considering first time buyer- CONVINCE ME!

so i am starting research and looking around at what vehicle to purchase myself in about a year.
i have no clue. i'm not rich. i have only had sports cars up to this point, but i need something that can take me on my many adventures i plan to have when school is done, and tow my sailboat.

i'm looking at, nissan murano, audi allroad, subaru baja, big cheap truck.

i saw this really weird suv car thing the other day, and it looked really cool. it looked like an offroad sportscar. that was a Vehicross. i know nothing other than basic info i found.
so learn me, and convince me. i am big in forums, and this looks like its a good group.
the more responses the better!
whats good? bad? what year should i get? how much? different models?

my name is Sean, i'm 23, and i finish paramedic school in june. then i'll have the money to buy a vehicle, and the time to enjoy it. so i'm studying my decision hard.

THANKS in advance! also, i like in naperville, IL. if there are any owners out here that want to hook me up with a ride sometime i'd love it!

-Sean

Welcome Sean,
Your last statement would do you the best in making your decision.
The VX is a very fun, quick, good handling (Both on and off road) and although it's not actually designed for it, it can tow. It's not the roomiest and the back seat is a major pain to get into.
For me, I wouldn't have any other.. For you...... Well that's up to you. See if anyone is in your area and take a ride and let them show it to you and let you make a decision that way.

if you are on this site and have registered too...that means that you can read what is here and you should be able to do a search and read all info that is already posted by you and 50 others who have came on here and asked the same question that you are asking now. Right?

So, all questions should be answered and no amount of convincing should be needed for you. You are either convinced by what you see and read or you are not.

Ahem... Sean, I would say Scott had a good answer. Definitely drive it, along with the others you are considering. Really, when it came down to it (for me), it's looks made the biggest impression. It's abilities were a really close second, but had I not been in the position to be able to afford and drive such an impractical auto, I would have gone with something else. If you are looking at the other autos you mentioned, then then you are looking at stuff like storage capacity, driving comfort, limited (but somewhat capable) off-road ability, passenger room... etc. Drive the VX, then the others... you take and give with the VX, but what you take can easily outway what you are giving up!

Sean,

I'd agree with Moncha and Dallas. And as a new VX owner (nearly one month now) and like you only really had sports cars I can say the VX is a great overall verhicle. No vehicle is perfect and with the VX you will give up some things. Like storage room. This is not the roomiest suv. It was said before that if you want cargo space you should get an Excursion. I look at the VX as a sports-SUV. If you fold the rear seats down you get a pretty good amount of stroage space. And for this type of vehicle the preformacen is great. My ex had a Grand Cherokee and that was a dog compared to driving a VX.

Definately drive one before you make a decision.

JT

sean,

I live about 10 minutes from you in Saint Charles. If you would like to get together and check mine out, I can also tell you some of the extreme positives and extreme pitfalls of owning this vehicle. If you read the board you'll see that a lot of VX have the same fundamental problems (not all, but some), but I will say this, for the major stuff I've had go wrong, this board was 100% correct in nailing what went wrong, and how it should be or could be fixed. If you want to take me up on the offer, email me at b2267@aol.com.

Bill

I am waiting for my VX anyday now, as soon as the previous owner completes the final paperwork. I did a lot of research into trucks such as the Tacoma, Rodeo Sport, Rav4, CRV, passport, element...basically semi-compact trucks/suvs. I decided on the VX after test driving several of them the past few months, though I wasn't prepared to go to another state for an ideal one. I was lucky to find one that fitted my budget and was kept well. How quickly do you have to get a new car is also a factor.

But because how much I'm attached to the VX now, the maintenance $ will most likely go up, as I like to keep it clean, lubed, waxed, polished, whatever it takes to take full advantage of it. If you want a vehicle purely on its transportation abilities, other options are probably better investments, I like it because it's more me than any other vehicles that I can afford right now.

And like a broken record I always say... make sure you have a reputable person(s) to work on it if necessary. A good dealers service department would be a luxury.

You shouldn't need talked into owning a VX. Once you sit behind the wheel with the Recaro seats hugging you tight, you'll either know this is it, or you can keep looking for something that suits your needs better. Just be prepared, this is a drivers car and it will bite if you're not careful.

thanks all for the info so far.
i am my own mechanic, always have been. So provided i can allocate the dealer repair manual for the Vx i'd be set with that. unless you'd think otherwise for any reason???

are parts decently easy to find and decently priced? currently i am driving, (such a mistake) a 93 bmw 318is. parts are way overpriced and tough to find, especially compared to the MR2 i had before that. so anything better than the bmw will be good.

i'm going to take bill up on his offer and check his out some time soon.

again, thanks all!

-sean

Parts availability will deminish over time but for now they are pretty easy to find and are at descent prices. Except maybe the $5,000 engine.

Yeah, the $5000 dollar engine!?!?! I just got bit by that one:(

Also, if you're looking for good gas mileage buy something else. You won't get much more than 17 mpg's with the VX.

Keep in mind that when you are driving it, gas mileage is the last thing you'll worry about. You'll be busy avoiding rubber neckers and waiving to all who know you. Can't just blend in with the VX!:D

Purchasing a VX is purely an emotional decision. If you need to be convinced, it's not for you. You either love it or hate it. You have to put up with it's quirks because you love driving a vehicle that that is unique. There will be several of us at the Gameworks in Schaumburg Sunday at 4:00pm. Wanna kick some tires? Talk personally with the owners? Come on down even if you can not stay long.

Hey Sean,
I purchased my VX new off the lot. I had been looking at them since the first one I saw in 98. The original sticker was just to high, at 32K it put you in a vast bracket of vechicals. I was looking into the Grand Cherokee Limited but everyone around here had them. A dealer near me listed a special in the paper at $25999 and had a Firefox so I decided this was the time. Needless to say I ended up buying it before I drove it :) First drive was home from the dealer. I have no regrets at all. I wanted a vechical that was different and sporty. I have since added Tone's hitch and it is now pratical. I've used it to pull by Speedster this last summer with no problems. I do still have my sports car (93 VR4) and my Amigo that I use when it bad out and I don't want to get my VX salted and sand blasted.
I'd say you can't go wrong with the VX unless your worried about gas mileage.

Yeah Sean, like Rich said, feel free to join our little gathering on Sunday to check out the VX up close, and ask a few owners questions. We are a bit fanatical about our VXes, but also very candid about the few quirks. See ya there?