Hello Scotty! I have 2 beautiful daughters and a lovely wife. We are a lower income family.
Recently we have saved up and purchased a used 2009 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 LT 4x4 with an automatic transmission and a 5.3L V8 Vortec engine that has 147K miles.
This was purchased from a local used car dealership in Cincinnati, Ohio.
I paid $12,500 outright and the vehicle is very clean and well maintained. Interior and exterior look beautiful (apart from a rust spot near the rear tire on the driver side, that I plan to get fixed professionally).
The Suburban has a Clean title and She rides like a dream.
I’m curious as to if I made a good decision for my family based off the longevity of this specific vehicle. With proper maintenance, How much life can I expect to squeeze out of an SUV that is pushing 12 years old with 147K miles?
It will be a long time before I can afford to replace my Suburban. Any input on this matter would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you so much for your time and I hope you have a blessed day.
Sincerely,
Matthew
Please wait till Scotty or a member with experience with your vehicle/question, replies.
Well pray that it lasts but with 147,000 MI and being 13 years old you way overpaid for that. But baby it because the transmissions and the rear ends are relatively weak if you don't accelerate fast and don't shift it too hard on full acceleration all the time it could last a while just realize the first thing to go out will probably be the transmission
We had a '02 Tahoe 5.3 4x4, got it with 180k and when we sold it several years later (for a more economical car) with 240k miles on it, there was nothing wrong with the it other than being a gas hog. Trans, transfer case, front and rear diff's were serviced timely along with the usual oil/filter changes etc. You should be fine with your Suburban, don't drive it like a maniac (which I doubt you will with 2 children in tow), and keep it maintained. With used cars, there's no guarantees. Last year I chose a 08 Toyota Highlander AWD over a 08 Suburban 4x4, both had similar miles and price. I'll just say; I should've gotten the Suburban instead; I would still have it. Best wishes and luck with your Suburban.
Before this stupid pandemic that Suburban probably would've been right around $10k +/- (here in my area), but used car prices currently are stupid expensive.
Thank you so much for the responses. I now feel better about my purchase knowing that if I take care of it, it will take care of us.
I ended up getting the windows tinted, installed new audio equipment. Heck, I even changed out just about everything you should with a used car. Spark plugs, oil, battery, tires, breaks, rotors, alternator, engine fluids the list goes on and on. (Thanks to some stimulus to help my young family during this tough time).
We’ve only have had her for 2 months and i will say, the more work I do on her, the more I am impressed by what I uncover in all of the nooks and crannys.
The 1 previous owner loved this vehicle and I will continue to do the same. I look forward to taking her to the drive inn movies with the family this weekend. (The perk of being a gritty Ohio kid).