New Purchase

[tomloans]

Hello all. Just want to get some input. I am about to purchase a new car. Dont know where to start. I currently own a 2003 z71 Tahoe with about 103K miles on it. I have this dialed in and it runs great.

Issue is that I need a more powerful vehicle as I have upgraded the boat and it is much heavier. Second a quieter and softer ride with some creature features would be nice. Not interested in an four wheeling. Just a quiet, comfortable yet powerful car to tow with.

What year tahoe is the most reliable. I have heard and read some weird issus the newer have been having. The only real weird or real frustrating issue with the 03 has been the"Reduced Engine Power" garbage. the communication between the two sensors ( throttle and gas pedal). But I have since dialed this in also. Everything else has been normal wear and tear. I bought this for $14,000 back in 2009 with 48K miles and it has done very well for me.

The other request is a small turning radius as Z71 has. I have a tight space that I need to maneuver into and I need this to make it happen. I tried to back in the boat using a Toyota Tundra for instance and I couldn't do it.

Let me know what you guys suggest. I am a big fan of the 03 provided you do some work to alleviate the "reduced power issue". So I would like to stay Chevy but I need reliability.

 

[tomloans]

Here is some more info...I keep my cars for a long time. My main needs are as follows. I will not sell my 2003 for a less reliable car. Reliability is key for me. I have taken care of all the idiosyncrasies in this car myself. I know every hiccup.

So...

1) Reliability is number 1
2) Currently my z71 has about 285 HP. I understand the 5.3 now has up to 355HP and the newer transmissions help the engine with torque. Not sure if I need the 6.2 liter. The boat weighs only about 5000 LBs. The 03 Z71 is enough but barely. The boat pushes it around some when cornering and coming to a stop. Something I didn't feel before this new boat. Not a big deal but if I purchase, I don't want to feel the boat anymore.
3) I keep my vehicles for a long time. I learn them and repair them myself. So I will be spending about $30,000 or so on the next used one once a good deal comes along.
4) I am a little reluctant to sell my 03 for a hunk of expensive metal and leather that dies on me on my fishing trips. I have heard and read stories in these forums that makes me less confident on this move. Hence why I am writing this...

Thank you and I forgot to mention, definitely (non-full time) 4-wheel drive.

Tom