Tow vehicle

cossie1600

What do you guys use as a tow vehicle? I can't have a truck since I plan to use the SUV as a baby mover/family vehicle. There are not many SUVs that can carry more than 5000lbs. Is 5000lbs enough or should I look for more in order to be safe? I will only tow <8 times a year.

I prefer to trade the Z on a new SUV, but I guess used ones are always better buys and I have more options. I just don't want to deal with the hassle of having to fix them since my garage isn't big enough for me to work on an SUV.

My wife prefers the Honda Pilot for new vehicle. I prefer the FJ/4runner. The reason for them is that they leave me enough $$ to buy an autox car and a race car. They also have excellent resale value, that's why I would only buy those cars new.

Of course I am still tempted with that orange tts i saw

somatic

4Runner...about 6000lbs i believe

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cossie1600

New ones are all 5000 with the V6

Roadster4Us

Some of the Quad Cab Trucks have a ton of room in them. Put a tonneau cover over the back and you have the best of all worlds.

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Greg


2013 Camaro ZL1

Bromotoz

If you are possibly considering a used SUV with good resale value and can tow some weight (and if gas mileage in not much of a concern ) -
I would suggest a used Ford Excursion Diesel.
You could haul the car, pit crew, and family with it. At the same time!

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09 Z - Monterey Blue - T/S - 6MT - Persimmon - Navi - F.I. Non-Res CBE - Swifts - Z1 20mm Spacers, Post MAF, SS Brake Lines

SPOHN

FJ FTW. Saw one the other day. Army green with black wheels.

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Mike

I use a 2010 Expedition. , but I think its rated at around 9000 lbs.

Fuel mileage sucks for daily driving, around 18-19, but I get about 11-13 if I drive easily when towing. I only got 7-8 with our old 07 Tahoe.

Plus, the Expo has trailer sway control built into the stability system, which is pretty cool.

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NISSAN: 75 280Z / 86 300ZX GLL /87 Sentra SE / 03 350Z / 23 Z
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Red__Zed

Good advice in this thread:

FJ Cruiser

ChrisSlicks

If you can afford it find a nice used aluminum trailer to help keep the weight down, I've seen the featherlite trailers towed by just about anything.

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cossie1600

You guys are right that 5000lbs are very marginal, but I just don't want to get a car and let it sit (almost like my Z). If I have a V6 tow vehicle, I would at least don't mind to drive it as much. Of course now that I am used to the 49mpg, it's hard to go back to anything under 20.

My wife wanted the pilot even as they are another $5000 cheaper, but they are rated at 4500lbs!!

atropine

Is a Toyota Sequoia out of your price range? My 2010 Sequoia with the 5.7 engine tows almost as well as my F250 Superduty 7.3L Turbo Diesel. If so, what about a used Gen 1 Sequoia? I previously owned a 2002 Sequoia with the 4.7 engine and towed my 5000 lb boat all the time with no problems. That was one of the best engines I have ever owned. Fuel milage was poor (18mpg on the highway when not towing) but the engine oil looked brand new after 7500 miles, even with over 200k on the odometer. That Sequoia was as reliable as my brand new Honda Civic. I think you could find a 2007 Sequoia with low miles for a bargain and have a very reliable tow vehicle with seating for 8.

cossie1600

Yes, out of my price range ($40K new). They are so expensive used that I would rather buy something else in that price range. That's one of the primary reason why I want 4Runner/FJ

atropine

the new tundra crewmax has a ton of interior space and a 5.7 engine that will tow great. mpg is a little worse than fj or 4runner, but has msrp new of under 32k for 2wd version. Having a truck is so convenient. But I like the aluminum trailer idea also.

spearfish25

If you're towing any significant distance and value the tow vehicle, overkill is your friend. We used to tow a 23' sport fishing boat back and forth from Florida to Chicago with a Ram 2500 Sport with the Cummins turbo diesel. (~12k lb towing capacity) Despite having all the bells and whistles and towing a boat and trailer that couldn't top 8k lbs max, the engine was dead in 3 years. I used to tow the same boat for short distances around town with my LandRover Defender 90 and that engine died in 4 years. Just like boosting will shorten your engine longevity, so will towing. So the larger the margin of towing capacity vs towing weight, the better off you and your tow vehicle will be.

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2013 Cadillac V-Wagon, RIP Z

travisjb

I did a lot of research on this topic and had the same ideas as you when I started... ultimately, nothing beats a diesel truck... I bought a used 100K miles F250 6.0L superduty in good shape and it tows like a beast... had $1,000 in electronics repairs but otherwise I couldn't be more happy

I NEVER have to think about whether the brakes or engine are up to the task... never have to think about how much I load or where I place the load in the trailer... etc

The truck was $10K... and I could care less if it gets scratched, beat on, bird crapped on, broken into (all those have happened already)... it sits in my driveway in the sun and I don't care... and it still tows like a beast!

Quad cab means it can haul 5 people... long bed means I can use it to move debris, tires, trash, lumber, mulch, etc of almost any dimension

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2009 370Z #104
*For Sale*