Mid-sized SUV or Van

[Jena]

I need a vehicle that can tow at least 4000 pounds and that gets decent gas mileage. I do NOT want another pick-up! I do NOT want another huge gas hog (now taking over $50 to fill the 1-ton truck).

I'm thinking something with a V-6. A really long warranty is great too. I put lots of miles on my vehicles!

There are so many options out there that it's hard to wade through them all to determine which one to get! I have had 2 astro vans in the past and liked them, but I'd like something that drives a bit nicer and doesn't blow around so bad in the wind.

Any one have a reccommendation? I would be buying used (always do).

Thanks
Jena

[mightybooboo]

Jena,this should help.Forums for towing and tow vehicles.
www.rv.net/forum/

BooBoo

[Jan Doling]

Jena;

I too put lots of miles on a vehicle (the price I gladly pay to live at the end of the middle of nowhere!). My 2000 Sienna has over 160,000 now and is still going strong. I have a roof rack and removeable 3rd row seating so I have been able to haul just about everything needed for finishing the house. We have even slept in it a few times when it was too late or wet to pitch a tent. As long as you are faithful about maintenance, a Toyota can easily do 200,000 to 300,000 miles. We live at the end of a 2 mile dirt road and it has held up as good as a truck. It now costs over $30 to fill the 16.5 gallon tank, however. Have you considered a horse and buggy?!

[sdrew]

Toyota 4Runner,.... i just bought a 1996 v6,... 19.5 mpg. And, as Jan stated above, Toyotas will last forever and breakdowns are rare ! Nicest vehicle I've ever owned. I've heard the new ones get better gas mileage.

[bethlaf]

i have a jeep grand cherokee, its a v 6 and even though its been through heck its just now startig to have issues
disadvantage, it only seats 5, and its not 4wd. the brand name makes the resale higher than it needs to be
positive, it gets about 16 mpg handles and corners well , highly manuverable,
i have gotten in and out of spots where our non 4wd truck gets stuck.
common vehicle, means it will be easy to get parts/repairs done

[Peg]

I have a Honda Pilot. It seats 8 and the back row folds down flat. We got it for the seating and to tow our pop up tent trailer. Not sure how heavy that is. It rides very smooth - not bouncy like a truck. It's as long as an Accord, but wider. Last time I checked we got 27 mph on the freeway.
Good luck.
Peg
www.cookinkids.com

[Maura]

How about a big sedan? My old Fleetwood Cadilac had a powerful engine and got much better gas mileage than my sister's SUV. I have a 1994 New Yorker which is a very comfortable old lady car, gets 28 mpg, but I don't know how much it could tow.

[fordy]

...............Jena , If, you want the capacity to haul 4k pounds you aren't going to find a v6 available , because you should be looking at something like an f350 with a v8 and a 3.55 rear axle ratio . Personally , I would look at an f350 , with a v10 as they get very good fuel milage and have lots of power to haul a load . You might consider either the ford or chevy as both make a long , 1 ton van with lots of room . By the way , diesel is priced Higher here than 93 octane , which I just don't understand as it is the Cheapest fuel to Refine of the 3 grades of gas and diesel!...fordy...

[dmp437]

Easy there Fordy, my V10 gets 12 mpg with 3.73's. Unless you consider that "very good milage". I did when gas was $1.09 a gallon.

Jena,
How about a price range? And when you say "at least 4000 pounds" how far over that do you plan on going? Anything over 3500 pounds puts you into the next level of hitch, so you need a decent vehicle to screw it to.

[Nevada]

I have the Ford Explorer with a V6. There are two V6 engines available for my year of Explorer, both with 4.0L, but the SOHC (Single OverHead Cam) engine has considerably more horse power than the standard V6 engine (205 HP vs 160 HP). I got the SOHC V6, since the HP was almost that of the small V8 (V8 has 210 HP) but the mileage is much better than the small V8.

I also have the tow package, which includes a 5,000 Lb frame hitch and a 2-speed rear end. It tows very well.

I get 19 MPG highway and about 14 MPG city.

[timberweed]

I agree with Fordy on this. A full size truck or van with a V8 or V10 would be my choice. Of course I live in the mountains, so for me power is important. It is also important to consider the length of your trailer in comparison to wheel base of the tow vehicle. If the wheel base is too short or the vehicle is too light and the trailer starts to fish tail or slide, the trailer will turn the vehicle over. Happened to me years ago with a CJ jeep and a two horse trailer. I rode in my brother's new F350 regular cab last week - not a bad ride if you don't mind the payments.

[dave98]

Hey I'm a ford guy but I own 2 Chevy Astro's

I just picked up another one, 1 year old, 25k miles for 10k.

With the 3.73 gears it is rated to tow 5500 lbs.

Tons of room, about 18-20mpg highway (and I drive 70-80).

Did I say they are cheap to buy and cheap to own?

Dave

[Jena]

I want to be able to tow my 6x12 trailer to market. It probably weighs 4000 at the most, when fully loaded. When I need to haul more, I can use the big truck, but I don't like paying for gas for it all the time.

This vehicle would also have to serve as "the car" as I would trade in my celica for it. We each have pickups for chores.

I also have three kids still at home and now a grandbaby is on the way. When this vehicle is not towing, I need to be able to haul everyone to the mall, out to dinner or whatever. The baby seat will be a pain in my celica...so much for my middle-aged sports car stage

Thanks

I'll check out the options.

Jena

[herefordman]

For the amount of money involved in buying a newer heavier truck that can meet all requirements, it might be cheaper to buy a little older and get both rigs, a smaller comfortable efficient SUV, and an ugly gas hog towing rig, that spends most of its time parked.
I have a five ton truck that gets nasty gas mileage but is used so little I only get temporary permits when I use it, normally during haying or odd heavy jobs .

[mightybooboo]

My sis has an Expedition,looks like it would tow just fine,it certainly can hold plenty of people.Doubt its very economical.Any Expedition owners that could comment?
BooBoo