newbie vx buying advice

hey guys
i've always liked the vx when it came out, but at the time it wasn't feasible for me to buy it... then i got into the whole sports car phase for a while... while buying performance parts for the sports car is somewhat fun, i'm getting very sick and tired of fixing all the little things that are going wrong so i'm back in the market for something sporty, something fun, and something reliable.

the vx is definitely sporty and fun... is it also reliable?
what are the things a buyer should look for in the vx?
which parts are prone to being broken and are expensive to fix? (for example, the subaru svx has weak rotors and a weaker transmission)

thanks for all the help
and i'm looking forward to joining y'all in the ranks of vx owner

one more question... was sunroof/moonroof an option on the vx?

Opinions will vary some but, all in all most will agree that the VX is very reliable. As with other vehicles, there will be and are some problems. Fortunately with the VX, the problems are minor. Window binding ( FIX ) is a somewhat common problem. Although in the two VX's that I have owned, I've not experienced this. (Knock, knock). Others will chime in here but I think that there is no one concern that has plagued everyone.
For the next upgrade to the site, I'm creating a section of common problems with links to either TSB announcements or appropriate fixes then this question will be answered much easier.

No, the VX did not come with a "Stock" Sun/ Moon Roof. Some members have had theirs installed custom..

Good luck in your quest!

The only problems that seem to be repeditive are the power windows, chrome pealing on inside of rims, cracked hood insert, and the CD changer going out (i've gone through 2 in 50,000 miles) Now my warranty is up on the CD thing so I have to go aftermarket, (oh well planned on it anyway)

Other then those minor problems it seems to be very reliable, seems a few VXs are burning some oil though.

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Originally posted by AlaskaVX
... chrome pealing on inside of rims...

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By the way, this only includes the 18" chromed wheels.

Someone already said what I would say to this, and that is that the VX seems quite reliable and that fortunately all of the problems that tend to pop up are minor things.

You can fix the windows yourself in 20 minutes for free if they ever cause you problems.

Most with the 18's seem to have their wheels replaced without too much resistance if they ever need that.

Get what you can out of the factory changer and then upgrade to an aftermarket CD changer, because otherwise they'll replace it with the same thing and it seems like it isn't a question of if, but when. My changer bit the dust about a week after I got it (I got it used).

Get a '00 or '01 with the better warranty. Also gets you 18 inch wheels and climate control, both of which 99's don't have.

No problems thus far with my hood insert, and I think that is probably only happening to some folks because the bolts are tightened too much on it.

Some have had their headlight gaskets pop out (really easy to repair).

Other than these things, the drivetrain and all of that seems real solid. I love mine!

what seems to be the fair market price for a 00? i'd like to get a range for private sales and for dealer sales... my budget right now is about 15000 sticker price...

also, how often do dealers give trade in incentives? i'm thinking about getting rid of the two cars i have right now to cut the damage buying the vx is going to do to my wallet.

would i be wrong to make the generalization that for a single male, the vx seems to be quite a practical car in terms of size and hp?

I think you'll be able to make the finances work, and yes, it's an ideal single male vehicle. I think it is a very masculine vehicle. The first thing out of my mom's mouth when she saw it was that it definitely looked like a guy car, and girls who don't give a flip about cars think it's really cool. I've had equal interest in it from girls and guys, which is saying something because a lot of guys ask about it. It has a decent backseat but it's hard to get into, but without a family it's not an issue. It is sporty-looking in and out, and has enough pep to back that up. It's changing as faster ones are out these days, but it is still one of the quicker SUVs out there, particularly for one with all the hardware (and therefore weight) it has. Extremely capable off-road. Isuzu isn't exactly a status symbol make, but these were about $30,000 new. And it is definitely different and it screams "look at me!"

Heraclid, you hit the nail on the head! :smack: :thumbup:

For $15,000 I would be looking for a 2000 VX with around 30-50,000 miles on it. If you have trade ins also go for the lowest milage possible!

But, when I think about it I would never sell my VX for $15,000 and I have over 50,000 miles now. Of course I plan on getting burried with it :)

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Originally posted by vxfan
I'm thinking about getting rid of the two cars i have right now to cut the damage buying the vx is going to do to my wallet.

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What cars are you thinking of getting rid of?

I think this is worth it!
Kaiser VX on Ebay

i have a 91 toyota mr2 na with header, intake, exhaust, shocks, springs, rims, mp3 player, bazooka tube, aftermarket speakers all around, cf hood

and a
92 subaru svx, currently getting a 5spd swap... but its been months since i last saw the car, at this rate, i just want to get rid of it...

oh yeah, and on both cars i have aftermarket slotted and drilled rotors, on the mr2 i also have ss brakelines and ss ****er cables

the svx also has aftermarket speakers all around hooked to an amp, and a tube sub. the hu is still original, never had the chance to switch it as the auto tranny went out and its been months since its in the shop getting teh 5sp

wow that's a nice vx on ebay... too bad its a bit out of my range right now... don't think i can afford a 2001..... as the books seems to suggest that they should go around 16000-17000ish, i'm hoping to find a nice 99 or 00 as i think the only difference between all three years is that the 99 came with 16" while the 00 and 01 came with 18s?

And the a/c system is a lot fancier on the 00/01 models. Plus there are a number of less obvious differences - for example the interceptor mod has less margin to work with on the 00/01 models because ostensibly they have their transmissions tuned tighter from the factory than the 99s.

so the 00-01s are notably better built than the 99s?
wow... looking at ebay right now seems like all the vxs are selling for (at least the reserves are) right around 20k!

one note on the 99s... is it possible to get extended warranty on these??

00-01 longer warrenty
00-01 18" rims

thats all i can think of right now, its been a long day

i have 00 proton if your interested, close to mint condition, tinted windows, 38000 miles, $14,500

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Originally posted by jeffkics
00-01 longer warrenty
00-01 18" rims

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Just want to add: 00-01 has automatic climate control. 99 not. That's all the differences as far as I know.

VXfan,

I dont believe at all that the 2000 and 01's are better built than the 99's. 00-01's just had more options at interior and exterior colors, climate control and 18 inch wheels. Also 00-01's have longer warranties: 10 years/100,000 miles on drivetrain. Dont know how that changes if you are purchasing used.

Right. And I wouldn't say the '00-'01 line is better built than the '99's. I had no idea about a tighter tuned transmission in the '00-'01 (can someone explain this?), but I wouldn't say that means they are 'better built', either.

Plus, the auto climate control is somewhat nice to have, but I wouldn't say it is fancy. When I heard my old boss had bought a Trooper, and it had auto climate control (practically the same unit), I pictured something like what Lexus or Infinity puts in there autos, with an LCD and all... but it looks almost like the manual controls. Not fancy, just a bit more convenient.

The '00-'01 line did have more exterior/interior combos, and larger, chromed wheels, and a longer warranty... as stated before.

2000 proton for 14.5? that sounds like a good deal.... why are you thinking about selling the vx? how long has it been on the market? i'm assuming that you're not a dealer so you won't be taking any trade ins.... which means i probably can't afford it at this time... i need some time to sell off my two cars to have all that money... but if its still for sale around december-ish, i'm definitely interested.

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Originally posted by Dallas4u
Right. And I wouldn't say the '00-'01 line is better built than the '99's. I had no idea about a tighter tuned transmission in the '00-'01 (can someone explain this?)

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Well with an interceptor installed on the 00-01's, mainly 01's people (including myself) found that you can only crank it up to 10-20% compared to most 99's were it's more like 40%. All this means is that the line preassure is higher in the 2001's. This does not mean that it is really better.

well... seeing how i probably will put some aftermarket wheels on it anyways, the 18inchers are not my big concern... the ac unit tho, looks somewhat nifty.... are there anyone on the board with experience in both the 99 and the 00+ that can tell me whether or not this really comes handy??

also, anyone tried that warranty gold warranty extender? if its a reliable service, i might just try to get a 99 and then get the warranty...

thanks to everyone who helped out so far, i think my primary target is for a white or silver or black (in that preference order) 00 for under 15k

seems like there are lots of 99s onsale on ebay for about 13k, that would be my back-up plan...

now to find a way to talk my parents into letting me buy a used car instead of getting a new tacoma...

Stay AWAY from warranty gold. Do a search on them here, they are effectively bankrupt and are not paying out claims. For a while at least they didn't make it public either, only refusing payouts on a case by case basis. You are probably just as good with an extended warranty from your local credit union or even possibly a regular bank. One thing about extended warranties - they are always significantly cheaper (like half the price or better) if you buy it while the car is still covered by the manufacturer's warranty.

As for talking the parents into it, I don't know what a tacoma costs - figure it is in the same price range, but buying new is always wasteful. The car depreciates ~30% the day you drive it off the lot. Sounds like you are a teenager, unless your parents regularly drive the latest model bimmers and mercs, they'd be foolish to by you a new car anyway - chances are you'll have an accident with it sooner or later - better to damage a used car than a new one. Not that such an accident is necessarily your fault, but even conservative drivers take a while to learn the ropes of defensive driving. I've never caused an accident, but I've been hit 3 or 4 times, the first time was only 3 months after I got my first car - totalled it and got more from the insurance than we paid for the car to begin with.

=)
well, the new tacoma would cost about 27k... my main objection is spending that kind of money on a car which i cannot see myself driving in 2 years... (not that it won't last, toyotas are made to last, but i'm just not a pickup type of guy)

i'm flattered that i'm can still be mistaken as a teenager. let me just make it clear that the money for the car right now was earned by me over the summer. for undisclosed reasons, my father hates used cars. for undisclosed reasons, i try to respect his opinion as much as possible. true, i have a used svx and a used mr2, but i dont really consider them as 'cars' more like projects i picked up here and there to satisfy my need to learn more about cars... why is it that there is a difference between picking up a couple 3k projects and picking up a 15k vx? i don't know.... but i just feel like there is a moral dillema with doing this.

ok, now back to the thread... newbie vx buying advice... any comments on the different ac issue??

Do you really have to have you parents aproval? Hell my dad was pissed when I bought a $22,000 car with 14,000 miles through ebay and had to drive it up, but I did what I wanted and everything has worked out.
Since they are afraid of you buying used have a fellow VX owner here on the forums test drive the one you are looking at to make sure its up to par.
Not sure about the ac thing but I doubt ones much better than the other. Just look for the best VX in your price range. As for the climate control its not a big deal to turn down the heat when its hot is it? I mean hasn't every other car you have owned been like this... I have it and like beeing able to set the temp I want, but its nothing that would sway me to buy one over the other, unless they were exactly the same milage/condition/price.

The a/c ...

I own a 2000.

To set the climate control you have to set the temperture to what you wish (the degrees), press the Vent setting to AUTO, and set the fan to AUTO.

What happens is that the auto climate takes over adjusting the temperature (a/c or heater) in the cab according the the temp readings of the sensors on the console. It will adjust automatically the airflow and temp from the various vents independently located in the truck to maintain set temp.

THe only thing one has to remember is that if the console itself is very hot or cold you have to set the Auto Temp accordingly.

Personally, since I got the hang of how to adjust the Auto Climate Control, I couldnt do with out it. But I dont think it should weigh that heavily in your decision making.

;Dr;

vxfan - I have the climate control on my VX, but I never use it - I always set it manually. I've tried it (and other auto climate controls), but I like to make my own decisions about blower speed and where the air is coming out. Seems those things always make it too hot, too cold, or just too damn anoying! So I wouldn't worry about whether it has the auto climate control - not a loss in my opinion.