Time to get off my duff... ( a protracted what car)

My Rav4 has been a good, but boring driver.  As many of you know it does have the 4cylinder that burns oil and It continues to consume a little more and more.  Right after an oil change I get about 800 miles per quart of oil degrading to about 600 miles before my 3k mile oil change.  Depending on what the insurance company says about my roof(hail), I think i'd like to start looking for  new car.  Looks like some good deals.  I'm in no rush and the rav4 will be worth little on a trade or personal sale.  Though would be great for a teenage or college age daughter as long as they kept the oil topped up.  The thing just works..  Bought it new in 07.. 

I got a few thoughts I'm pondering and would like the hive's opinion..

The first is what car.  I have three kids and we like to mountain bike, camp, fish, do work around my small suburban house.  The Mini van does most of the road trip work, but is frustrating at carrying things with three kids inside.   

Constraints:

1) I'm cheap and want something less than $20k that is depreciated.

2) Can't be a total hoptie.  Older is Ok, but needs to be well maintained.  

3) Sizing..  I'd love a full sized truck, but the garage is tight with Miata, Van, my car, Canoe, 5 mountain bikes, snow blower, mower, work bench, beer fridge..  I need a shed.. I know.  

4) Rust.. Will probably be doing a distance buying deal to buy a car from down south.. Unless I find a rust free example up here.  I hate rust..  I don't work on my daily driver.. but I hate rust.  

Needs:

1) Must carry the family, dosen't have to be great at it.. but must be able to do a 5-6 hour car ride to camp grounds/adventure spots with the kids..  

2) Generally reliable.  As much as I'd like a TDI Touraeg, my mechanic friends scare me away..  I keep my vehicles for a long time.  

Wants:

1) AWD - 4x4.   I've had jeeps and toyota trucks, don't see my family doing crazy off-roading anytime soon.  If we do go that way, I'd sell the miata and buy a dedicated one.  

2) Mostly Rust free or very resistant to rust..  Rot box Chevy's and Dodge's I'm looking not at you.

3) A little more tow capacity than the van.. It'll haul 3500 which works now, but I see a boat and or camper in the future... 

I've traveled a bit for work and here are my impressions of some cars, so you can understand my goofiness.

New Ranger - I really liked it.. About the right size except for the rear seat..  

Frontier - Same as ranger, a bit less refined..

New 4 Runner - It was Ok.. Don't know why they are so expensive.  The trunk was tiny..  I get the toyota reliability thing... I had an 86 hilux..  I get it. but something isn't adding up with the new toyota 4x4's.. small cabins, weird ergo.. un refined power plants.. 

Grand Chero - I did like this... Unsure about reliability..

New F150, Silverado, Dodge - drove all as rentals.. Liked the Ford the best, but wow.. so huge.

My buddies Pilot - yeah.. competent at what I need.. probably same for ridgeline..

Subaru Wagon - My buddy has one.. it's good.  has no issue in the minnesota weather (it's his sales car and his terriroty is way up north.. never a problem).

Things I haven't driven..

Ridgeline

newish Tacoma

Colorado..

The 2nd is..  buying long distance over Ebay  etc.. to avoid rust..  Any hints or tips etc?

The 3rd is gettting rid of the Rav4..  I can trade in or sell.  They aren't worth much and disclosing the oil burning issue will drive the value into the dumpster.  Any ideas?

Thanks..  Easy button would be a fastenal truck or a rental truck, but the full size thing is tough.  I could park it outside, but It's minnesota.. seriously.. Why... 

In reply to Fueled by Caffeine :

Rust-free is pretty much a given down here on the coast, unless you're looking at an old vehicle that's been parked outside 40-years and has rusted from the top down.

You mentioned your need a shed, so here's a complete no-what-you-asked for idea: get a full-size(preferably extended) van. They make great sheds when you're not using them & can haul pretty much everything you stated above. You could then get another smaller AWD/4x4 vehicle for your DD.

LMK if you figure out what you're looking for & I can post some links from down here. 

Truck

• Tacoma/Tundra

suv:

• 100 series land cruiser. 2005-2007 
• Sequoia with 5.7 L 
• gx460-if you want to compromise interior space 

I like the van idea but I prefer to stay married. 

In reply to mr2s2000elise :

My buddy has one of those big sequoias.  I know they are cheaper than the tundras but man. Why wouldn't i go tundra. 

Fueled by Caffeine said:

In reply to mr2s2000elise :

My buddy has one of those big sequoias.  I know they are cheaper than the tundras but man. Why wouldn't i go tundra. 

Personally with your needs I would 100% go tundra 

some people like suv more than trucks - in that case sequoia. Also sequoia allows 3roes of seats that tundra doesn't have 

your pick on how your family likes seating 

I have exact needs as you. Though we have a tacoma when we take bikes and camping we take our 200 series. I had a 100 series we put 400k miles on. I am a LC guy, and don't personally like the american only sequoia (but that is my personal bias). 

explorer sport-trac?

mr2s2000elise said:

I have exact needs as you. Though we have a tacoma when we take bikes and camping we take our 200 series. I had a 100 series we put 400k miles on. I am a LC guy, and don't personally like the american only sequoia (but that is my personal bias). 

My 100 has 431k, it will be replaced with a 200 when it dies.  From what I have seen the LC are built so much better than the Sequoias are, you see 100 series all the time with 250k+ mileages, you see much less sequoias at that mileage. Ignoring the ones that are just a Tundra SUV now.

What about a flex?

As a GX460 owner I feel like it meets a lot of your requirements. It is a nicer 4Runner for less money, if you can believe that. Better engine/transmission, interior, etc. but depreciates faster than a comparable 4Runner. It will feel smaller than a Sequoia or Land Cruiser, but it also is smaller, so less space is something to keep in mind.

I have a pre-facelift model (10-13), which I think look better and are under your budget quite easily these days.

I was thinking Ridgeline or Pilot. We have a 2016 Pilot EX and my wife loves it. The second row is spacious, and there's a bunch of space behind it. My wife also wants a Ridgeline now, because there are definitely times it's very helpful to have a pickup.

The Pilot runs/drives well, I like the 6spd auto, and it can tow 5K with the tow package (transmission cooler). It's a comfortable car and gets very good mileage, especially considering the size. We get over 19 MPG in around-town driving (no highway).

On the Rav4 front, trade-in is probably the easiest way. 

Spend some time on the Hertz and Avis website.  There are deals out there and they keep getting cheaper.  

Personally, I will likely be buying a 2019 Grand Caravan GT (all the bells/whistles) from either Avis or Hertz this week.  These vans had $35k stickers when new.  Sure, you might get $5k off easy when buying new so $30k, but...  I am looking at $15.8k w/ 33k miles.  Yes, that is 3 yrs worth of miles in one model year but I can not find any year w/ 33k miles for cheaper.  

There are lots of 4 door trucks in their mix.  Old style Rams seem to be the bargain.

Hertz '18 Ram 4x4 w/ 32k at $21.3k

Near you, Hartford, 23k miles for $23k 

Fueled by Caffeine said:

What about a flex?

I dig them. Give em a look. Might not quite meet your towing requirements.

Just get a Suburban.  They do everything forever.  Eventually the rockers rot away but by then it'll have 400K miles on it and you can repeat the process.

There is a reason all the big SUV makers copy the suburban and compare themselves to it.   Dodge mastered the minivan, Ford mastered the pick-up, Chevy rules the Suburban landscape.

Ok. So here's the list so far. 
 

gx470 (460)

ridgeline

Colorado

full size of some sort( the hertz ones posted are cheeeeap)

landcruiser?

Was also thinking Suburban or Tahoe

The big Toyota /Lexus aren't a bad choice either but are more expensive to fix if something happens. The water pump on my 2008 Tundra was $1k and the engine hasn't changed since then. 
Transmission oil change is difficult to diy. I don't think I'd want to DD it..

I keep coming back to carrying all 3 kids and stuff on a 5-6 hour road trip.  I don't know how big your kids are, but I can't imagine hauling my 3 kids in a Ridgeline or even a full size pick up for 5-6 hours.  Sitting 3 across for that long in what would still be a tight-ish space is a recipe for trouble.  So IMO, you need 3 rows.  With your needs and wants, Suburban is my answer. 

Since you plan on getting a southern vehicle, I'll add Ford Expedition to the suggestions.

The third row seats fold into the floor which is really a nice advantage over the Suburban for a family do-it-all vehicle. And they usually sell for half the price of a similar Suburban around here.

Local car max has a gx470. It's a little expensive but. Would make getting rid of the rav4 easy 

Fueled by Caffeine said:

Local car max has a gx470. It's a little expensive but. Would make getting rid of the rav4 easy 

Excellent choice. Advanced congrats. Can't go wrong with the Prado. Just make sure interior space works for you. 
 

Buh bye Rav4
 

https://www.carmax.com/car/18000088

https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/wsh/ctd/d/inver-grove-heights-2013-lexus-gx-460/7116001855.html

is this worth 10k more than CarMax one?

Fueled by Caffeine said:

https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/wsh/ctd/d/inver-grove-heights-2013-lexus-gx-460/7116001855.html

 

is this worth 10k more than CarMax one?

Not that i can see, the car max one should of had at least 1 timing belt by now, other than it is a Cali car so it will have different exhaust I think, It will also have the 2uz like the 100 series land cruisers

The 2013 will have the 1UR like the 200 series and the tundra. also it has the 3rd row seats which the 09 seems to be missing.

Anyways. Still gotta get the family in whatever we are looking at.  
 

Still need to check out a Tahoe. 
 

also this. https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/dak/cto/d/prior-lake-2009-lexus-lx570/7128437370.html

I like the 09 570 since it doesnt have the hideous facelift front bumper