Looking for a new vehicle, possibly a tow vehicle.

[thcole]

My wife had her 2010 Chevy Equinox die and needs to be replaced, and I am debating what to do. I currently have a Silverado that I tow everything with and I love my truck, but I also have a Chrysler 300 that I use for a daily driver.

I am debating trading in my truck and her Equinox and getting a SUV that she could drive and I could also use for my truck needs (towing the boat, other small trailers and other light hauling). I have a 2005 AR230 that I am guessing towing weight around 5300lbs.

She is looking into the Honda Pilot, but I don't think it will tow the boat well. She does not really want a big SUV though, so I don't really know what I should look for.

I am looking for recommendations. Anything? Anything?

 

[PEARCE]

I don't know how often you tow your boat around or how far when you tow, but a Pilot wouldn't cut it. I'm thinking the smallest SUV that has the capability is a Jeep Grand Cherokee with a Hemi. I personally would look at the Durango with the slightly longer wheelbase for better towing stability. That's my $0.02!

 

[thcole]

I really only tow it 4 times a year. It is about an hour drive, 50 miles to camp to put it in the water. Then maybe a longer trip to a different rental lake house every once in a while.

 

[swatski]

New(er) Durango, or GC.

Or any of the 3.0 TDIs/ecodiesels.

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[Mainah]

I am proably sounding like a broken record at this point but a Durango R/T or Citadel with the 5.7 Hemi fits the bill pretty well without going all the way to a half ton chassis. We had a Citadel and now have an R/T. The R/T tows smoother than my 1/2 ton truck in fact. The R/T is fun to drive, comfy and has been very reliable for us. The down side to not going true full size is if weighed down with family, gear, and the boat you would be pushing the capacity close to the max, particlularly if you have heavier passengers in the third row.

I will likely always own a truck and in a couple of years we won’t have the need for a third row so at that point we will likely be looking at at sports cars.

 

[Beachbummer]

I tow the sx230 with my pilot for short distances and infrequently. I know it's back there, but its sufficient. The boat is supposed to weigh 3300lbs. (Plus trailer)

My pilot is 2008 awd.

It's my time to replace it (150k miles) and I've decided to keep it instead. We like the boxy look vs the bubble, but tahoe/expedition/sequioia is just too big for what we need it. I'm hoping it lasts another 2 years. It's been extremely dependable so far. It really is my wife's vehicle, but it's also the tow car in the house.

It squats quite a bit while towing. Suspension air bags should fix that this year.

I'm interested in finding out what you decide. After very bad luck with chrysler products I will not be going back to them any time soon. Maybe to my detriment, but once bitten twice smitten.

 

[Peelz]

I am not a fan of towing with unibody based vehicles, especially on highway. I suggest look for BOF vehicles. (body on frame) Most, if not all smaller SUV's are just small cars with lift kits now, I believe Durangos and Cherokees(same vehicle basically) are the only holdouts..? 5300 lbs is quite a bit for any unibody(opinion). Big SUVS still have frames(but not honda).

I was sad when Nissan started building their pathfinder this way in 2013, that was the vehicle we were shopping for. So we bought a used 2012 model. It is one of the better towing(or just all around) machines Iv'e owned, short of a full size heavy duty truck of course.. the 2013+ look like big Hyundai acccents. We will keep this truck until it completely dies. Tow boat, and still hauls 7 people, or drives across the country with ease. Driven it to South Florida, New Orleans, Gulf Shores...

My realistic advice:

check the tow rating of whatever vehicle you may purchase, it should be placarded on the production info in the door jam. there are variances across each vehicle. For instance, my dodge dakota is kitted out with every single tow option taking me to 7000+ lbs vs 4800 base (I think, don't quote me)

 

[Beachbummer]

Durango and Grand cherokee were the first to switch to unibody, but a totally different class entirely. Our 2002 v8 limited with quadra trac was Awesome otherwise, but an unscheduled repair per year, culminating with new transmission and gear case at 90k was enough to push us over to the pilot. Freaking tank compared, from a reliability perspective.

 

[swatski]

I am not a fan of towing with unibody based vehicles, especially on highway. I suggest look for BOF vehicles. (body on frame) Most, if not all smaller SUV's are just small cars with lift kits now, I believe Durangos and Cherokees(same vehicle basically) are the only holdouts..? 5300 lbs is quite a bit for any unibody(opinion). Big SUVS still have frames(but not honda).

I was sad when Nissan started building their pathfinder this way in 2013, that was the vehicle we were shopping for. So we bought a used 2012 model. It is one of the better towing(or just all around) machines Iv'e owned, short of a full size heavy duty truck of course.. the 2013+ look like big Hyundai acccents. We will keep this truck until it completely dies. Tow boat, and still hauls 7 people, or drives across the country with ease. Driven it to South Florida, New Orleans, Gulf Shores...

My realistic advice:

check the tow rating of whatever vehicle you may purchase, it should be placarded on the production info in the door jam. there are variances across each vehicle. For instance, my dodge dakota is kitted out with every single tow option taking me to 7000+ lbs vs 4800 base (I think, don't quote me)

That is probably true but more so when highway towing only, or hauling a RV. When trailering boats, with boats come ramps. Having launched with just about anything - from woefully inadequate (I'll take the fifth here) to some large U-Haul trucks and everything in between - I tend to appreciate the importance of (AWD) traction control going up a ramp.
I will take a new(er) hemi/ecodiesel GC or Durnago or a Q7 TDI going up a nasty ramp over most any 2x4 trucks, and many 4x4s, too.

My 0.02

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[Peelz]

That is probably true but more so when highway towing only, or hauling a RV. When trailering boats, with boats come ramps. Having launched with just about anything - from woefully inadequate (I'll take the fifth here) to some large U-Haul trucks and everything in between - I tend to appreciate the importance of (AWD) traction control going up a ramp.
I will take a new(er) hemi/ecodiesel GC or Durnago or a Q7 TDI going up a nasty ramp over most any 2x4 trucks, and many 4x4s, too.

My 0.02

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totally agree on highway vs short haul... Tried to explain it to my bro in law, who owns a rav 4, who wondered if he could own a boat. checked his manual 3500lbs i think.... sure, he could. They live in town, maybe 4 miles from the river. Towing about 15 city blocks. I said go for it, just not HUGE. a 190 would be swell for them. But taking for a long trip, may be hard on the car, and unsafe in certain situations.

basically, anywhere i go, its highway... so i need a bit more. just always dislike when towing, the feeling of the trailer being in control. Iv'e towed with plenty of inadequate vehicles. When my family's lake property started getting close during the flood of 93.. and we heard a levee was being topped, and may break.... I raced down and towed out about 5 trailers for them and their neighbors.... one was a 7000 lb camper with a 4 cylinder Chevy blazer and fast too. lol Dumb but had to be done, and it worked.

Plus, for about 15 years i towed 3 quads ALL over this land with my reg cab 4 cyl nissan Frontier. and Id do it again. lol

 

[Mainah]

I am proably sounding like a broken record at this point but a Durango R/T or Citadel with the 5.7 Hemi fits the bill pretty well without going all the way to a half ton chassis. We had a Citadel and now have an R/T. The R/T tows smoother than my 1/2 ton truck in fact. The R/T is fun to drive, comfy and has been very reliable for us. The down side to not going true full size is if weighed down with family, gear, and the boat you would be pushing the capacity close to the max, particlularly if you have heavier passengers in the third row.

I will likely always own a truck and in a couple of years we won’t have the need for a third row so at that point we will likely be looking at at sports cars.

A couple of clarifications. 7.4k lb tow rating on the RWD Durango Citadel and R/T. My R/T is AWD which drops the rating to 7.2k LBS. The engine, brakes, suspension and more are all beefier on these vs the other Durango models. All of that said The Durango has only hauled the boat twice on short distances and the rest of my towing is with a 1/2 ton Ram with 5.7l.

I know lots of folks push the limit on tow ratings with success. It is never something I would personally do especially with my family to think about. I also have a poor opinion of folks that knowingly or unknowingly take risks with towing as they are putting myself and others at risk when we on the road with them. Sorry off my soap box now.

Good Luck finding what fits your needs @thcole

 

[Julian]

This is the thread that I began on this very same topic....

https://jetboaters.net/threads/need-a-new-tow-vehicle-as-audi-will-be-buying-back-my-q7-tdi-what-do-you-have.12524/#post-216978

I'm still not sure what I'll get in December, but I've narrowed it down to:

1. Buy back my Audi diesel after they fix it (laugh all the way to the bank)
2. GMC Yukon Denali XL
3. Cadillac Escalade EXT

 

[spatty99]

If you have over 100k in the budget, I would check out a Mercedes GLS63. 7500# towing at rocket speeds.

 

[Betik]

There was a hole thread about towing with a Pilot and the overwhelming feedback was NO. And so I had to trade in my 3 month old Honda Pilot for v8f150

 

[Beachbummer]

You have a 24ft boat right? Recent pilot can tow on paper 5000lbs.

Whether more conservative drivers trust that is one thing, and if you are over that also adds to the concern.

Everything is a safety tradeoff. (As long as the weight is under the manufacturer maximum) depending on miles driven and frequency, some may be comfortable towing a 4.990 load on the pilot.

 

[Betik]

That is for 4wd models with the transmission cooler and only 2 occupants and no language.

Also you got to make sure that the dual tank of the boat is empty ......

I still miss my Pilot .... the f150 rides like a tank but it tows like a train

 

[2kwik4u]

Fullsize pickup/SUV is where it's at IMO. I've owned both midsize (S10, Trailblazer, Traverse) SUVs/Trucks, and Fullsize (GMC Yukon and Sierra) SUV's/Trucks.......The penalty for the fullsize is TINY compared to the midsize. Fuel usage is about the same, maintenance is about the same, purchase price is about the same. Total cost out of pocket is the same for all intents and purposes. The increased capability of the fullsize platform is priceless. There is ZERO concern of maintaining speed in traffic, stopping in traffic, or having to adjust plans to only travel in the morning/evening to keep the vehicle from overheating.

The only hiccup is fitting in parking spaces in the parking garage I frequent. It's not a big concern, but it is one. In every other aspect I can think of, the larger vehicle is a better solution to the problem at hand. I'll never go back.

 

[Beachbummer]

Those are great points, from your first hand experience, which makes them even more valid. I humbly disagree on the cost area. Similarly equipped vehicles seem to be 8-20k higher in mid side vs full size on ford and Toyota options. It's not a fair compare because they are different cars, but the price difference does exist.

Explorer vs expediton 4wd limited 44k vs 63k. I don't know how many they sell at those prices, but at least on list price there is a significant difference.

Since I am also at the research stage figuring out what to do with our pilot long term, I'm very interested in this conversation. I very much appreciate the opportunity to discuss your experiences.

 

[djetok]

Most of the time on short hauls the towing part is not a problem, its the stopping. Especially in a emergency situation, highway or surface streets.

 

[blacksapphirez]

I have towed with a Mercedes GLE & GLS but doesn't even come CLOSE to towing with my truck. It sways a lot and i don't feel comfortable with it.