Help with smaller tow vehicle options

[shawndoggy]

6 minutes ago, oldjeep said:

Yes, body on frame - but you'll have to buy one that is 5-10 years older to be in the same price range as the other options. 

Yep. And while the early 00s LCs were pretty nice by the standards of their day, they seem pretty antiquated and anemic by today’s standards. I just did 500 miles in my father in laws one owner super low miles 2000 LC and it felt pretty old. It’d be a hoot if you are into off-roading but other than that... not so sure. 

How about a modern (ish) QX80? https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inventorylisting/viewDetailsFilterViewInventoryListing.action?zip=73301&maxPrice=29000&showNegotiable=true&sourceContext=carGurusHomePage_false_0&distance=500&entitySelectingHelper.selectedEntity=d2248#listing=241204427

[Asmodeus2112]

This is logical. I'm not a big fan of the Expedition, but it does check a lot of boxes.

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inventorylisting/viewDetailsFilterViewInventoryListing.action?sourceContext=forSaleTab_false_0&newSearchFromOverviewPage=true&inventorySearchWidgetType=AUTO&entitySelectingHelper.selectedEntity=c24449&entitySelectingHelper.selectedEntity2=c25890&zip=78759&distance=50&searchChanged=true&modelChanged=false&filtersModified=true#listing=240491220_isFeatured

[shawndoggy]

6 minutes ago, Asmodeus2112 said:

This is logical. I'm not a big fan of the Expedition, but it does check a lot of boxes.

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inventorylisting/viewDetailsFilterViewInventoryListing.action?sourceContext=forSaleTab_false_0&newSearchFromOverviewPage=true&inventorySearchWidgetType=AUTO&entitySelectingHelper.selectedEntity=c24449&entitySelectingHelper.selectedEntity2=c25890&zip=78759&distance=50&searchChanged=true&modelChanged=false&filtersModified=true#listing=240491220_isFeatured

certainly worth driving one if it's local.  

[UWSkier]

8 hours ago, RyanB said:

If your wife like amenities (and I don't blame her) is she really going to be happy with a 10 year old vehicle?

I spent the last two years in a 2008 Lexus RX400 (obviously not a tow vehicle) as my winter/seeing customer vehicle.  The lack of current amenities finally got to me.  Good bluetooth audio could be added but things like adaptive cruise, accident avoidance/emergency breaking, blind spot notification, park assist and the like aren't likely to be on anything pre 2012.

For what you are asking of a tow vehicle that will fit in the garage I would suggest you go back and look at a Grand Cherokee.  Low $20's will get you a very capable tow vehicle with all the "high value" features.

Another maintenance nightmare though in the Jeep.  Isn't there an example of this in your garage (or do you also park outside)?

[Asmodeus2112]

6 hours ago, shawndoggy said:

certainly worth driving one if it's local.  

Turns out they made a mistake and that Expedition was actually 50k not 25k, but they had a whole bunch of other expeditions over againt the fence. Of course they were all about 8 years older and all over 130k miles....sales guy is like "you like white, it's ok, we have some other white ones..."

Edited June 27, 2019 by Asmodeus2112

[UWSkier]

I feel lied to by Dennis Leary about the unofficial BuCrew tow vehicle. 

 

 

[Asmodeus2112]

4 minutes ago, UWSkier said:

I feel lied to by Dennis Leary about the unofficial BuCrew tow vehicle. 

 

 

What?...What, what just happened there?

[gregtay]

10 minutes ago, UWSkier said:

I feel lied to by Dennis Leary about the unofficial BuCrew tow vehicle. 

 

 

Ummmm... wow.  Just wow.    

[RyanB]

7 hours ago, UWSkier said:

Another maintenance nightmare though in the Jeep.  Isn't there an example of this in your garage (or do you also park outside)?

The issue with my Jeep are all worked out now. However my Malibu is in my garage with a broken screen that will cost around $2400 to repair. Is that what you’re talking about?

Interior quality on the GC Overland I have is significantly better than the Lexus RX it replaced. But I will admit it is not as nice as the Audi. But the Audi didn’t have air suspension adaptive cruise front collision mitigation. 

The ones you are looking at won’t either unless you go much newer and higher budget. 

[Asmodeus2112]

6 hours ago, RyanB said:

The issue with my Jeep are all worked out now. However my Malibu is in my garage with a broken screen that will cost around $2400 to repair. Is that what you’re talking about?

Interior quality on the GC Overland I have is significantly better than the Lexus RX it replaced. But I will admit it is not as nice as the Audi. But the Audi didn’t have air suspension adaptive cruise front collision mitigation. 

The ones you are looking at won’t either unless you go much newer and higher budget. 

Yeah, it's all about where to make the compromise. How did your Q7 tow without the air suspension?

[UWSkier]

10 hours ago, Asmodeus2112 said:

What?...What, what just happened there?

Guessing he was pulling a big load up a slippery track in 2wd, hit a disturbance that caused traction control to cut power, lost momentum, and went for a ride. 

[RyanB]

4 hours ago, Asmodeus2112 said:

Yeah, it's all about where to make the compromise. How did your Q7 tow without the air suspension?

Never bought the Q7. I drove a TDI and it was absolutely anemic. Maybe something was wrong with it. 

When shopping for my GC I compared it to a Q5. I have two other more capable tow vehicles so that need was far down the priority list when shopping. 

Audi makes a nice vehicle. But they don’t hold their value well (not as much of a concern when buying used and someone else took the depreciation hit) and why the interior feels great, I just couldn’t get over how many more options I could get on something else. I absolutely love the adaptive cruise and didn’t want to spend the $ on a much newer Audi to get it. 

[Asmodeus2112]

13 hours ago, UWSkier said:

I feel lied to by Dennis Leary about the unofficial BuCrew tow vehicle. 

 

 

Nice time to have had EOH trailer brakes. 

[Asmodeus2112]

25 minutes ago, RyanB said:

Never bought the Q7. I drove a TDI and it was absolutely anemic. Maybe something was wrong with it. 

When shopping for my GC I compared it to a Q5. I have two other more capable tow vehicles so that need was far down the priority list when shopping. 

Audi makes a nice vehicle. But they don’t hold their value well (not as much of a concern when buying used and someone else took the depreciation hit) and why the interior feels great, I just couldn’t get over how many more options I could get on something else. I absolutely love the adaptive cruise and didn’t want to spend the $ on a much newer Audi to get it. 

Sorry, was reading too quickly and thought you had owned a Q7 without air suspension. Late night posting after a beverage.

[Asmodeus2112]

On 6/25/2019 at 6:07 PM, jk13 said:

I also picked up an 07 BMW X5 4.8i Sport last year with rear auto-level in the 10k range. Love the truck and it pulls my ELX really well. Anything above that it really hangs in a lower gear longer than I think it should. Cruise control isn't remotely an option on small rolling hills.

We pulled a 7x12 trailer to move my son and the fuel mileage dipped to single digits. Had to stop 3 times for a trip we normally do with no stops when not towing. Was well under the towing limit, even empty on the way back it was bad.

Do love it though for what we do. Cheaper and nicer than a similar year/mileage/condition Tahoe with infinitely better braking, plenty of power, and sticker was 72k when new.

VW and Q7 were on our list when we were shopping, X5 simply came up in our price range and travel radius first. 

Looking into the X5. By your comments here do you think it will not pull my VLX ok? The bar here is pretty low for me. I am actually ok with my Ridgeline, but need to be within capacity. It could use more power, for sure, but I can't imagine that the 4.8i wouldn't be better than my Ridge. Surprised at the price of some of the X5's on the market, is there something wrong with them, or something to be especially aware of?

[Falko]

 I personally wouldn't buy a BMW. I've never had one, driven a few, know several people that had them, they don't have them anymore. They are great cars when they are going, but if they break, and it seems like they will, they are expensive to fix. In fact one friend always drove BMWs, his last was a 7series. He had it for about a year and a half and traded it in for a Land Rover. Said the Land Rover is more reliable, so....

[shawndoggy]

4 minutes ago, Falko said:

 I personally wouldn't buy a BMW. I've never had one, driven a few, know several people that had them, they don't have them anymore. They are great cars when they are going, but if they break, and it seems like they will, they are expensive to fix. In fact one friend always drove BMWs, his last was a 7series. He had it for about a year and a half and traded it in for a Land Rover. Said the Land Rover is more reliable, so....

ouch!  We had an e30 325i back in the day.  You know, the yuppie 80s one.  It was kinda awesome.  It was cheap (leatherette seats) and not really plush, but at the same time, it "drove expensive."  We never had any problems with it but in anticipation that we would, we traded it on an accord wagon that I drove the crap out of and never had a problem (that wasn't self inflicted).  I still have a soft spot for that BMW --it never actually did me wrong and was a real pleasure to drive.  At the time I think I kinda hated on it for being an automatic.

Now the 03 C series 4matic that I bought on the cheap for my then 16 year old daughter, that one stabbed me in the heart and kicked me in the nads.  Boy did it drive expensive (it would eat up rural nevada highways the way only a german car will), but I learned the very hard way how it would break expensive too.  

[jk13]

18 minutes ago, Asmodeus2112 said:

Looking into the X5. By your comments here do you think it will not pull my VLX ok? The bar here is pretty low for me. I am actually ok with my Ridgeline, but need to be within capacity. It could use more power, for sure, but I can't imagine that the 4.8i wouldn't be better than my Ridge. Surprised at the price of some of the X5's on the market, is there something wrong with them, or something to be especially aware of?

Should pull your VLX just fine. The 8 speed transmission seems to be programmed to keep the motor up in the revs. Use your foot on the throttle and it'll downshift 1-2 gears rather than 3 with cruise. My brother had a Ridgeline and we pulled his PS190 and then my ELX, I'd say the BMW is slightly better but that Honda actually pulls really well for it's rating.

The enclosed trailer I used is a notoriously hard pull. The owner has checked the brakes, bearings, and alignment multiple times--and I checked them for heat at every stop--to no avail. Just a windstop I guess. It drags his Ram 1500 and 2500 down as well.

The previous owner kept buying warranty on the one I bought. Handed me a stack of receipts that filled a manila folder but when we dug through them it was all pretty mundane. I have a scanner and the only thing I've had to do is one cam sensor. The Carista for iPhone or any of the Torque app adapters for Android will do most of what you need.

 

[Asmodeus2112]

Going to look at a new 2019 GC 4x4 Altitude with tow package. ~$35k. 3.6 gas motor, leveling suspension. New is attractive, warranty and new stuffs.

[oldjeep]

11 minutes ago, Asmodeus2112 said:

Going to look at a new 2019 GC 4x4 Altitude with tow package. ~$35k. 3.6 gas motor, leveling suspension. New is attractive, warranty and new stuffs.

3.6l ?   To tow you want the 5.7 or 3.0 diesel 

Edited June 27, 2019 by oldjeep

[Asmodeus2112]

8 minutes ago, oldjeep said:

3.6l ?   To tow you want the 5.7 or 3.0 diesel 

I just need to get the job done. I'd keep rolling along in the Ridgeline if it didn't have a 5k max capacity. More power is always welcome of course. Most of the pulls will be less than 15 miles. Not going to WI in this rig. 

[Sparky450]

52 minutes ago, shawndoggy said:

Now the 03 C series 4matic that I bought on the cheap for my then 16 year old daughter, that one stabbed me in the heart and kicked me in the nads.  Boy did it drive expensive (it would eat up rural nevada highways the way only a german car will), but I learned the very hard way how it would break expensive too.

We had a 07 BMW 328I. Bought used in 2010 with 45k on it. That car was a blast to drive, the harder you drove it the more it stuck to the road. It was great til 100K.  We drove it til 130k. My daughter was driving it at the time as well and it became undependable. Then repairs became far worse than a payment on a new car.  Most people say the repairs start at 90k to 100k. Everyone we know says "Drive them as long as they are under warranty" then sell them.

[RyanB]

40 minutes ago, Asmodeus2112 said:

I just need to get the job done. I'd keep rolling along in the Ridgeline if it didn't have a 5k max capacity. More power is always welcome of course. Most of the pulls will be less than 15 miles. Not going to WI in this rig. 

The 3.6 is plenty to tow your boat. Since weight ratings are important to you, have you checked the GC with the 3.6?  I know at one time it was the same 5000 as the Ridgeline. 

[gregtay]

1 hour ago, oldjeep said:

3.6l ?   To tow you want the 5.7 or 3.0 diesel 

Or the 6.4 😬 which both my wife and I have and it is awesome for towing up the hills😬.        

[Falko]

1 hour ago, Asmodeus2112 said:

Going to look at a new 2019 GC 4x4 Altitude with tow package. ~$35k. 3.6 gas motor, leveling suspension. New is attractive, warranty and new stuffs.

If you are going the new route, look at the Explorer as well, maybe even a Highlander (but I don't know much about their tow ratings). And remember, the 2020's will be coming out shortly so any '19 left on the lot at that time will be a fire sale. Might want to wait a couple months for something new unless they want to really deal now.

Good luck!!