My Chrysler 300 got probably totaled by the hail-Need help choosing a new vehicle

[bellavite1]

So, the hail played quite a trick on our 2006 Chrysler 300.
Dings, shattered windows, etc...
Friday the adjuster will come and take a look and we'll know what's up.
I hear that there is a chance it gets totaled, so I am looking at this three:
https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/6118491151.html

(probably my pick)

https://scottsbluff.craigslist.org/ctd/6119926466.html
https://denver.craigslist.org/ctd/6119812062.html

(the wife's pick)

Price point is similar (probably all we can swing, I don't know how much would the insurance pay us), mileage also similar.

Anybody has first hand experience with any of these two vehicles?
Pros, Cons, Maintenance cost, safety etc...

Yeah we can look for problems on the web, but you'll hear only the bad...

[BushMasterBoy]

The Avalanche will get 8-10 MPG. Have you looked at Tahoe or Suburban. Sort of plain jane vehicles, might be cheaper to maintain. If you tow anything, get a 3/4 ton rated vehicle. just my 2 cents

[sniper7]

Love the avalanche although the rust on that one scares me. I'd be looking closely at the undercarriage and find out where it came from because I would put money on it that's not a Colorado vehicle. That 8.1 is a gas guzzler!

The caddy is nice, buying used is a smart move on a caddy, high dollar initially then they drop quite a ways. Basically a tahoe or Yukon but nicer equipped.
Out of those I'd pass on the avalanche and look at a caddy. I like the 2003 better just based on miles. Mileage will be much better on the 6.0 vs. the avalanche with 8.1.
The 6.0 is much more common motor if any issues arise and will be cheaper to deal with

[Great-Kazoo]

IMO the Avalanche is for people whose wife will not let them own a real truck ;)

The Escalade, eh . I like the Denali

If this person has documentation, it would be something of interest. Mileage is comparable and the price is in the ballpark.
https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/6121332250.html
https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/6079069238.html

https://denver.craigslist.org/ctd/6088717019.html

[Irving]

Exactly what Sniper said, especially the part about the low resale on a Caddy. That just makes an easier used purchase. I know a guy with an Avalanche that gets better mileage (and he actually drives even more than me!), but that is not relevant concerning the 8.1. On a side note, Holy hell! I didn't even know an 8.1 existed, let alone in an Avalanche!.

[Bailey Guns]

Unless you have an unlimited fuel budget, don't buy the 8.1L. Great motor...especially paired with the Allison. But very, very thirsty. Ask me how I know. I had to "downsize" to a truck with a 460 so I could afford fuel.

[fitterjohn]

If it was me I would take what the insurance pays me and drive a hail damaged car that you only need liability on, has no payment, and doesn't matter if it gets dented. If that's not your you I'd look for a Tahoe. The 8.1 is a great motor, but does guzzle gas

[jmg8550]

The 8.1 is a notorious oil burner. 1 quart every 1000 miles is acceptable according to GM. They'll burn that much under normal conditions. The GM 6.0L is a far better engine.

[ray1970]

The 8.1 is a notorious oil burner. 1 quart every 1000 miles is acceptable according to GM. They'll burn that much under normal conditions. The GM 6.0L is a far better engine.

This.

I drove an 8.1 for about 140,000 miles. Horrible on fuel and you really had to monitor the oil level and add all the time.

Went from that to a 6.0 and drove that one for 190,000 miles and didn't feel like I gave up any power and got much better mileage and no oil consumption.

[Aloha_Shooter]

If it was me I would take what the insurance pays me and drive a hail damaged car that you only need liability on, has no payment, and doesn't matter if it gets dented. If that's not your you I'd look for a Tahoe. The 8.1 is a great motor, but does guzzle gas

This if the damage is just cosmetic. I was laughlingly going to suggest a Lamborghini Huracan but these are more in your price range:

https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/6112292938.html
https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/6092148335.html
https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/6112498753.html


Summer is coming!

[MED]

I have an '01 Denali XL that I got in '07 that I used as the family vehicle with all the kids. Here are a couple things to think about. The Denali/Escalades are all wheel drive not 4x4. The good is that they do really well on ice and snow, which was nice for my ex. The bad is that they aren't the best off road, and the transfer case is not the most durable. I am not sure what improvements they made to it in the four years separating the models, but the t-case is known to fail; I think a lot of that is people pounding on them with that 6.0 under the hood. I was really easy on mine so I never had a problem, but it does groan a little at 165,000 miles. The other thing to think about is the electronic ride control. The shocks are insanely expensive to replace! I need to replace mine, but I am just going to put a gas shock conversion kit on it. Some of the Escalades have the 14 bolt semi float rear axle...always worth a check; the 10 bolt is really a POS. The only issues I've had with mine were a fuel pump replacement and I burned out the air pump for the ride level. The Denali burns a lot of fuel in town probably 11-13. I can get 18 to 19 on the highway. I usually average 15-17 in it.

On both high mileage Chevy's of this vintage, you are probably looking at pitman/idler arms plus other front end work if it hasn't been done.

[BushMasterBoy]

Some Tahoes are 2 wheel drive. If you are going to buy off of craigslist, find an independent mechanics shop to inspect the vehicle. I have bought some real stinkers in the past. If they won't let you have it inspected, don't buy it. Lots of vehicles on Craigslist are being sold because they have problems. Scan the well known dealer websites for used vehicles.

https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/6073785643.html

[Gman]

I had an '04 Tahoe 4x4 with the 5.3L flexfuel engine. The engine and drivetrain were bulletproof. I had to get rid of it due to a bunch of electrical issues that were popping up. Air Bag warnings were the final straw in 2015.

[ZERO THEORY]

If you think Chrysler's electrical gremlins are annoying, just wait until you get a taste of GMs from the 90s-late 2000s.

I used to write service for a Cadillac dealership. We had an '04 Escalade that had a phantom in the ECU. It would randomly just kill any throttle response until you backed off the throttle, dropped the RPMs, and got back onto it. We spent literal days with this thing, with me personally driving it while my tech plugged in a GM reader and tried to find what wasn't responding when it occurred. Naturally, it wouldn't replicate when he got the reader up and running.

We found an undetailed lack of response from the TPS, if memory serves me right. Replaced that, customer came back. Air filters, cleaning throttle bodies, MAF sensor, you name it. It was a nightmare. After all of that, I don't even remember what the final fix was. But good god, the amount of time we wasted trying to figure out why the Escalade refused to just leave a stoplight was maddening.

Combine that with all of the dead instrument clusters, errant fluid level sensors, and generally cheap build quality, and I'm not inclined to recommend any of the above. To this day, the Cadillac CUE system is bricking cars. If it's not an LB7 or LLY Chevy truck, I would stay away. Problem being that the Silvys/Sierras with the 5.3s or 6.0s are going to kill you at the pump, and the poor build quality of the half ton IFS and transfer case are going to kill you in the mountains.

If you want a GM 4x4, leave these three alone and get a Duramax. /.02

[ColoradoTJ]

So, the hail played quite a trick on our 2006 Chrysler 300.
Dings, shattered windows, etc...
Friday the adjuster will come and take a look and we'll know what's up.
I hear that there is a chance it gets totaled, so I am looking at this three:
https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/6118491151.html

(probably my pick)

https://scottsbluff.craigslist.org/ctd/6119926466.html
https://denver.craigslist.org/ctd/6119812062.html

(the wife's pick)

Price point is similar (probably all we can swing, I don't know how much would the insurance pay us), mileage also similar.

Anybody has first hand experience with any of these two vehicles?
Pros, Cons, Maintenance cost, safety etc...

Yeah we can look for problems on the web, but you'll hear only the bad...

What are your wants/needs? Since you're coming from a car, must not want another?

My brother has two vehicles with the 8.1L motors and loves them. They do burn a little oil, and depending on what gear ratio you get will determine the fuel economy. My advice is get one with the 3.73 gears and not the 4.10 in the 8.1L. I personally would not buy one for a daily driver, nor if I wasn't towing heavy a lot and didn't want diesel. Obviously, with the price you want to be in, diesel is out.

[bellavite1]

Well, here it is: I actually got decent money from the insurance, traded my soon-to-be-dead Wrangler and came up with extra $$$ for the new wheels and tires...
http://i348.photobucket.com/albums/q358/bellavite1/Mobile%20Uploads/escalade_zpsy7yrtqlw.jpg (http://s348.photobucket.com/user/bellavite1/media/Mobile%20Uploads/escalade_zpsy7yrtqlw.jpg.html)

[USMC88-93]

Just a block north of you and USAA only gave me $1700 minus my $500 deductible for my 2005 Jeeps damage. Debating on if I want to just throw that cash towards my deductible on the house for the roof and siding. The adjuster for that is here to inspect tomorrow.

[Gman]

Um...[Shock]