Future of my truck

elboberino · September 29, 2005

Ok, so here's the thing: I am going to graduate this December and going to be working in the real world, cut-off from the generous funds my parents gave me. So, my truck is not looking very promising as my vehicle of choice for driving to work. I know Chevy is going to have their full hybrid trucks in 2007 but I don't know if I will be able to wait that long.

My question is...what do you guys think I should go for in my next vehicle purhcase? I would like to stay in the GM family and also would like to stay with a mid-sized vehicle (small truck, SUV) but something with better mileage than my '01 Silverado. What do you guys reccommend? I've kept my truck in very good condition and according to KBB, I should have a very good trade-in value.

I like the Trailblazers and Envoys but haven't had the chance to drive an Equinox or HHR yet. This will end up being a big decision for me so any input is appreciated.

Thanks in advance guys!!!

Polak · September 29, 2005

First off "Army of Darkness" rules, love the avtar.

Now as for the vehicle choice, only you can make that call. You know what you need out of your vehicle, not us.

Think of sh!t like this:

Do you, or are you planning on doing any towing?

Hauling?

How many passengers would you need to accomodate?

How important is style to you?

Are you fixed toward the Truck/SUV body style?

What kind of mileage do you plan to put on the vehicle annually?

How will you be able to handle $4.00 a gallon next summer?

I personally got out of a truck for a year and a half and hated it. Not that I hated the vehicle I was in (Blazer), but I missed having a bed. So I got back into a truck w/ a '99 1500, now my '01 2500HD. After the 2500 is paid off, I plan to get a commuter and only use the truck for the towing I do, and maybe winter driving.

My $0.02

AJ

pacodiablo · September 29, 2005

I would stay away from the Equinox and Vue. The interiors are very uncomfortable and the build quality is only so so. I don't know about their reliability, but the horrible interiors are reason enough to stay away from them IMO.

Have you considered a four cylinder S-Series or a Colorado/Canyon? I think the S-Series has a much nicer interior (up until '03 at least) than the Colorado/Canyon, but the engines probably are not as efficient as they are in the new trucks. I have only seen EPA numbers and not real world numbers though.