Used 07 VS new 08: what would you do?

[chadwick02]

For the past 6 months I’ve been searching for a fairly specific tahoe (new or used): new body style (07 or 08), black\ebony, LT3, Z71, 2nd & 3rd row bench, Nav, and Rear seat entertainment). No used within 500 miles matching my criteria have been for sale, and a very limited selection of new. And then today happened…

9am: my dealer calls. Says he can bring in (from another dealership) a NEW 08, exactly as above for about $38,500+ TTL (MSRP is about 52K). The ONLY difference is the new one does have a power lift gate.

10am: While pondering the offer my dealer made, I stumbled across a used tahoe about 100 miles away. Exactly as listed above (without power lift gate). It is a 2007 with 26,000 miles on it, private sale (not a dealer). After talking with the guy we agreed that $28,500 was the lowest he could go. Most of the miles are highway, although it is a city car. It appears to be in excellent shape, and I had my dealer run the VIN and there is no repair history other than the keys being locked in it twice

SO, what would you do? Is saving $10,000 worth it to buy a used 07 with 26,000 miles on it? With those miles on it, the bumper to bumper warranty will only last me another 8 or 10 months. If I buy new, I’ll have a fresh 3 year warranty. The used tahoe may only be one year old, but its got roughly 2 years worth of wear and tare miles on it.
The thing that troubles me the most here: my family has done business with the local dealer (think old fashioned small town dealer) for the past 60 years. They have been really, really good to us (sales and especially service). Both will bend over backwards to help us out and take care of whatever needs to be. I really want to buy from them if I can. Their time, willingness, and effort to help all of us is worth a lot to me, but I don’t know if I can put a dollar value on it. I hope I dont sour my relationship with them if I do NOT buy it from them. I’m sure the service guys will take care of me even if I bring a used one to them, and the sales manager will be disappointed I didn’t buy from him, but I’m sure he will understand 10 grand is a lot to save!! I can afford the new one, but I sure could find some good things to do with the money I’d save if I bought used.

My time is worth alot to me, the power lift gate would be nice, buying new (not someone elses headaches) is worth alot to me, a full 3 year warranty is worth alot to me, my relationship with my dealer is worht alot to me. BUT I'm not sure if I can make all that add up 10 grand. Or maybe it is?

Which would you buy and why??

Thanks,
Chad

 

[73shark]

Buy new!

 

[starshockey]

My .02 cents worth is I would buy the NEW one. Way too many miles on a 2007 for me.

I had to have my dealer trade from Houston for Fort Worth to get EXACTLY what I wanted. I was worried about the guy driving it back but once they told me there dealer trader driver was 65 years old I had no worries about how the truck would be driven on the way back.

 

[TN Tahoe]

Mileage on the 07 is right in the average range. The 09 Tahoes are already hitting the lots so that puts the 07 at 2 years old, 12,500 miles a year is considered average.


However I would still lean more toward the new unit if budget allows. Longer Warranty and that new Car smell

 

[PondVu]

07 vs 08

Personally I'd buy new but then that has been my philosophy for 35 years. I am a car "nut" when it comes to having new vehicles in my garage. Parked there now are an 08 Tahoe, an 08 CTS and an 07 Corvette. Traded an 05 Tahoe with 33,000 miles and an 04 CTS with 22,000 miles. I think 26,000 in one year is a lot of mileage......highway or not. But that is my personal opinion. My friends tell me my cars aren't even broken in when I trade them and they are right. I like the new features cars have to offer and LOVE that new car smell. Enough ranting.......buy new if the budget can afford it. Will get lots of disagreement on this one!!!
PondVU

 

[07SuburbanLTZ]

For the 10K, I would go with a new one. Look at the 10K as an over priced extended warranty... Just think what a new trans would cost you if it were to go in the 07 after you just went 10,100 miles?

 

[Black Dog]

From everything you're saying it sounds like it is worth 10K to you to buy new, and for me it would be too. As for the dealer relationship, I'll put a price on that right now, it's worth about $1000 max, 10% of what you're talking. So I guess you're paying 9 more, not 10. Pull the trigger, it's a good price.

 

[LAP TOP GAMER]

I would go new as well.

 

[PaulC]

Remember that the '07 was introduced early in '06, so the mileage for that particular '07 may not have been that high, if you break it down on a per-month basis.

 

[LAP TOP GAMER]

I did buy mine in 06 and it has about 23000 on the clock now.

 

[jazejeff]

or....... just by mine $30,000
14,000 miles
fully loaded!!!!!!!

07 tahoe lt3
white with black interior

 

[Black Dog]

or....... just by mine $30,000
14,000 miles
fully loaded!!!!!!!

07 tahoe lt3
white with black interior

You done with the Hoes, or just got the 6 speed on the brain?

 

[jazejeff]

not done just going to get a 09 already ordered it now i just have to sell mine

 

[Poe1983]

I think you're better off buying it new. Eventhough 26,000 miles is right on average, I'd rather put the first 26k miles on it myself. You don't know where the used one has been really and you only got about 13k miles to go on the warranty.

 

[mary900]

Yep, buy new - an '07 is now two years old.

 

[galeo7171]

Is that price on the new one including the rebates?

 

[TN Tahoe]

Personally I'd buy new but then that has been my philosophy for 35 years. I am a car "nut" when it comes to having new vehicles in my garage. Parked there now are an 08 Tahoe, an 08 CTS and an 07 Corvette. Traded an 05 Tahoe with 33,000 miles and an 04 CTS with 22,000 miles. I think 26,000 in one year is a lot of mileage......highway or not. But that is my personal opinion. My friends tell me my cars aren't even broken in when I trade them and they are right. I like the new features cars have to offer and LOVE that new car smell. Enough ranting.......buy new if the budget can afford it. Will get lots of disagreement on this one!!!
PondVU

Welcome to the forum PondVu :cheers:

I think most will agree with going new if budget allows :thumbsup:
The 07 Tahoes came out at the end of 06 so depending on the build date the mileage on the Tahoe he is looking at could be over 2 years of driving..

I agree with buying new in my case we don't put that many miles a year on vehicles, the 04 Corvette CE only has 5,900 miles on it and my 07 Tahoe only has 2,100 miles on it. my office and my wife's office is only 6 miles from the house

 

[strangeengine]

The 09s are here, so the 08 is one year old already, even if not titled.

I'd buy the used one. There's 10K of warranty left and you are saving a TON of money.

You'd have to be nuts, IMHO, to buy one of these trucks new right now. The depreciation hit you are going to take as soon as you put your name on the paperwork is obscene.

BTW, I know of a fully loaded 08 Escalade ESV ($68K sticker new) with 14K miles that went for $30K at auction here recently.

 

[txshriner]

i hate to bust your bubble but the dealer aint your friend!

the last thing that should be on your mind is what the dealer will think! the dealership and all its employees are there for one reason and one reason only! and that is to get the money. some are more subtle than others but i am a dealer myself and if they really are remotely your friends they will understand that you have to do what is best for you.
now as far as buying a tahoe, with the price of fuel they arent going up in price and the facts are that they are almost saleproof! if you are even considering buying a tahoe with the economy and fuel prices as they are i can only assume that the money really dont matter and that you just want what you want at the best price you can get it for. i have a LTZ with the 6.2 & 6 speed trans. and because of this i say scrap the 07 and the 08, buy an 09! they will be cheap because most people cant afford to feed them! but on the other side of the coin, if you have a budget and money really matters i would scrap the plan of buying a tahoe. the hundred dollar bill every time you stop at the pump gets real old real fast.

 

[07SuburbanLTZ]

The 09s are here, so the 08 is one year old already, even if not titled.

I'd buy the used one. There's 10K of warranty left and you are saving a TON of money.

You'd have to be nuts, IMHO, to buy one of these trucks new right now. The depreciation hit you are going to take as soon as you put your name on the paperwork is obscene.

BTW, I know of a fully loaded 08 Escalade ESV ($68K sticker new) with 14K miles that went for $30K at auction here recently.

And a full loaded 07 suburban LTZ with nav, power boards and the whole nine yards is going for $22,000 at auction.