Sell/ downsize my vehicle, use the cash to but first tri bike?

As long as you can fit your family in the new car.... what does matter if it's a large SUV or not?

Many cars, even small ones, are safe. I'm sure the Pathfinder will be just as safe.

Anyways you have a mini van to use as well.

but that 'bourbon is hot!!!

oh well...wanna buy my Jeep?

I guess i see your justification. A Suburban to a mid-SUV wont be that much of a sacrifice in safety or space, besides the obvious cargo space. and if the wife benefits from the move then i'm sure she'll be all for it and not have much an impact when you drop serious coin on a new tri bike.

A pathfinder still has plenty of room in it. My girl had one and we decided to get rid of it for the VW rabbit, since i already had a Grand Cherokee and a BMW sedan.

Edit: Our kids are our 2 dogs a lab and boxer...they still fit in all cars. =)

Pros: new bike, new car, better gas mpg, wife happy
Cons: Low sell price of Suburban, unknown maintenance of new car

Good luck! if you need dealer help i've good sales friends at Leith Autopark and Johnson dealers...

Edited by halfpint 2009-07-14 5:37 PM

Are you sure you can get that much for the suburban? Honestly around here dealers and private sellers can't GIVE SUV's away due to gas mileage/economy of the vehicle. With summer gas prices rising again you might not have that much luck selling it. Trade in value is also probably not going to be very high but it is worth looking in to.

If you do get that 10k worth I would use it first off to pay down any debt you have (like credit cards etc...) and then with anything that is left have fun for you AND the kids. open a savings account for college, put it aside for a crazy fun vacation to disney world etc when they are old enough...take your pick.

Granted if you really just want a new tri bike then for sure go out and get one! not stopping you there! You also may consider waiting just a few more months for some of the "make room for all of next years stock" sales to start up and then you can get more bang for your buck.

assuming the burb is paid off.  if so, do it.  if not, don't go upside down just to get a new bike.  that's not very smart.

i sold my car last year and didn't even replace it.  My wife and I are a one car family, although I do have a motorscooter for daily commuting.  Since my wife enjoys watching me race, we've never had an issue.  I can also do all of my riding from right outside my apartment building, so there is really no need for a car.  in those rare situations where i absolutely need a car i just rent one for $25 for the day.

A couple of folks have asked good questions.  1st, both our cars are paid off.  2nd, yes, I have confirmed ~ 30k for the Burb, 3rd, we all ready have a college fund for all 3 kids.  So simply, Im freeing up ~10k and getting a smaller SUV, I don't really see major issues but all the feedback is very helpful and much appreciated.

Once 5K of the proceeds is put against the debt, are you still 5+K in debt? If so, then you're basically financing your bike on that debt instead of paying the rest off. Your call, but I wouldn't say it's wise.

A decent tri-bike for 2K including goodies would be less of a hit. For wheels are you really in a position to spend 2K to save what - 45 seconds at best? How many places is that really? Only you can answer that one but the return on investment goes way down real quick with tri equipment. Plus keeping it down would leave some money for the wife as well.

Do you tow anything - that would be the only reason to keep the burban. A pathfinder won't tow much.

$5000 can get you a sick tri bike!!

Go for it, I love my bike more than any car and it's a pretty entry level road bike...

Lord knows I have my toys, but I think one of the wisest things I was told early on is it's OK to splurge on yourself for the things you love, the only problem will be if you love too many things.  I take this to mean that if triathlon's are your thing, have been your thing, and are going to be your thing, then having a nice bike is fine.  If you have a history of going from one thing to another then that will be a problem.  It's also a problem if you always have to have the "best" of everything.  If someone wants to spend 5k on a tri bike and has the cash to do it, go for it.  I have the cash to buy the 5k bike, but bought a Cervelo P2 SL, last years model for 975 bucks, and as a MOP guy, thats probably way more than I need, even if I'm FOP.  I personally never buy the top shelf of anything unless I intend to make money with it.  Everybody looks at it differently, but you asked, so that's my .02 

FYI- I just saw an ad for the new 2010 Chevy Equinox (I have an 08). 32 mpg on the highway. And it's really pretty!!!

It's more of a crossover SUV, but if you've got the minivan also, you might consider it.

well, he said hes wife could do what she wanted with the other 5k or pay off debt. 

I saw do it.....pathfinder is plenty safe and will last longer than your suburban, you could even get something else and save even more.

Get rid of that bus.

Sounds like a good plan, but Pathfinders get crappy mileage too, right about 18-21 real world. Plan on gas being some place between $3.50 and $6.00 a gallon in two to five years down the road. You can get a crossover that gets 25 in mixed driving. A used Malibu Maxx will do 25 in mixed and well over 30 MPG on the freeway. Unless you live in a place that gets 150"+ of snow a year SUV's are overkill. My Vibe with snow tires does great in northern MI and I can fit all my training/racing gear inside without taking the bike apart all while getting 30 MPG. Smaller cars will also be more liquid and easier to move in the future when gas is up again, can't say the same for a 20 mpg SUV.

I don't know what the car seat laws are in your neck of the woods but here I would need 3 car/booster seats.  Without a third row of seats or the width of a suburban type vehicle, it might be tough to fit 3 seats side by side in a Pathfinder.

Even w/ the kids, just get a normal car if you already have a van and need 2 cars. Why the truck/crossover that gets terrible mileage?

And SUVs are not any safer than regular cars. With the high center of gravity, the odds you roll over when in an accident, and the odds you are injured via rollover are much higher than if you were driving a Camery.

Good book about SUVs if anyone cares: http://www.amazon.com/High-Mighty-SUVs-Dangerous-Vehicles/dp/158648...

with the number of idiot drivers in raleigh/cary, i'd want to stick my fam in a SUV... especially when parking downtown...i almost always take my beater jeep bc there will be a battler scar once you return.

As for rollover...highly unlikely unless you're above hwy speeds and cut it hard. My AWD jeep has 31's and a 3in lift on it and i can throttle corners just like my bimmer...

Plus if needed, you can haul on the beach in an SUV if you hit up the sand..

Newer Pathfinders have a third row (two seats).