What’s the best performance suv or truck for under 15k I know there is the Chevy trailblazer ss and the Jeep Grand Cherokee srt8 but I am having trouble finding anything else. Thanks
Those two seem like pretty good choices. Is there some reason you’d prefer something different than those two? I expect finding one that’s a good runner under $15 k is a challenge, but that’s going to be the case with other similar vehicles as well. Both Ford the Chevy pickups probably have performance versions, but no experience with either myself. I think the two you mention are where to focus your attention.
There isn’t one. Performance trucks under $15K aren’t best at anything unless you have $10K for repairs.
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First you want a fast car for under 12000.00 , then you ask about several Mustangs . Good grief , you are really making this difficult .
Just look at all the vehicle online for sale places you can find until you see something that appeals to you.
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Trailblazer SS’s are rare, and people that have them generally don’t sell them. A good one with decent mileage will probably be closer to $17k, with low mileage examples going for around $20k
Largely the same story with Grand Cherokee SRT8’s although the availability of the Durango SRT and Jeep Trackhawk helped drive down prices somewhat, but you’re still looking at around $20k for a good one.
There’s also the older GMC Typhoon which is super rare and the ones that are left are mostly collectors cars that will trade hands for over $30k. There’s the Explorer Sport, but those are going to be well out of your budget. The V6 RAV4 is probably not what you’re envisioning but, it’s a sleeper and you could get one for under $15k easily. There’s the ML 55 AMG, but for $15k, you’re not going to get the best of the breed and the repair costs (which a 20 year old Benz will require on a regular basis) will be dire. You’ll run into the same problem with a V8 X5 as well.
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You are going to need to either raise the budget or lower you expectations.
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What is your definition of performance?
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Fast like under 6 seconds and a V8 or a hopped up turbocharged version
I was a young man once who thought I had to have a fast, loud car, to both pump up my ego and impress my buddies.
I’m sure glad I got past that. Gets expensive quick.
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I hate repeating myself.
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And at that time there may not have been the penalty rates for vehicle insurance like there are now.
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I believe I’ve found the perfect vehicle, the 2017 Flying Dutchman. Costs about $14,000, seats 6 comfortably, 0-60 in 4.5 seconds, grips the road like glue, totally reliable, maintenance and insurance are dirt cheap and can be found wherever flying pigs are sold. 
Please forgive the attempt at humor but the reality is that what you’re looking for simply doesn’t and will probably never exist. GM, Ford, Landrover, Jaguar, Maserati and even Lamborghini all make or made incredible performance SUV’s but they were never cheap new or on the resale market so you have to make some compromises.
Is performance your priority? For acceleration I can think of several used cars that will go like a shot and fit your budget, likewise for handling several used sports cars come to mind…
But finding a SUV that can accelerate and/or handle like the above at your price point is like finding the mythical Flying Dutchman, ain’t gonna happen.
However the nice part is that once you organize your priorities, you’ll probably be quite happy with whatever you buy.
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You should also keep in mind that with a hopped up/turbocharged/go fast SUV that you are talking about a used vehicle and the prior owner (or plural) may have also enjoyed dropping the hammer on it. A lot.
That can easily lead to noticeable and not so noticeable problems; as in expensive repairs. My vote is with others who mention this being a bad idea.
Ever considered a Fox Body Mustang? Plentiful, reasonably priced, kind of quick stock, and are easily modified with a mountain of go fast parts available in the aftermarket. And they can look good with the right paint, wheels, body kit, and so on.
For what it’s worth, I’ve seen people show up at the drag strip with brand new cars that still had the dealer 30 day paper tag on them and they flogged those cars/trucks from the time the track opened until I left early around 10 P.M.
I doubt the future owners of those cars were told this when the cars were sold later on or the dealer was informed of it when someone went back demanding a warranty claim.
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+1
It seems that a lot (perhaps most?) of the people seeking cheap, used, performance cars don’t consider the likelihood that the previous owner(s) could have really beaten the engine and transmission to hell during the time that they owned it.
If the OP wants to experience frequent fast acceleration from a used performance vehicle, it is very likely that the people who owned it previously (there could well have been several owners of a vehicle that is now selling for only $15k) wanted to have the same experience, and that would have taken a major toll on the engine, transmission, and U-joints.
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A Dodge Durango R/T with the 5.7L hemi will be about as quick as you will find in your price range. I’d be surprised if a high mileage Durango will be anywhere near a 6 second 0-60 time though. More like 7.4 seconds and that was new.
Nope. I do not care for any suv. Hipo or not.
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If you find one that’s been modified for higher engine performance, make sure the appropriate suspension system modifications have been done as well. Otherwise vehicle handling could become unstable.
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That brought back memories. I knew a guy in college who had one thanks to a loosely-worded trust that provided for “a vehicle” but did not limit what kind or how much it could cost. That thing was a riot. Keeping up with Porsches in an SUV is something that never gets old.
They had some reliability problems if I recall, related to too much power, not enough driveline. But I’d still love to have one in my garage today.