View Full Version : Good SUV for towing
Eventually, we are looking at purchasing some kind of SUV after the wedding. It will be her daily driver, and our quad hauler on the weekend. I'm only talking about a small open trailer with two quads and gear at the most, so nothing really heavy.
I'd like to have something mid-sized, like a Grand Cherokee, 4runner, or possibly even an Xterra. I just don't know how good any of them would be for towing. Any suggestions?
k4f5x0r
08-05-2010, 12:55 PM
New or used?
I doubt it would be a brand new one, but probably something a year or two old.
yellowzo3
08-05-2010, 01:11 PM
We used a Tahoe for years and never had any problems. Towed 4 quads on an aluminum snowmobile trailer around 4 hours a weekend every week. Took it through woods, mud (not mud bogs, but mud :p), sand, never got stock.
Tons of room inside (we fit 4 people, food, and everyones gear with absolutely no problem) and the 5.3 engine is tough as nails.
I know its a little bigger than you were considering but Tahoe's are dime a dozen and you can pick one up for a good deal if you look around.
Kickstarts-suck
08-05-2010, 01:20 PM
Diesel Excursion :)
aDviSol2y
08-05-2010, 01:54 PM
I agree on the Tahoe! I currently have an '05. And I love it! The Tow mode is great. Its not just a take it out of overdrive mode. It actually raises the shift points so the tranny shifts less.
I have had an Xterra and I hated it. It was very top heavy. However it was a 2000, so Im not sure about the newer ones. I have also has a Nissan Frontier and I loved that truck. It towed very well. But make sure you keep up on the maitenance. My timing belt broke and I destroyed the valves. Sold it as is and bought the tahoe! Oh and Nissans get bad gas mileage. My V6 Frontier got only 16-18 mpg. My Tahoe gets the same with a V8.
Originally posted by Kickstarts-suck
Diesel Excursion :)
he said a couple years old, not 10 years old....:D
I have used 2 of the ones you mentioned. 4 runner and grand cherokee.
Cherokee did an awesome job but the fuel millage sucked so It wasn't the best for an everyday driver.
4 runner did fine and got better fuel millage.
ROTTY261
08-05-2010, 02:31 PM
4X4 5.3L Tahoe or Yukon all day.
16 - 19 MPG in the city and about the same towing a little trailer like you described on the highway.
19 - 25 on the highway depending on how heavy your foot is!
BlaineKaiser450
08-05-2010, 02:35 PM
Originally posted by Kickstarts-suck
Diesel Excursion :) My first choice!
But my mom has a Chrysler Aspen with the 5.7 hemi, and it has towed things for us very well. I would definatly reccomend it, and when you want to go fast, it'l do that too haha
k4f5x0r
08-05-2010, 03:38 PM
2006 jeep liberty CRD limited.
Diesel jeep=win
fastredrider44
08-05-2010, 03:40 PM
I'll agree on Tahoe. They will go many miles, and they are plentiful and cheap.
Tahoe or explorer/expedition if you want a larger truck.
Smaller I would recommend a Toyota 4Runner.
DO NOT BUY A GRAND CHEROKEE, period. junk..
buck440
08-05-2010, 04:07 PM
Originally posted by k4f5x0r
2006 jeep liberty CRD limited.
Diesel jeep=win
when did jeep start putting diesel motors in? kinda cool but bet the motor sux.
Originally posted by buck440
when did jeep start putting diesel motors in? kinda cool but bet the motor sux.
Short while like 00-04 or something like that iirc.
aDviSol2y
08-05-2010, 04:29 PM
Originally posted by ROTTY261
4X4 5.3L Tahoe or Yukon all day.
16 - 19 MPG in the city and about the same towing a little trailer like you described on the highway.
19 - 25 on the highway depending on how heavy your foot is!
25 going down hill with the wind pushing you. I get about 15 in town and 19-20 on the hwy, and I don't get into it unless I have to.
k4f5x0r
08-05-2010, 04:34 PM
Originally posted by buck440
when did jeep start putting diesel motors in? kinda cool but bet the motor sux.
they had them 04-06 i think. Extremely solid cars. my dad has 140k going strong and has done nothing but minor work. Glow plugs and oil changes.
Can't wait until i get it next year.
EDIT: oh and for the motors, They arent junk at all. Most people who take wranglers to rock crawl and stuff like that, try to find wrecked CRD limited jeeps for the motors.
also jeep didnt build these motors themselves, they had a company build them, cant remember who.
BlaineKaiser450
08-05-2010, 05:20 PM
Originally posted by k4f5x0r
they had them 04-06 i think. Extremely solid cars. my dad has 140k going strong and has done nothing but minor work. Glow plugs and oil changes.
Can't wait until i get it next year.
EDIT: oh and for the motors, They arent junk at all. Most people who take wranglers to rock crawl and stuff like that, try to find wrecked CRD limited jeeps for the motors.
also jeep didnt build these motors themselves, they had a company build them, cant remember who. wow that sounds awesome! I can't belive I haven't heard of a diesel Jeep before, I'll have to check them out
k4f5x0r
08-05-2010, 05:25 PM
Originally posted by BlaineKaiser450
wow that sounds awesome! I can't belive I haven't heard of a diesel Jeep before, I'll have to check them out
Its a 4 cyl inline Turbo diesel. Worst turbo lag until it hits about 2500 RPM's, then it gets fun :devil:
its a common rail diesel built by some italian company iirc
Hondamaster5505
08-05-2010, 06:38 PM
Grand Cherokee.. for sure.
Especially if you get it with the 5.7:devil:
Yes, they have a LOT of bull**** problems... but they are some of the nicest riding, luxurious SUV's I have ever driven in. It's almost worth the problems.. Plus with the V8's they're pretty quick.
Originally posted by Hondamaster5505
Grand Cherokee.. for sure.
Especially if you get it with the 5.7:devil:
Yes, they have a LOT of bull**** problems... but they are some of the nicest riding, luxurious SUV's I have ever driven in. It's almost worth the problems.. Plus with the V8's they're pretty quick.
The Jeep was actually my first choice, but not if they are buggy. She drives 30 minutes to and from work, and has a heavy foot. The last thing I want is something unreliable. The 4runner is looking mighty appeasing after doing a little research.
Quad18star
08-05-2010, 07:03 PM
Come on Dustin .... why even mess with domestic .... buy her a Toyota. :p
After we get married , Mel wants to buy an SUV .... we've been looking at the Toyota Highlander and the Toyota Sequoia.
XBLASTERRACERX
08-05-2010, 07:44 PM
Don't forget about theHummer 2 and the Hummer 3 Alpha
Hondamaster5505
08-05-2010, 07:58 PM
Originally posted by Scro
The Jeep was actually my first choice, but not if they are buggy. She drives 30 minutes to and from work, and has a heavy foot. The last thing I want is something unreliable. The 4runner is looking mighty appeasing after doing a little research.
Their engines are GREAT, even the 4.7's. They'll run forever. It's the other stuff that bugs out. (Electrical interior stuff, etc)
Originally posted by Hondamaster5505
Their engines are GREAT, even the 4.7's. They'll run forever. It's the other stuff that bugs out. (Electrical interior stuff, etc)
Exactly, and when that crap goes its big bucks to fix cause it keeps on going and breaking. Worst the trans will bust up, my buddy lives on jeeps trans failing lol. Some never have issues, others its like the demon from hell.
Id rather the 5.3L in a tahoe or 4.6L exploder or even 5.4L expedition if you need a v8. A tahoe is much more luxurious than a jeep will ever be imho.
Canadian144
08-05-2010, 08:29 PM
I guess you guys all forgot that they also put the Diesel in the Grand Cherokee? In all trim levels!
It's a turbo 6 cylinder diesel I believe. Makes like 225hp but a lot more torque. The motor is built by Mercedes Benz, this was a product of the Daimler-Benz relation. Supposed to be one of the best Jeep's made...
Hondamaster5505
08-05-2010, 08:37 PM
Originally posted by CJM
Exactly, and when that crap goes its big bucks to fix cause it keeps on going and breaking. Worst the trans will bust up, my buddy lives on jeeps trans failing lol. Some never have issues, others its like the demon from hell.
Id rather the 5.3L in a tahoe or 4.6L exploder or even 5.4L expedition if you need a v8. A tahoe is much more luxurious than a jeep will ever be imho.
haha yup. So far out heater system broke (The crappy doors are cheap as hell) the transmission output sensor went out, has a major vacuum leak, Throttle position sensor is going, and that's it right now.
All nickle and dime stuff, just a pain in the ***.
Ours has the towing package, so it has the extra trans cooler. It's still going strong at 112k with no signs of wearing out.
2001 GC limited btw.
It's so worth it to fix them though. Such a smooth vehicle.
k4f5x0r
08-05-2010, 08:39 PM
Originally posted by Canadian144
I guess you guys all forgot that they also put the Diesel in the Grand Cherokee? In all trim levels!
It's a turbo 6 cylinder diesel I believe. Makes like 225hp but a lot more torque. The motor is built by Mercedes Benz, this was a product of the Daimler-Benz relation. Supposed to be one of the best Jeep's made...
One in the same that Im talking about. Its a 4 cyl though not a 6.
HondaRacing83
08-05-2010, 08:44 PM
a vibe/matrix is the way to go!theyll haul a semi-............jkin haha there the weakest cars you can get!but they get great gas mileage
Canadian144
08-05-2010, 08:49 PM
Originally posted by k4f5x0r
One in the same that Im talking about. Its a 4 cyl though not a 6.
Ahh right on. I hear there beasts for towing though, and get pretty good MPG.
Originally posted by Quad18star
Come on Dustin .... why even mess with domestic .... buy her a Toyota. :p
After we get married , Mel wants to buy an SUV .... we've been looking at the Toyota Highlander and the Toyota Sequoia.
I've almost given up on domestics. The last two trucks I've had have been Fords, and both were nothing but constant trouble. I'm driving an Accord back and forth to work now, and it hasn't missed a beat.
The Highlander's are nice, but I don't think they would do any good towing. Sequoia is way too big for her:p . She does good to keep her Mercury Cougar between the lines.
Originally posted by Hondamaster5505
haha yup. So far out heater system broke (The crappy doors are cheap as hell) the transmission output sensor went out, has a major vacuum leak, Throttle position sensor is going, and that's it right now.
All nickle and dime stuff, just a pain in the ***.
Ours has the towing package, so it has the extra trans cooler. It's still going strong at 112k with no signs of wearing out.
2001 GC limited btw.
It's so worth it to fix them though. Such a smooth vehicle.
That I will agree they do drive really nice.
ryansblaster
08-05-2010, 11:15 PM
we have a 2004 trailblazer and love it. we use it to pull our trailer at least once a week and it does great. 115k miles and never had any problems with it.
fastredrider44
08-05-2010, 11:21 PM
Originally posted by Scro
The last two trucks I've had have been Fords
This is why you don't like domestics.
I do like the 4 runners though.
mxduner
08-06-2010, 12:56 AM
I agree the tahoe would be a great fit, especially if they came with the 5.3 hybrid motor used in the newer trucks.athough not on your list.
about the jeep gc, When i worked for a towing company, EVERYTIME i got a call for a jump start, before getting to the call i would cringe, as everytime it had nothing to do with needing a jump start. The whole time i would have to listen to the customer complain about ALL the problems they had with them. It really sucked to have to diagnose there problems for time restraints as i got paid for the call. If you go that route, i hope it does work out though. as your other choices, i don't have any knowledge on them.
^ You sound just like me, I have this happen daily when Im doing towing.
01 400EXer
08-06-2010, 08:46 AM
If you like your Honda, look at the Honda Pilot. I think they are nice for what they are and get decent gas milage.
preddy brian
08-06-2010, 09:39 AM
I agree with above. If you like your accord, look at the Pilot. I'm on my 2cd Pilot and we love this one. We had an '05 that we really liked until we bought our '09. My wife loves this thing, and I like the Honda reliability. On the '09 touring, it comes ready to tow. I have a 12ft flat trailer w/2 quads and it tows just fine. Maybe something worth checking into. And resale value is great for when you want to get rid of it, too.
Quad18star
08-06-2010, 09:51 AM
Originally posted by Scro
I've almost given up on domestics. The last two trucks I've had have been Fords, and both were nothing but constant trouble. I'm driving an Accord back and forth to work now, and it hasn't missed a beat.
The Highlander's are nice, but I don't think they would do any good towing. Sequoia is way too big for her:p . She does good to keep her Mercury Cougar between the lines.
If you go with the V6 , it has a 5000lb towing capacity ....the 4 cylinder has a 3500lb capacity. I think that's more than some trucks . LOL
aDviSol2y
08-06-2010, 10:04 AM
Originally posted by Quad18star
Come on Dustin .... why even mess with domestic .... buy her a Toyota. :p
After we get married , Mel wants to buy an SUV .... we've been looking at the Toyota Highlander and the Toyota Sequoia.
I drove a Sequoia before I bought the Tahoe. It felt like a bucket of bolts running down the road. Doors were paper thin, and it was very uncomfortable.
wrekd
08-07-2010, 01:31 AM
Originally posted by aDviSol2y
I drove a Sequoia before I bought the Tahoe. It felt like a bucket of bolts running down the road. Doors were paper thin, and it was very uncomfortable.
x2...All imports feel like that to me.
I vote Tahoe. Even if you do have problems down the road GM's parts interchangibility is great.
finsteratv
08-09-2010, 11:58 AM
ford explorer or expedition.
you cant go wrong with a ford or a 96 explorer.
01 400EXer
08-09-2010, 12:38 PM
I have an 06 Expedition and absolutely love it and would not trade it for anything SUV related. Sure it is a gas guzzler, but on the highway I can avg. around 18-20 mpg. It is a daily driver for my wife but it only gets driven about 25 miles round trip so fuel economy was not a concern for me. It has the 5.4 V-8 which has great power and torque as well as very spacious inside and with the power 3rd row fold flat seat obtaining that space is great.
When I test drive cars/suv/trucks I see if they can handle my driving style which is very aggressive (live in the country and lots of back road driving) and in an SUV I did not like how the others I test drove felt, the rear end felt like it was going to whip around if I took a turn to hard. The Ford to me stayed on the road and I felt like I had control unlike the Tahoe, just did not have a firm enough suspension for me. Keep in mind I did not test drive a Tahoe Z71 (I think they have stiffer suspension) because I was not going to fork out that much dough for a large SUV so I did not even consider.
So basically it may boil down to what you want the SUV to provide you along with the towing capabilities.
johnnyquad17
08-09-2010, 05:44 PM
I had a 05 4runner 4.7 v-8 and loved it. I sold it with 99k and had 0 problems. Can easily tow what u need and still get good milage.
Jeeps are very unreliable. Good luck!
01 400EXer
08-09-2010, 08:46 PM
For a mid size SUV the 4-Runner would be a great option, even the 6 cylinder. As my personal truck I have a Toyota T-100, pre Tundra with the 3.4 V6. The way the truck is geared, it can carry it's own weight and haul plenty to go with it. My dad originally purchased it as a farm truck to pull the cattle trailer and anything up to medium duty we wanted to haul.
FWIW all 4wd toyotas are geared for immense torque pretty much. Thats how they can haul tons and tons of junk with ease.
pizmo 400ex
08-09-2010, 10:24 PM
I have a z-71 avalanche, and it tows great. Gas mileage is the same as a tahoe basically. You basically get the same amount of seating room as a tahoe, plus a bed. I could fit my yfz450r in.
jcv400ex
08-11-2010, 04:03 PM
Ford Explorer all the way. Sooo comfortable and they haul great. I have had 2 4x4's on a trailer and it towed great. Only thing I've had to replace with my Explorers are brakes, tires, wheel bearings. Excellent vehicles.
Regular_Joe
08-11-2010, 05:07 PM
I had a Mercury Mountaineer (same as ford explorer) with a factory towing package and the v8. Worked great with my parents 6x12 enclosed trailer with a couple quads and a dirtbike inside.
scuzz
08-12-2010, 01:46 PM
Anything GM with the 5.3 you can't go wrong. I've made threads and rants before about the Ford 5.4 being a **** motor to work on, other than their motor I liked everything else OK.
Never had any expereince with the Toyota SUV's. I do have a 2004 TRD Tacoma though, the V-6 will pull a trailer, but you will wish you had the bigger motors of the newer Tacomas. Of course it's been uber reliable, but then so has my wife's Suburban.
If I was to get an SUV now it would be a GM Tahoe or Yukon. Great reliability and great interior.
wrekd
08-13-2010, 12:10 AM
The only thing that sucks about the Explorer is if you ever needed to rent a trailer from U-Haul, they won't let you. It could be a brand new one right off the showroom and they'll still send ya right back out the door. All because of that Firestone Tire problem they had a while back.
Quad18star
08-13-2010, 12:26 AM
Dustin ... the choice is simple .. you either go with a Toyota Highlander or a Ford Exploder...... my recommendation... you're getting married ... don't buy an Exploder unless she has very good life insurance. :p
jcv400ex
08-15-2010, 11:14 AM
Originally posted by Quad18star
Dustin ... the choice is simple .. you either go with a Toyota Highlander or a Ford Exploder...... my recommendation... you're getting married ... don't buy an Exploder unless she has very good life insurance. :p
No comparision! A 4wd Toyota Camry vs a Ford Explorer???
I'd buy a Nissan before the Toyota!
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