2kwik4u
Jetboaters Fleet Admiral
- Messages
- 7,717
- Reaction score
- 10,210
- Points
- 577
- Location
- Buffalo, NY
- Boat Make
- Yamaha
- Year
- 2017
- Boat Model
- AR
- Boat Length
- 19
Currently driving a 2017 Audi Q7 Prestige. It has the adaptive suspension package, black optics package, and a few other options. It's a nice car, and has treated us well for the last ~14mo or so. It tows well, and even did a long road trip to FL and back with the boat and 5 humans. Traded my '15 GMC Sierra SLT for this last year after I had a rodent and subsequent electrical problems with that truck. There was also some bad personal mojo around that truck, so it needed to go anyway. The Q7 is rated at 7,700lbs and has been great for towing our little AR190. Arguably you can pull this boat with about anything, so there's that.
We got the SUV thinking we would use the 3rd row for more people aboard for trips to the lake. Likes the idea of enclosed storage space, and I wanted something a little easier to commute in......Well......None of that really worked out for us. SUV is harder to load/unload with gear on longer trips, there's not nearly as much storage anywhere in the vehicle (console, hatch, underseat, etc). I went and bought both the boys off road ride on toys in the last year (dirtbike for the 10yr old, and 4wheeler for the 4yr old). I've had to borrow/rent a trailer almost 10 times over the last year to move this that or the other thing. Sometimes it's furniture for my mom, it was a trailer full of mulch for grandad. We wanted to buy a fire pit kit for our patio project and didn't because there were no trailers to rent that day, and the whole package weighs 1,800lbs. We have more home improvement on the way as well this spring/summer.
I looked into buying a trailer. They're $2k-ish for a 6x12 brand new around here. Little less if I scrounge and find a used one. Then I have to store it somewhere, and the only place to store it is right next to the new patio we have planned. That'll be fun to stare at. Other options include getting a storage facility to house both the boat and trailer, but then it's not really handy. Same with keeping it at work. It's better than renting, but 30+mi away isn't exactly cheap in terms of time or fuel. So we kinda landed on getting another pickup.
Here's what I went and drove last night. 2020 GMC Sierra AT4 with the 3.0L Duramax and damn near every option available.
It drove and presented nicely overall. I've been tracking prices on these for awhile, and this is almost the EXACT option set I would choose if I was able to. This one just happened to pop up on a saved search and it's 12miles from home. The 3.0L definitely SOUNDS like a diesel and drives like one. Lots of low end power, and lots of familiar noises. Overall the ride was much smoother than I remember my '15 having despite having essentially the same suspension setup. Perhaps they revised the tuning at some level? Previous owner as a couple tasteful mods (bed cover, window tint) and a couple stickers and mods I'll remove. Best I can tell he was ex military, or otherwise exceptionally patriotic. Bullet shaped radio antenna, USA Flag valve stem caps, and some political stickers on the inside of the bed. At least he didn't put the stickers on the paint right? Doesn't appear to be smoked in, and the seats look to be in good condition. There are some scuffs/scrapes on the interior, I think he had a dog in the backseat on a regular basis, or something like that. Lots of scuffs on the hand grab handle to get into the drivers seat, and lots of scuffs around the start button. Not sure what that's all about. Only real "red flag" I got from the drive and inspection was a Check Engine Light. I pulled the codes and they're all communication errors between various modules and the PCM. I couldn't find any evidence of electrical shorts or other issues. Dealership offered a free extended warranty if they can't find the root cause before they were to sell it.
We're working numbers today. Bought the Q7 for $42k. NADA puts the value at $41.5k, KDD at $38.3k, and Edmunds at $39.7k. Told them I would like to see $40k on trade value, but would probably take down to $38k. It's NOT a pristine example, the first owner effed it up and I haven't repaired all of those screw ups yet. Truck dropped in price overnight. Was $60.8k when I went to bed, it's $59.3k this morning. Not sure what's going on there. I'd buy it for that if they throw in the warranty to 100k miles on it. I'll bring my own financing, so no issues there, but I might let them shop for a better rate anyway. Last dealership was able to secure me 3.99% for 72mo after I showed up with 4.5% for 72. New bank to work with, but otherwise went smoothly.
SO.......Any thoughts from the gallery? Anyone have a "run away now" reason? Anyone have a "why are you still here, go buy it!" response?
We got the SUV thinking we would use the 3rd row for more people aboard for trips to the lake. Likes the idea of enclosed storage space, and I wanted something a little easier to commute in......Well......None of that really worked out for us. SUV is harder to load/unload with gear on longer trips, there's not nearly as much storage anywhere in the vehicle (console, hatch, underseat, etc). I went and bought both the boys off road ride on toys in the last year (dirtbike for the 10yr old, and 4wheeler for the 4yr old). I've had to borrow/rent a trailer almost 10 times over the last year to move this that or the other thing. Sometimes it's furniture for my mom, it was a trailer full of mulch for grandad. We wanted to buy a fire pit kit for our patio project and didn't because there were no trailers to rent that day, and the whole package weighs 1,800lbs. We have more home improvement on the way as well this spring/summer.
I looked into buying a trailer. They're $2k-ish for a 6x12 brand new around here. Little less if I scrounge and find a used one. Then I have to store it somewhere, and the only place to store it is right next to the new patio we have planned. That'll be fun to stare at. Other options include getting a storage facility to house both the boat and trailer, but then it's not really handy. Same with keeping it at work. It's better than renting, but 30+mi away isn't exactly cheap in terms of time or fuel. So we kinda landed on getting another pickup.
Here's what I went and drove last night. 2020 GMC Sierra AT4 with the 3.0L Duramax and damn near every option available.
It drove and presented nicely overall. I've been tracking prices on these for awhile, and this is almost the EXACT option set I would choose if I was able to. This one just happened to pop up on a saved search and it's 12miles from home. The 3.0L definitely SOUNDS like a diesel and drives like one. Lots of low end power, and lots of familiar noises. Overall the ride was much smoother than I remember my '15 having despite having essentially the same suspension setup. Perhaps they revised the tuning at some level? Previous owner as a couple tasteful mods (bed cover, window tint) and a couple stickers and mods I'll remove. Best I can tell he was ex military, or otherwise exceptionally patriotic. Bullet shaped radio antenna, USA Flag valve stem caps, and some political stickers on the inside of the bed. At least he didn't put the stickers on the paint right? Doesn't appear to be smoked in, and the seats look to be in good condition. There are some scuffs/scrapes on the interior, I think he had a dog in the backseat on a regular basis, or something like that. Lots of scuffs on the hand grab handle to get into the drivers seat, and lots of scuffs around the start button. Not sure what that's all about. Only real "red flag" I got from the drive and inspection was a Check Engine Light. I pulled the codes and they're all communication errors between various modules and the PCM. I couldn't find any evidence of electrical shorts or other issues. Dealership offered a free extended warranty if they can't find the root cause before they were to sell it.
We're working numbers today. Bought the Q7 for $42k. NADA puts the value at $41.5k, KDD at $38.3k, and Edmunds at $39.7k. Told them I would like to see $40k on trade value, but would probably take down to $38k. It's NOT a pristine example, the first owner effed it up and I haven't repaired all of those screw ups yet. Truck dropped in price overnight. Was $60.8k when I went to bed, it's $59.3k this morning. Not sure what's going on there. I'd buy it for that if they throw in the warranty to 100k miles on it. I'll bring my own financing, so no issues there, but I might let them shop for a better rate anyway. Last dealership was able to secure me 3.99% for 72mo after I showed up with 4.5% for 72. New bank to work with, but otherwise went smoothly.
SO.......Any thoughts from the gallery? Anyone have a "run away now" reason? Anyone have a "why are you still here, go buy it!" response?
