Shopping 4 Vehicross...Questions

[Ruflyf]

I believe all the sunroofs are aftermarket, mine is a Hollandia (sp?), and if I didnt have the paperwork on it I would swear it was factory. As for other things, I think it would be wise to ask about would be, has it had window track problems, and have they been fixed. Also if you are tall, consider the height issue, I am 6ft and if the previous owner hadnt lowered the seat I dont know if I could have adjusted to it or not.

Other than that, the obvious research and mechanic check.

[transio]

I'm ~6'3 and 32" inseam, and I have no issues with fitting in the car. A 6'7" friend of mine got in it ok, though his knees were bent almost to the steering wheel.

Good things about the VX:

1. Awesome on-road performance for an SUV, due mostly to its stiff suspension. There are some negatives to this, though - specifically the high ride height, narrow stance, and big heavy wheels with not-so-soft tires. You could make it into a great street performer by putting on sime lightweight wheels and sticky tires, lowering the ride a bit, and widening the stance, and maybe reducing body roll even more with sway bars or such (if they're available).
2. Great stock off-road performance. Unfortunately, there aren't many available aftermarket bolt-ons to improve this (or on-road performance, for that matter), but if you're just an occasional trail-rider, the VX is a good pick.
3. Amazing, unique looks. The VX is a real attention-getter.
4. Well-bolstered Recaro leather seats. It's no sports car, but they're decent.
5. Decent acceleration. Again, no sports car, but pretty peppy. You should consider getting the Alpine supercharger, though, if you want an additional torque kick.
6. Great durability. The plastic cladding has saved me hundreds of paint chips, dings, and dents. It's awesome. And it looks great, too!

Bad things about the VX:

1. Terrible gas mileage. I get about 13 mpg. Others report as many as 17. You get the point.
2. Window track problems... this is a minor problem, though, and an easy DIY fix. I did both of mine in a half day.
3. Questionable engine reliability. There have been several reported cases of engine failure due to oil consumption and thrown rods. There is, however, speculation that this is from either improperly seated piston rings or poorly maintained vehicles. The VX uses the same 3.5 L block as the Trooper (and I think the Rodeo?) So you should know if/how it's reliable.
4. Difficult-to-maintain cladding. It looks good, but only if you put a gallon of Mother's Back to Black on it every week (exxageration).
5. NO rear visibility. I've backed up into 2 cars in parking lot accidents (costing me about $2500 total)... and I even had a back-up warning system installed!!! Of course, the system I had was malfunctioning. LOL. Anyhow, you have to learn to drive this thing like it's a cargo van with no back window.

That's all I can think of right now.

PS - Yeah, all the sunroofs were aftermarket.

[E-ZooZoo One]

Mark,

Kathy and I got ours less than 2-weeks ago, and already it’s become the transportation mode of choice.

VX-wise, I’ve just got two words for ya: Get one!


So, are we gonna see you in U-kno-wharrie?

[vx spouse]

After spending a good portion of the afternoon cleaning the VX, I can attest that Transio's comments about the cladding requiring a gallon of Mothers Back to Black is NOT an exxageration!

[geshaw30]

Good luck Mark. The best advice I can give you, as a long time '99 owner & member of this site, is to use the search engine here. Every possible topic you can think of has been discussed several times over. The info within is priceless.
________
Rock Hard Nipples

[Ruflyf]

Hey Transio and VX Spouse, Meguires Exterior Trim Detailer works 50 times better than Back to Black. Only problem is its a little difficult to find, I found it at O'Reilys Auto. Neither Autozone or Advanced Auto carried it. But even if I had to mail order it, I would.

[transio]

Ruf,

Sounds good, I have to try that out. I recently put a goat of Flood Restora on, but I did a poor job of it, and I'm in the process of removing it now.