Hello All,
I've been a long time Club Armada reader/fan... Years ago I had a black/black 04 QX56 but sold it with 115k miles on it. i loved the engine, it ran very well, but it also had its little quirks (ac woodpecker, harsh ride, too many annoying squeaks/rattes, etc.). Nothing major.
I dabbled in a few coupes/sedans, but since then have gotten married, we have a baby boy with plans to have a 2nd baby sooner or later. So, it was time to shop for another SUV!
I looked at a 09 Denali and a few Escalades, but then I came across an 08 Silver Graphite/Stone Qx56 4x4 with relatively low miles, complete service history, selling for much much better price. Not to mention that it had the 2nd row bench seat which is what I was looking for (enough room to keep the 3rd row down for storage, and have my wife and 2 baby seats in the second row).
So I went to check it out, and saw that the 08 had rectified a lot of the "issues" that I had with my 04. Not to mention that these things come loaded! I got the ICC package with the front sensors which I really enjoy. Compared to my 04, I also like the Intelligent Key, the dash, the ride, the stereo (although I still might want to replace the BOSE), the 20's, etc.
OK, stop rambling. So I drove it, fell back in love with the engine, had a mechanic check it out, got the green light, and now I'm a happy REPEAT Qx owner!
Thanks to searching this forum, I was able to knock a good chunk off of the price for things that "seem" expensive but are easy fixes if you do your research:
- heater wasn't working: unscrewed valve and removed the shaft
- drivers seat wouldn't move forward or back: tapped the motor with a hammer
- hood lift supports needed to be replaced: got replacement parts on ebay for $40 and swapped them in 5 minutes
I was also thinking about pushing the car so hard so I could crack the exhaust manifolds and get them replaced for free before I pass the 80k mark (kidding, sort of haha). If they crack after I pass 80k then I'll pull the trigger on some headers, but smog checks are a killjoy in California.
On my list are Bilstein's for the front, rear brakes need service soon, and a complete fluid change (may not be necessary at this point in time). Then I'll dabble in some mods.
Any SoCal members with a recommendation for a good shop in the Los Angeles area?
For now, I'm just enjoying the ride. Reunited and it feels so good!
I've been a long time Club Armada reader/fan... Years ago I had a black/black 04 QX56 but sold it with 115k miles on it. i loved the engine, it ran very well, but it also had its little quirks (ac woodpecker, harsh ride, too many annoying squeaks/rattes, etc.). Nothing major.
I dabbled in a few coupes/sedans, but since then have gotten married, we have a baby boy with plans to have a 2nd baby sooner or later. So, it was time to shop for another SUV!
I looked at a 09 Denali and a few Escalades, but then I came across an 08 Silver Graphite/Stone Qx56 4x4 with relatively low miles, complete service history, selling for much much better price. Not to mention that it had the 2nd row bench seat which is what I was looking for (enough room to keep the 3rd row down for storage, and have my wife and 2 baby seats in the second row).
So I went to check it out, and saw that the 08 had rectified a lot of the "issues" that I had with my 04. Not to mention that these things come loaded! I got the ICC package with the front sensors which I really enjoy. Compared to my 04, I also like the Intelligent Key, the dash, the ride, the stereo (although I still might want to replace the BOSE), the 20's, etc.
OK, stop rambling. So I drove it, fell back in love with the engine, had a mechanic check it out, got the green light, and now I'm a happy REPEAT Qx owner!
Thanks to searching this forum, I was able to knock a good chunk off of the price for things that "seem" expensive but are easy fixes if you do your research:
- heater wasn't working: unscrewed valve and removed the shaft
- drivers seat wouldn't move forward or back: tapped the motor with a hammer
- hood lift supports needed to be replaced: got replacement parts on ebay for $40 and swapped them in 5 minutes
I was also thinking about pushing the car so hard so I could crack the exhaust manifolds and get them replaced for free before I pass the 80k mark (kidding, sort of haha). If they crack after I pass 80k then I'll pull the trigger on some headers, but smog checks are a killjoy in California.
On my list are Bilstein's for the front, rear brakes need service soon, and a complete fluid change (may not be necessary at this point in time). Then I'll dabble in some mods.
Any SoCal members with a recommendation for a good shop in the Los Angeles area?
For now, I'm just enjoying the ride. Reunited and it feels so good!