SUV, tow vehicle?

Marty Howard · **Posted:** Mon Mar 15, 2004 3:38 pm

I can not believe how hard of a time I am finding a new vehicle with all the choices out there. My criteria is pretty simple. Reliable with seating for 7, AWD or 4WD, towing of at least 5000 lbs, and not the size of a school bus, all for about $35K. That’s just not as easy as it seems though.
• The Honda Pilot can only tow 3500 lbs
• The third row seat in the Toyota 4Runner is a Joke
• The Sequoia is $50-$60K.
• I don’t know if I trust the Isuzu or Mitsubishi trucks (Especially the Trailblazer re-badges)
• The Durango is plain dangerous with the wheel bearing and engine fire problems.
• My wife will not go for a Ford.
• The Trailblazer has had a terrible first year rating with Cylinder sleeves and other problems.

So right now that leaves the Tahoe based vehicles, or the Suburban. I think they are good vehicles, but they are huge. So are there any that I am missing? Anyone have experience with the Ascender with the 5.3?

DickRasmussen · **Posted:** Mon Mar 15, 2004 3:57 pm

Marty,

The only thing left that I know of that isn't huge but does have awd and 5K towing is the AWD Chevy Astro Van. I think the design is "mature"

Seating for seven in a relatively small package implies small van since space isn't "wasted" with a long hood.

Adam Ligon · **Posted:** Mon Mar 15, 2004 4:01 pm

Well it seems like some of your wants are mutually exclusive. Seat 7 but not big?

Also the Toyota Sequoia is as big as the Tahoe, which is about 2ft shorter than the Suburban. It sounds like the Tahoe is really your only choice from your list.

And as for the Astro vans they have about the worst reliablilty ever recorded for a motor vehicle.

DickRasmussen · **Posted:** Mon Mar 15, 2004 4:02 pm

Marty,

Also, if the reason for awd is "snow/ice" traction, you might be better off just getting a dedicated set of real snow/ice tires on separate wheels for the winter months. They are better than awd on normal tires in snow/ice.

DickRasmussen · **Posted:** Mon Mar 15, 2004 4:05 pm

Adam Ligon wrote:

And as for the Astro vans they have about the worst reliablilty ever recorded for a motor vehicle.

Bummer.

Well, at least lots of people should know what goes wrong and how to fix them

I bet I've owned worse (Studebaker, Lotus)

Marty Howard · **Posted:** Mon Mar 15, 2004 4:12 pm

BTW, We've looked at the Armada Briefly. We are going to look at it closer, but it's expensive and HUGE. It is still in the running and looks promising.

Phil Wehman · **Posted:** Mon Mar 15, 2004 4:32 pm

I'm on exactly the same quest this month. We're down to the Trailblazer XLT and the Explorer. Is the trouble with the Trailblazer sleeves on the newer in-line 6 or the V8? Drove both the I6 and V8 yesterday. V8 much more pleasant as it doesn't shift nearly as much on the highway.

Both Explorer and Chevy can be loaded up very nicely for your price and tow 5000 and seat 7. On the surface, the Chevy is bigger and has much more power but its suspension really makes it feel like it's floating. The Ford quality seems better, and the suspension is significantly better. I think I'd have to go with V8 to have any hope of towing power, though. I'm going to look at the Mercury Moutaineer this week - you can actually option one up for less than a loaded Explorer, but just have to get past the looks.

Marty Howard · **Posted:** Mon Mar 15, 2004 4:56 pm

Adam Ligon wrote:

Well it seems like some of your wants are mutually exclusive. Seat 7 but not big?

The Pilot, Hylander, and 4runner seat 7. They are all
about the same size. The 4Runner can tow 5000. The problem is the rear seat is a joke that was nothing more than a after thought.

the Pilot is a great size, it just has pathetic towing for an SUV,
mostly because its a unibody vehicle based off a car chassis.

The Durangos, Trailblazer, Ascender, and such meet all the
criteria except reliability. The Trailblazers have had a horrible
first year, and the Durangos all need to be recalled.

Quote:

Is the trouble with the Trailblazer sleeves on the newer in-line 6 or the V8?

The I6 vehicles only as far as I know. The new 5.3 in the Isuzu is an unknown.

AndersGreen · **Posted:** Mon Mar 15, 2004 5:08 pm

Marty Howard wrote:

My criteria... Reliable with seating for 7, AWD or 4WD, towing of at least 5000 lbs, and not the size of a school bus

I don't understand. You and your wife, and your five children, are going mudding, and you want to pull two and a half tons behind you, and it has to be small.

:?:

*grin*

Perhaps if we knew what you were trying to do, we could suggest alternate parameters....

I don't know anyone with a seven seat capacity _need_ myself, but maybe you're the first!

Anders

jimpastorius · **Posted:** Mon Mar 15, 2004 5:12 pm

Marty Howard wrote:

My criteria is pretty simple. Reliable with seating for 7, AWD or 4WD, towing of at least 5000 lbs, and not the size of a school bus, all for about $35K.

Well, a pickup truck fits the criteria. You sure do see enough of them with 8 or so people piled in the back :lol:

Marty Howard · **Posted:** Mon Mar 15, 2004 5:37 pm

[quote="AndersGreen]
I don't understand. You and your wife, and your five children, are going mudding, and you want to pull two and a half tons behind you, and it has to be small.
:?:

*grin*
[/quote]

Exactly... :lol:

Quote:

Perhaps if we knew what you were trying to do, we could suggest alternate parameters....

Here's the deal,

We have both a car w/trailer to tow, and soon another boat. We also have at least a tight 5 (for those who have child car seats understands they take up more than one 'spot') and many times 6 people to carry at least once every other week, if not once a week. Right now we have to take 2 cars each time. While I know there is no way this can be small, there's a big difference between small and HUGE.

Aaron Buckley · **Posted:** Mon Mar 15, 2004 5:48 pm

Have you considered a full sized van from Chevy? Lots of room, good power, excellent towing, and can seat 8 comfortably. Plus, you have options galore like picking the rear end gearing you want, LSD, etc. Sure, it doesn't have the 'prestige' of a SUV, but they're practically giving them away these days. - AB

Marty Howard · **Posted:** Mon Mar 15, 2004 6:05 pm

Aaron Buckley wrote:

Have you considered a full sized van from Chevy? Lots of room, good power, excellent towing, and can seat 8 comfortably. Plus, you have options galore like picking the rear end gearing you want, LSD, etc. Sure, it doesn't have the 'prestige' of a SUV, but they're practically giving them away these days. - AB

Actually, I have looked at them, and they are not a bad deal.

BUT,

They are even bigger than a Suburban, and I haven't seen and AWD drive model yet.

shawnwhipple · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 6:28 pm **Posts:** 603

I don't get dislike about big? You obviously need something big. The bigger vehicle you buy the happier you will be.

I say screw all the left wing, enviromorons and get a Diesel Excursion.

Seriously Nissan Armadas are cool and stickered almost within your price range. With some serious negotiating you should be able to get what you want.

Diane Hall · **Posted:** Mon Mar 15, 2004 8:20 pm

I like my Tahoe (most of the time) but it doesn't seat 7 and has been questionably reliable. Had some problems last year, but maybe that's normal for a 6 yr old Chevy? It's not HUGE. The only issues I have parking it is in the lots where all the spaces are "compact" even if that wasn't the intent. Even then it fits, you just have to be careful about swinging in and you might have to exit through the rear doors.

Good Luck.

ps - don't get less than a V8. towing isn't as much fun with a I6 (and I have to assume a V6). also, get the most towing capacity you reasonably can. my Cherokee I6 4.0L had a towing capacity of 5000 lbs, suposedly, but it sure struggled with a load of 3500 lbs (max), and forget air conditioning in the summer. towing 2 or 3 times a year would have been fine I think, but 15+ times a year would have given it a much shorter life span. YMMV.

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