like a tester saying the back seat doesn't have enough leg room. I could care less about that since nobody will ever be back there.