My dad's X5 finally bit the dust and after 7+ years of window shopping, he now has to find a new SUV.
Some poor salesman managed to lure him out of the house to take a look at an Ioniq 9 in person. He said it's too big, but thinks it will look smaller 'at ground level' because the dealership showed him a brand new one in the basement wash bay.
He's used to driving big SUVs, had an Expedition in the early 00s but now that he's in his 70s, he should not be driving something that big. The Explorer ST is perfect for him since he wants a 3-row, with a sub-6 second 0-60, for ~$80k. He said the Explorer ST is too peasant spec so I said OK fine buy the Lincoln Aviator. It's the ideal car for him: all the bells and whistles, without the Ford badge. Then he starts ho-humming about it because the ioniq 9 is faster 0-60 (cus BEV)...
Now he wants to 'wait and see' if the Ioniq 9 is small enough on street level. He also sat in the Ioniq 5N and said it was 'too geeky'. He also sat in the Santa Fe and said it was the right size. Ultimately I can see him settling for the Santa Fe but I honestly don't care because at this point literally anything is an upgrade.
He refuses to go out and shop in person and insists on shopping by spec-sheets and youtube reviews. He'll be the only person driving the car so it's beyond me why he insists on having a 3-row SUV. He's purely a home-body unless he has a doctors appointment or needs to go to safeway.
He's all talk, doesn't know what he wants and when a Goldilocks car shows up, he moves the goalpost and finds faults with it. He initially wanted a BEV, then a PHEV. Once they took away the EV rebates, he said he'd settle for a regular ICE car since he only drives at most 4000km a year. Money is not an issue here, he is extremely indecisive, which is strange because back in the day he used to change cars like he changes socks.
Update: Decided on a new '23 Lincoln Aviator Reserve. Was sitting on the dealer lot and had never been registered, hence 'new'. Massaging ventilated seats are fantastic, adjust 69,000,000 different ways. Turning circle is absolutely nuts because of the longitudinal motor. Speaking of the motor, the 3.0TT Ecoboost is damn quick and took me by surprise. Throttle's a bit touchy so I keep it in the eco grandpa mode.
MY25 facelift got rid of all the HVAC buttons, new dash and front end. Having the boomer friendly HVAC switches is nice, but the old Sync infotainment system is dog slow. You can lock/unlock and start the car from your phone and schedule a concierge to come pick up the car for service, similar to Genesis. Overall, my dad's happy with it, I'm happy he got rid of the X5. I'll see if I can coax him out of the house for a road trip. :fuckyea:
Maybe it's cause I'm an old man but I dig the look of the Aviator and Nautilus both inside and out - it seems like proper American luxury (unlike the equivalent Cadillacs which have Chevy interiors). Haven't driven one but from what I hear I'd like the driving dynamics just fine too.
dark0821
08-27-2025 07:14 AM
I think it looks fire, the styling is on point!
How reliable are these things in the long run? I legit have 0 experience...
SSM_DC5
08-27-2025 07:46 AM
How do people find "new" cars that are years old? Walk into a dealer and ask if they have anything? They keep it listed on their site?
punkwax
08-27-2025 08:03 AM
Typically they’re dealer demo vehicles that managers drive but are never registered as owners so on paper, you’re the original owner.
RabidRat
08-28-2025 11:51 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Klondike
(Post 9190993)
Update: Decided on a new '23 Lincoln Aviator Reserve. Was sitting on the dealer lot and had never been registered, hence 'new'. Massaging ventilated seats are fantastic, adjust 69,000,000 different ways. Turning circle is absolutely nuts because of the longitudinal motor. Speaking of the motor, the 3.0TT Ecoboost is damn quick and took me by surprise. Throttle's a bit touchy so I keep it in the eco grandpa mode.
MY25 facelift got rid of all the HVAC buttons, new dash and front end. Having the boomer friendly HVAC switches is nice, but the old Sync infotainment system is dog slow. You can lock/unlock and start the car from your phone and schedule a concierge to come pick up the car for service, similar to Genesis. Overall, my dad's happy with it, I'm happy he got rid of the X5. I'll see if I can coax him out of the house for a road trip. :fuckyea:
