Lots of changes lately have prompted some big moves. The wife and I are expecting our first child in May which kicked this all into motion. I work from home and travel a lot all over the country and have had the benefit of a company car the last six years. With a kid on the way I don’t want to be on the road so I applied for and accepted a job at my companies local office. Now it was time to look for a car.
I’ve really enjoyed the Grand Cherokee I’ve had the last 3 years, especially it’s usefulness in hauling cargo and materials for home improvement projects, so something with equal capability was needed. I initially started looking at certified used Grand Cherokees as it’s a car I’m already used to and has been reliable. For what I wanted to spend, all the models had more miles than I’d prefer given that I keep cars a long time. That’s when I soon remembered a car dealership I recently visited for work and the Buick Regal TourX wagon. Despite great reviews, these aren’t exactly flying off showroom floors as people prefer crossovers to wagons so GM has a lot of cash incentives on the hood to help move them. I had been searching for a few weeks and finally test drove one last Thursday and absolutely loved it. Great looking interior, lots of tech options, plenty of power and cargo capacity.
I found a certified used 2018 TourX Essence, the top trim, in NWI with only 12k miles and at a great price point. The only big option it doesn’t have is the panoramic sunroof which would have been nice, but can easily live without. I drove out this past Saturday and ended up taking it home. It had just over 14k miles on as it had been used as a loner for a few customers, but was in excellent shape both inside and out. There are a few small rock chips on the hood and small scratches, but expected given the mileage. It’s awd with a 2.0L turbo, 250 hp, 295tq.
tldr: kid on the way, new job, no more company car, hello dad wagon.
The car is from Michigan, so added bonus of no license plate bracket holes, and was a GM fleet car used for its executives. So far I’ve already got weather tech front/rear floor mats, and have some other potential plans for later: wheels, tint and remove the plastic body cladding. The latter would require a new front bumper as the trim is attached through mounting holes. The rest would peel off. This is basically a rebadged Opel Insignia wagon, and the euro versions don’t have any of the cladding, which I think looks much better.
I’m very happy with it so far, and am real excited to have my own car again, especially one with options!
I’ve really enjoyed the Grand Cherokee I’ve had the last 3 years, especially it’s usefulness in hauling cargo and materials for home improvement projects, so something with equal capability was needed. I initially started looking at certified used Grand Cherokees as it’s a car I’m already used to and has been reliable. For what I wanted to spend, all the models had more miles than I’d prefer given that I keep cars a long time. That’s when I soon remembered a car dealership I recently visited for work and the Buick Regal TourX wagon. Despite great reviews, these aren’t exactly flying off showroom floors as people prefer crossovers to wagons so GM has a lot of cash incentives on the hood to help move them. I had been searching for a few weeks and finally test drove one last Thursday and absolutely loved it. Great looking interior, lots of tech options, plenty of power and cargo capacity.
I found a certified used 2018 TourX Essence, the top trim, in NWI with only 12k miles and at a great price point. The only big option it doesn’t have is the panoramic sunroof which would have been nice, but can easily live without. I drove out this past Saturday and ended up taking it home. It had just over 14k miles on as it had been used as a loner for a few customers, but was in excellent shape both inside and out. There are a few small rock chips on the hood and small scratches, but expected given the mileage. It’s awd with a 2.0L turbo, 250 hp, 295tq.
tldr: kid on the way, new job, no more company car, hello dad wagon.
The car is from Michigan, so added bonus of no license plate bracket holes, and was a GM fleet car used for its executives. So far I’ve already got weather tech front/rear floor mats, and have some other potential plans for later: wheels, tint and remove the plastic body cladding. The latter would require a new front bumper as the trim is attached through mounting holes. The rest would peel off. This is basically a rebadged Opel Insignia wagon, and the euro versions don’t have any of the cladding, which I think looks much better.
I’m very happy with it so far, and am real excited to have my own car again, especially one with options!
