Grant needs a new ride!!

Yesterday I was over at Grants house and we were talking about his Escalade, and how the lease is up on it in a coupke of months. We were going around and looking at all the things that were possibly flaws or mistakes on GMs part when building the truck. Grant has the EXT model so that it still can be used to some extent as a truck. We were having a hard time on deciding what would work really good for him, and we really came up with nothing. So Im asking you guys what you think would be a good vehicle for him to consider. I do know some things about the way Grant drives and suggesting some big diesel isnt for him. I have an 08 Ford F450 and know that this would definetly not fit in with Grants lifestyle. The truck will be used for work which includes driving in the city, and parking in tight spaces in which the escalade was capable of. What have you guys found to be a great vehicle in the 1/2 ton range with ample power and good towing caracteristics? (we all want the Bling Bling to be safe back there)

This one would be the ticket. Great for parking in small spaces. He may want to get a red one though.

Haha nice choice Brett!!! I think this is the one for Grant. Whats the towing capacity?

I'd say it's a solid 185 pounds? Give or take a driver maybe?

How about this?

Ha, ha, ha.... That's awesome.

That's really all I have to add.

Cars are cheap right now. The choices should be plentiful. Nothing beats the utility of the EXT trucks. Really depends if he wants a pick-up or a SUV. Why not another EXT?

F 150 Platinum is up his alley if he's driving in the city don't get the tow mirrors though. If he's towing nothing more than "bling, bling" the 3:55 limited slip is plenty and will allow for better fuel economy. It has all the fun stuff that G seems to like. He'll love the nav system on them its crazy how much stuff it'll do. If he wants to put his bike in back he can get the cable lock system added.

If it were me I would probably pick up a new GMC Denali truck. It has plenty of power to do whatever and the interior is pretty nice. Just my opinion. Good luck with the car search.

I'm guessing the Escalade didn't have enough bling???

Kind of like a escalade

Just put a hitch on the back and call it a day.

That might have enough Bling Bling for him.

Wow Clay I didn't know our conversation yesterday was gonna be a W/W topic today. LOL
But it's true come December my EXT go's back to the dealer. First off let me say I love this thing and don't wanna give it back. We are trying to save some money at work and we have all decided that we want our lease payments much lower than what they are. The Esclade is about 10-15 grand more than it was when I got it 3 years back yea I know thats crazy. They are not giving leases at the same rate and amount per month as my current EXT if so I would just switch into another one in a second. My Dad got out of his olde Esclade and into a GMC denali for pretty much what we were paying on his orignal Esclade. Its pretty much the same as the Esclade with out a few of the fun things like the Self dimming headlights. It has a super cheezy/cheep looking Nav unit ect. I would like to say I could do with out a truck part of the EXT but I have to admit I love how it opens up and can Transform into what ever I need it to cary. I can't see myself in the Chevy verson of the EXT. IMO they dont look or feel like they are in the same ball park. And a straight Truck just does nothing for me at all. I would rather end up in a waterd down SUV then in the most pimped truck. Any ideas would be great

Armada Platinum I almost pulled the trigger on one this past week. Touch screen nav, all the electronics and a great ride. 9100 tow capacity, fold down flat seats.

Is the Armada Platinum the basically the same as the Infiniti SUV?

pretty much, except I think the front end of the Infinity version is kind of ugly. The platinum edition is very impressive.

Grant you know you would look so good in a Prius!

Cayenne?

RAPTOR!

the raptor looks terrible, I saw one up close lately and was wondering what ford was thinking

Why not the indisputable king of off-road SUV's.
http://www.toyota.com/landcruiser/

64k for a toyota suv- starting price. What the hell is the world coming to?

That is why you see so few of them. You are paying for build and quality, not just bling. Most people buy the Sequoia, which is almost the same bling without build for 1/2 the price.

The Landcruiser is a rare breed.
They have always cost that much relative to the regular market.

(Message edited by alans on October 29, 2009)

I think the quad cab, denali truck is one of the best looking (and functional) trucks on the road, but I would suspect it is near the price of an new caddy.

Mine is for sale! It already has a little bling and is a 1/3 of the price of a loaded EXT. Free Specialized bike with purchase!! HaHaHa...

^^^^Stock stereo though!

Where's the write up on the Sanger brotha?

No love for Range Rovers? If you want bling they are the daddy.

Not sure what the engine options are like in the US, compared to here in the UK but I'd imagine there must be a nice V8 in there somewhere?

If you're leasing then warranty won't be an issue so I'd ignore the reliability concerns - And to be fair they seem to rank well in the respect these days.

Not sure how a Range Rover would lower his lease payments?

If you love the caddy so much, why not just buy it out at the end of the lease?

Pretty sure it's a company car. You don't realize the same benefits buying as you would leasing.

I'd probably lean toward the Denali truck, too. You get the big motor and most of the same bling for a few k less.

In SUV land there isn't much out there that will be competitive with the Escalade in price and still be nice. You'll be looking high 60's for almost everything worth owning. (X5, Cayenne, Q7) That, and you still wouldn't have a bed.

Functionally there are a ton of nice trucks that would be cheaper. The new Tundra is sweet looking when it's all done up with options. I like that truck a lot.

There are a ton of great lease options these days, though. I wouldn't be suprised if you could get a new caddy for a few k less this time around.

Cayenne Turbo S

Yea I really like the new F150s but I dont know that I can see Grant iun a truck again. Before the escalade he had a Harley F150 that had some balls and was alot of fun to drive. He did talk about getting one of those Saleen F150s but I think the biggest shy away is that they are extended cabs and not 4 doors. I think we will be seeing Grant in something like a Tahoe. I personally have to have someway of having a bed, be it with the truck, or even the EXT.

i really like the new tahoe's and suburban ltz's. if i was in the market, that's what i'd be getting. wonder if they have autoride and beefier suspsension like the denalis. not a fan of the looks of the newer denalis. if you get a hoe grant, get the larger motor. drove one with the base and it would be gutless towing.

Now that I have said that they dont come in 4 doors I have found images of them. I think when they first came out they didnt offer them. I wonder if that was a turn away for people on the truck. I really like this truck:

Land Cruiser

Perfect for Grant...

Seems like yesterday when you were all excited to show me that brand new Caddi.

I kind of hate switching vehicles. I get them the way they work for me then tend to keep them until they are 10 years old or so. Just drove 700 miles hauling solar panels roundtrip down to the solar show in LA from NorCal. The old 99 Chevy with 135k on the ticker didn't miss a beat hauling about 800lbs of gear over the grapevine. That said I have been thinking of getting a replacement since it has hit the 10 year mark. If I could find a nice clean used white quadrasteer rig that would be my first choice. The late model Denali 4 door shortbed is also a good choice with the 6.2L and 6 speed trans. I also like the looks of the new Avalanche body (2007+).

In your position, I would do one of 2 options. 1. buy and keep your current rig or if the tax position needs refreshing I would just buy a new Caddy outright. There are good cash deals out there. Check with your tax man about leasing it back to your business?

Yeah even if the vehicle is in your name you can lease it back to your business. This is what I did when I had mine. I will also tell you that over the last few years residuals on leases were missed badly so even if your residual seems high now it can be negotiated down.

$33K and I can own my EXT with 85k on it.And IMO thats asking for trouble. For 20K more I can get a NEW GMC Denali.
They have a few left over 09's with 0% APR @ best I might be able to get back into a New EXT for the exact same ammount.??????? I have no Idea what Im gonna do?

Holy crap 85k on the caddy already? Seems like yesterday I was checking out the pics of that thing on your thread. You must do some serious driving. That's ALOT of trips to the lake . I have nothing constructive to add as far as the search goes, I'm still driving around my 7 year old Yukon. I'm with Mikeski, I can't imagine starting over, I finally have my rig exactly how I want it. Good luck on the new ride buddy.

85k ? That Caddy is just getting warmed up. Run it until 150k or until the tax ride-off is used up.

What about the H2 version of your ride?

That Ford Super Chief is Nice!!!!!!!

we've got the denali xl. Love it, definitely recommend. Not quite as much bling as the caddy version, but plenty for us anyway.

I'm with Mikeski and 8tens, the last three trucks I've owned at least 10 years, and 200,000 miles...I like to get my moneys worth. haha

My current '01 3/4 ton Suburban has 187,000 miles and runs and looks pretty much like the day I got it except for a worn drivers seat which I'm about to get re done.