Possible purchase: 2001 EB 85000 miles

[AMC]

Am I crazy? There is an RV dealership here that is selling this sweet EB with low miles and in absolutely gorgeous condition. I can tell by close observation that its been garaged. Plus the engine compartment is clean beyond Dealer clean (if you know what I mean). I drove it and its tight! I guess my issue is the AWD. Oh and did I mention that I already have a 2000 XLT 4x4 with only 95000 miles... But this 2001 is way nicer! Ok, back to my question. My 4.0 OHV gets its typical 12 to 15 mpg in town driving. 18 to 20 highway. What could I expect from the EB? Also, they're asking price is $7500. I offered them $5000 out the door. Does that sound fair? Thanks for reading my post!

 

[koda2000]

my '00 AWD 5.0 get's about 14 city and around 20 hwy, but a lot depends on where you live and how you drive. for the most part the v8 gets about the same mpg as the v6's, but the AWD does slightly worse than the 2WD's. even $5,000 for a super clean v8/AWD truck with under 100k seems a bit high to me, but prices vary by location and it might be worth it if it's mechanically as good as it looks.

 

[SoNic67]

Koda, I don't know where you buy your vehicles, but for a 85k 2001 I think that $5000 is too low. Especially dealer price (usually 20% higher) and in California (usually another 20% higher).
The only low is.. California. Gas prices and emissions rules (he has 4 special catalytic converters on that thing).
I would check to see if the front shaft is still in place - some do remove it with false hopes of better mpg.

PS: I paid $6300 four years ago for same 85k miles 2001 - to a private seller in VA! It was well worth it to me (compared to a v6). I get the same 12-14mph in city and 19-20mpg on highway. Lower on stop-and-go traffic or at speeds over 75mph. Right now I have an average of 17mpg on my console (mixed).

 

[koda2000]

Koda, I don't know where you buy your vehicles, but for a 85k 2001 I think that $5000 is too low. Especially dealer price (usually 20% higher) and in California (usually another 20% higher).
The only low is.. California. Gas prices and emissions rules (he has 4 special catalytic converters on that thing).
I would check to see if the front shaft is still in place - some do remove it with false hopes of better mpg.

PS: I paid $6300 four years ago for same 85k miles 2001 - to a private seller in VA! It was well worth it to me (compared to a v6). I get the same 12-14mph in city and 19-20mpg on highway. Lower on stop-and-go traffic or at speeds over 75mph. Right now I have an average of 17mpg on my console (mixed).

yeah, i was thinking that that was a dealer price after i posted, so obviously would be higher than a by-owner price. i bought my Ex's/Monty's off of Craigs List and would never buy from a dealer. current prices for by-owner V8's in the Atlanta area (AWD carries little/no premium here) are running around $1500-$2500. some are more, some are less and none have under 130K. i don't shy away from a vehicle that needs some work, as i'm perfectly capable of doing the repairs myself. i mainly look for vehicles that look good in/out and that don't have major engine or trans problems. i did state that prices differ by location (and i have no idea what CA prices are like). by-dealer vehicles in my area seem to top out at just under $4k

oh, and as far as missing front drive shafts, it's usually because the xfer case is f'd up.

 

[my98nnj]

I paid $2500 for a 98 XLT 6 years ago with only 58K on the clock. Yes, I stole it...

 

[koda2000]

i paid around $2,000 a piece for both of my '00 Mountaineer's last year (150K and 179K respectively) and both have turned out to be really good vehicles.