GMC Arcadia

[ajeep4u]

Durango is built more like a truck, as is evidenced by the Hemi that you can get in it and the 7400lb towing capacity.

Agreed, but it is a unibody now not a body on frame. Still I like that it is rwd based unlike the other crosovers. Hope they don't discontinue it before I can get one. Would love one with the hemi and 8speed.

[saidainc]

Toyota 4runner. WAY less depreciation but the exact same gas mileage. Higher torque, slightly higher power to weight ratio but slightly lower tow capacity (4700 vs. 5200)

[obski]

Many years ago I towed a I/O with a Toyota Sienna V6. The boat and trailer were close to the towing capacity, and ended up burning up the transmission.

I think it is important to get a tow vehicle with a towing capacity that far exceeds what you will be towing.

That info on the temp of the mid size GM SUVs is interesting.

[Falko]

Remember, beyond the driver, every pound you add to the vehicle, you have to take that off the two rating. Supposedly.

[WeekdayBoater]

Once again I appreciate the responses. Thanks

John

[85 Barefoot]

GM engines and trannys operate at 210 vs 190s in others. so the ambient temps in both the engine and tranny are higher as a result. Higher T gives you more P in the cylinder, which gives a little more P for hp/tq, slightly better fuel economy all things being equal vs a 190deg engine. bottom line is they run a hotter tune and they are more prone to overheat as a result of it.

I owned a GM Trailblazer, it ran at 210 and it liked to overheat. Take it to a dealership and they'd say its operating within spec.

Just do a quick Google search " GMC Acadia overheat" or on any of the GM SUVs. Its not till you get into larger GM trucks or larger SUVs, they spec larger radiators and tranny coolers from tow packages that they get past this and its not an issue. moreso affects midsize GM SUVs. I am sure now 25 guys will come on here butthurt how greats theirs tow that I said this, OP should go Google and research for himself. Good perhaps for a coupe short tows, robust towing, even in the 4-5klb range, no IMO.

My opinion, its a GM SUV related problem thats not seen like with Fords, Jeep and Toyota midsize SUVs. Ford 3.5L Eco Explorer, Jeep GC 5.7L, or others would trump IMO.

I'm not going to question whether the others are at 190 but higher temps creating more power, that discussion is interesting as ICE theory would seem to contradict that, but perhaps you're right, lets hash it out. Cooler air is more dense, which creates more power from the same air charge. While hot air can expand to be "bigger" by volume compared to lower temp air irequiring less volume or pressure, there is only so much compression (volume) that can be had in the cylinder, regardless of the temperature, so you want dense, cooler air, not hot air. Temperature of the air has zero effect on the volume of the air charge and in fact will yield LESS power than the same air charge with a lower temperature, because the lower temp is more dense. An intercooler is the perfect example of this. An intercooler cools the air prior to ingestion and combustion. Why? Power. If hotter air produced more power, they'd do the opposite or use an interheater. Would they not?

I did that GMC Acadia overheat search and all I found (granted, I did not read all 1,000 links, but the acadia forum was pretty reliable) were overheats when sitting at idle, all fixed by a new water pump. I found nothing suggesting there was an overheat issue when towing though I would concede acadias are not exactly thought of as towing workhorses. It goes without saying that a smaller engine has to work harder than a larger engine thus creating more heat but in the case of the acadia (of which I have owned two) the tow rating is limited by its unibody construction and chassis, not the cooling system. I have towed with our acadias (don't have either now) and they were nothing to write home about but I see no evidence on the web nor in my personal experience that an acadia has an inherent cooling insufficiency.

Edited January 22, 2015 by 85 Barefoot

[85 Barefoot]

But you would look at a Chevy The Durango would be a great choice, but is a whole other size class than you have been looking at.

Durango is not at all a whole other size class in fact its very similar if not smaller than an acadia.

[oldjeep]

Durango is not at all a whole other size class in fact its very similar if not smaller than an acadia.

Size class in terms of towing - ie not a minivan with conventional doors

[85 Barefoot]

Size class in terms of towing - ie not a minivan with conventional doors

Gotcha...I took a new durango home recently...wow, that 8 speed is SLICK!

[oldjeep]

Gotcha...I took a new durango home recently...wow, that 8 speed is SLICK!

I've heard good things about them. The 5/6ish speed in the older dodges are nice enough, can't imagine how smooth it must be with 8.

[TomH]

We tow with our 07 Outlook. Boat/trailer are in the 4500 realm with gas/gear. Most of our runs are 5-minutes to the ramp, but I do a couple 1-hour hauls, and a 2+ hour each summer. Frankly, it does pretty well for what it is - unibody, but it's pretty flat here in Minnesota too. Just make sure it has the factory tow package, as just slapping a hitch on many won't get you the full capacity.

Timing chain issues should be worked out on any of the newer models, and certain years of the older ones had an extended warranty to 120k miles to replace it if it blew up (ask me how I know...). It can be a bit of a gutless wonder occasionally, but I think that's as much the 6-speed tranny as anything - seems to hunt for gears more than I'd like and be slow to shift at times. Otherwise, it's a comfortable car to drive and rides nice. I'd go for the AWD if you're towing to keep some traction at the ramp.

I wish GM would bring back a truck-framed SUV in that size range like they had with the Trailblazer/Envoy, especially the extended versions, as I don't need a full size truck for our normal use.

[tgmind]

I try to buy local and like to buy american when it makes sense but when it comes to cars, buying american is a tough sell for me. I used to run an auto repair place and that gives you a very good understanding of the quality difference between different vehicles. Guess it depends what you value though. GM has the best features and gadgets in my opinion, Ford has really stepped up their styling and most models look very good, but if you want a reliable vehicle I think Toyota wins hands down based on my experience. I'm not trying to start a big discussion on brands but just saying in my experience (Have owned nearly every brand and ran repair shop) if you value, reliability and high quality build, you will be happier with a toyota. I am probably going to get railed for this post and not even sure why I'm promoting the brand so hard other than how happy I have been with my sequoia. I used to drive an escaIade and loved it! My wife has an Infiniti QX56 and she loves it but of those 3 there is a noticeable difference in drivetrain quality between the Sequoia and the others. Oh well, I'm just going to keep going now. My mother has a 02 toyota highlander with 170,000 miles and it still looks nearly new, even the interior looks fantastic She has never had any major issues. One of the things I like to do when buying a new car is to go look at an older high mileage car of the same model to see how they hold up. My 2002 tundra work truck had 223,000 miles and still ran and looked great when I stopped driving it. I really miss the luxury and gadgets of my escalade but when I go to the toyota dealer for oil change and they never say I need anything else I can deal without a few gadgets. I have 110,000miles, my 07 Avalanche transmission went out at 97,000. Guess I have just been looking for an excuse to tell someone about my experience with cars. I love cars, and don't hate any brand, they all have something good but driving a toyota makes it hard to consider buying another brand.

Here comes the part that actually relates to the OP. What about a 4 runner? or a lexus GX?

BTW, my wife fought me so hard on going to full size. She had a grand cherokee and loved it. She hated driving my full size SUVs but after having the QX56 for a while and getting used to it, I don't think she would go back to midsize. Having two car seats plays a role in that though.

whew, thanks for letting me get that out!

Oh and nobody has mentioned the headrest in the acadia/enclave/traverse. We rented an enclave once and It was pretty nice but dang that headrest was pushing my head forward to an uncomfortable position.

[oldjeep]

Oh and nobody has mentioned the headrest in the acadia/enclave/traverse. We rented an enclave once and It was pretty nice but dang that headrest was pushing my head forward to an uncomfortable position.

Welcome to the headrest in almost every modern vehicle.