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Old     (big_b_21v)      Join Date: Oct 2006       05-05-2010, 6:20 PM Reply   
We just sold our 2005 Tahoe and our 2007 Lexus RX350 and we are looking to consolidate into one vehicle that is still nice to drive for the fiance, but yet will still pull the boat.
I have a company provided Jeep Liberty that unfortunately wont tow anything.
We are starting the search and I am leaning towards the newer Escalades but she is uncertain.
Anyone have any suggestions on any other luxury type vehicles that will still pull the boat? (2009 Malibu VLX)
Old     (wakereviews)      Join Date: Sep 2006       05-05-2010, 6:33 PM Reply   
Just got a 2010 Sequoia Platinum and it's very nice and luxurious IMO. Better towing capacity (I think) and more room than the caddy.
Old     (kruiserkat)      Join Date: May 2010       05-05-2010, 7:45 PM Reply   
Can't even believe you are looking at those. Do some research, they are one of the top 10 overpriced for what you get vehicles. Oh and by the way they are now part of Government Motors Corp. if you haven't heard. Keep looking, I can see a much better rig infront of that Bu.
Old     (ilikebeaverandboats)      Join Date: Jul 2007       05-05-2010, 7:47 PM Reply   
if you wanna get crazy, why not a king ranch or Harley edition Superduty? the new ones have a new 6.7L diesel And hey, whats hotter than a cute girl driving a big truck?.......A girl driving a big truck pulling an in board
Old     (bawshogg)      Join Date: Dec 2005       05-05-2010, 8:03 PM Reply   
Navigator if your going that route. Buy a Ford. I know a guy.
Old     (ixfe)      Join Date: Aug 2008       05-05-2010, 8:09 PM Reply   
Brady,

We have a 2008 Suburban... the little brother the Escalade. And it is a very nice combo between tow rig and daily driver for my wife. The Escalade will just be that much better (more hp and it's awd). A black Escalade will look real nice in front of of your black vlx. You probably know this but the Yukon Denali is essentially the same rig, just a little less bling.

How many people/kids are you guys hauling around on a daily basis? The reason I ask is because if you need the 3rd row seats on a regular basis, you should get one of the longer GM SUV (e.g. Suburban) so you can have all the seats while maintaining your storage. If you don't need those 3rd row seats, you can shop other rigs like the Sequoia, Mercedes GL, Audi Q7, or VW Touereg.
Old     (thesack)      Join Date: Mar 2008       05-05-2010, 8:38 PM Reply   
My dad has recently been looking for a new vehicle to replace my moms explorer. We've looked at the Toyota Sequoia Platinum (59k), Chevy Tahoe LTZ (55K), Ford Expedition Limited (54K, EL 56K), Honda Pilot Touring (41K, can't tow a boat), and Mercedes GL450 (80K). All have there plus' and minus'. In my opinion if you have the money to spend get the Toyota Sequoia. It has a lot of leg room/foot room in the 2nd row, and has plenty of leg room/foot room in the 3rd row. Has a great all around ride, and is fairly quiet inside. Only problem with them is that they are in limited production so are hard to find. Second choice would be the Ford Expedition. Of the vehicles in its size it was the most comfortable for me in the 3rd row. If you like black on black, Newberg Ford has a Limited EL in Tuxedo Black with Black interior in stock right now. If you go to Newberd Ford talk to Dale Sykes or Steve Clay, they are the Fleet Managers and who we deal with. They treat you right and give you the best price.
Old     (tdc_worm)      Join Date: Sep 2002       05-07-2010, 5:57 AM Reply   
gotta agree w/ Ian and nate on this one. i have a 2010 Tundra Platinum, which shares a lot of the same componentry as the Sequoia. size wise i believe it is between a tahoe and a suburban. Things that set it apart:

Roll down rear window--->great for talking to the captain of the boat when launching/loading w/o having to get out to pop the rear window or completely open the rear hatch
Front Sonar--->wife will love it for parking ease...i park in hospital parking garages every day for work. w/o the front sonar, the transition from my previous grand cherokee to my CrewMax tundra would have been deal killer.
Powertrain--->The engine and tranny combo are second to none. There is parity w/ GMs that are equipped w/ the 6.2L in terms of power, while the dodge and ford offerings are still behind. Also, the manual shift mode on the Toyotas feels most intuitive (to me), and i use it all the time, especially when towing...
Old     (olmoomba)      Join Date: Apr 2010       05-10-2010, 10:12 AM Reply   
I had an Armada and the towing capacity of that was insane. If you are looking for luxury brand then look at the Infinity version.

But I sold it and got a f250 king ranch 4x4 supercrew and haven't looked back! Turns out I didn't need the 3rd seat but once or twice a year.
Old     (phenom_1819)      Join Date: Jan 2008       05-10-2010, 10:28 AM Reply   
Brady - I know how you feel about this, but I've gotta recommend a Tundra or Sequoia. Remember my thread about this in October? I've had about 6 months and 12,000 miles with my 2010 Tundra Limited and love it. Tons of power, 6-speed transmission, and very comfortable. The 5.7L has power to spare towing up-hill at 70 mph, even with the truck loaded with gear (I towed it around this winter with 500 lbs of sand-bags in the back and partially filled ballast in the boat, oops...) and with slightly over-sized 33" tires. It's not a diesel -- but it does still have power to spare. I believe both the Sequoia and Tundra CrewMax have the reclining rear seats and roll-down rear window, which are both great features. Remember, Brady... built in Texas!
Old     (olmoomba)      Join Date: Apr 2010       05-10-2010, 10:44 AM Reply   
oh the roll down rear window - that's a left testicle donation worthy. seriously, I wish my ford had that feature! hahaha
Old     (ilikebeaverandboats)      Join Date: Jul 2007       05-11-2010, 10:11 AM Reply   
Dont mean to dog on you guys, but have any of you ever towed with a diesel? I know you can tow with SUV's and some do it better than others, But I can take my F350, pull my boat at 75-80 up hill and end up using less than a quarter of a tank round trip. Nothing beats a diesel, its just amazing what these trucks can do, and mines a 2002!!

What kinda milage are you guys getting with the sequoias? and armadas? (I cant see these having an insane towing capacity?)

I bet the 6 speed in that sequoia gets it moving.
Old     (motorcitymatt)      Join Date: Feb 2007       05-11-2010, 3:50 PM Reply   
Brady~

If your looking at a new Ford/Lincoln... Send me a PM... I'll gladly get you an employee X-plan (Friends & Family) pricing. It's nice not to have to haggle with sales reps! Not looking for anyting in return, just like to help out fellow Wake Worlders.
Old     (kstateskier)      Join Date: May 2002       05-11-2010, 7:35 PM Reply   
Joey, a F350 is a hell of a tow machine, but not exactly a luxury vehicle like he is looking for. Most people spend 90% of the time in their daily driver not towing, so personally I would much prefer a Sequoia to driving an F350 300+ miles a week. Really do you need an "insane towing capacity" to tow 90% of the wake boats out there?
Old     (ixfe)      Join Date: Aug 2008       05-11-2010, 7:56 PM Reply   
Agree with all the positive comments on the Sequoia. We almost bought one. It was between Sequoia Platinum and Suburban LTZ. In the end, we picked Suburban due to the storage behind the 3rd seat (family of six). If you need to haul more than 5 people with the boat attached (think camping at LBC, Prineville, or Shasta), you need room behind the 3rd row seats. The Sequoia doesn't have it. Only GM or Ford offer this, and we didn't like the anemic 2nd row captain's chairs in the Ford.

I almost talked myself into the Sequoia with this logic, "I don't need all that storage every day. I'll just get a car-top carrier for the long trips." I'm glad that logic didn't win out. We use that back storage daily (kids sporting gear, trips to Goodwill, Costco runs, and most importantly a place to secure our wake and surf boards on the way to the local ramp).

If you don't haul 6+ people, by all means, get the Sequoia. They are super solid and look great. Storage is its only weaknesses.
Old     (chattwake)      Join Date: Jan 2010       05-12-2010, 6:47 AM Reply   
My wife has a Lexus GX470 and it pulled our 230 (only a few times) pretty well. I got tired of towing with my old z71 tahoe, so I sold my caddy and traded in my tahoe on a dodge 2500 diesel. I'm getting 19mpg (on 35's) and I can tow anything no problem now. Our lexus will never touch the boat again...
Old     (dellagucci)      Join Date: Aug 2009       05-12-2010, 7:25 AM Reply   
benz G wagon on 26" r a h2
Old     (cwb4me)      Join Date: Apr 2010       05-12-2010, 7:37 AM Reply   
i'd second the navigator it's a nice ride . i have a king ranch diesel it gets 14 to 17 towing my 07 tige 22ve about 5700 lbs with tandem trailer . i don't even know it's back there.
Old     (ixfe)      Join Date: Aug 2008       05-12-2010, 7:46 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by cwb4me View Post
... i don't even know it's back there.
haha... i was wondering how long it would take for somebody to make this comment. no tow vehicle thread is complete without it!
Old     (dcwillette)      Join Date: Sep 2005       05-12-2010, 9:13 AM Reply   
A F350 or it's competition will be best for towing but I doubt she wants to drive one everyday. It's all about what compromises you're willing to make.... given what you described.... the Tourage TDI (diesel) or MB diesel would be my choice... true luxury SUV's that drive great everyday, great fuel economy, not too but big to be a pain driving and parking everyday, but big enough for towing (and stopping) a VLX.
Old     (MattieK27)      Join Date: Mar 2010       05-12-2010, 9:40 AM Reply   
I love these tow threads on here. A VLX weighs in at 3500lbs dry. Add about 300lbs for 47 gallons of fuel (at 6.25 lbs per gallon), another 100 or so for gear, and lets just say someone forgot to dump 100lbs of ballast for grins and giggles. Lets add another 1200 lbs for a trailer as well. So you are looking at 5200 lbs. I am sorry, but you do NOT need diesel, you do not need an F350, you do not need a SUV the size of a mini bus. I have been trailering boats for over a decade now, and as long as you are under that tow rating you will be fine. I have done most of my towing with a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee V-8, and have never had an issue. (Towed a boat that was 100 lbs lighter than the VLX, towed the same boat without issues with a 1989 Cherokee as well)

Is it nice to have a big truck? Yea, maybe. Do some families require the space of a full size SUV? Sure. But no one towing a ski or wake boarding boat should ever think they NEED a huge tow vehicle because of the boat itself. With these small boats, its just not necessary.

You want to sing the praises of fuel economy on that giant diesel of yours? Why then did you buy huge rims and tires that add rolling resistance and unsprung weight to decrease it, or add a power chip and stomp on the throttle every time you pass a car full of girls? Need more power? I guess I could see this, but I never had issues merging with the GC V-8 and the 5000 lbs I was towing. Just trying to offer a counter-point to the large truck "need;" at the end of the day make the vehicle purchase YOU feel comfortable with, not what someone else says you need. The one thing I definately recommend; a tow package equiped from the factory. That gives you transmission coolers, oil coolers, etc that you just dont get when you simply add a hitch after purchase.
Old     (cwb4me)      Join Date: Apr 2010       05-12-2010, 9:53 AM Reply   
matt i had a f150 97 extended cab with a tow package. yes it will pull the same weight i was towing with my diesel.it just struggles to accelerate and climb hills. and it got worse mileage. towing or not . i get 20mpg on the road not towing and 16 to 17 around town .yes a diesel costs more but in the long haul it does more and does it better.
Old     (ilikebeaverandboats)      Join Date: Jul 2007       05-12-2010, 10:12 AM Reply   
I drive my F350 as my daily, Love the thing. If you look at todays towing capacity, that boat is barely under the limit if not over it. Youd be surprised the difference in towing with an suv and a diesel. There really is a huge difference. I dont doubt there are SUV's that tow well, but the best way to tow will be in a diesel simply because of efficiency.

I wish you could get those Diesel Toyota Land Cruisers in the states, that would be like the ultimate towning suv!! especially since land crushers are pretty nice inside, and are great vehicles. That would probably be the best way to go, if you could get it!
Old     (MattieK27)      Join Date: Mar 2010       05-12-2010, 10:25 AM Reply   
I have towed with both. Diesel has more torque, agreed. It has better fuel economy, no doubt. My point is this; is that necessary for a 3500-4000 lb boat? I guess if you are towing in a very hilly area, it is logical to go diesel. But how many have that?

Some people might take advantage of the fuel economy, I have seen many though that negate any gains from diesel by adding huge rims and tires, adding power modifiers, and in general driving like idiots.

As far as that boat being over a towing capacity, what vehicle? I can go get a brand new Grand Cherokee that is rated at 7300 lbs. The 2000 GC I use is rated at 6500 lbs. Both could handle the 5200 lb scenario I laid out. The reason I keep mentioning GCs, these are not even body on frame designs! Unibody construction, and still able to get the job done. Now if your looking at small corss-over SUVs, then you are absolutely right. Most of those top out at 3500lbs.

I am all for this type of discussion, however I imagine its only a matter of time before this gets ugly because of others.
Old     (elc)      Join Date: Jan 2008       05-12-2010, 2:08 PM Reply   
these threads always end up the same way...

I tow with a 5.3 tahoe, suburban and next week I will be towing with a diesel F250. The tahoe and the burb lag up hills - Constantly shifting in and out of gear if you go above 50 mph. But are great people movers. The F250 can't hold very many people comfortably, its loud and it rides like a truck. And the f250 is not practical for parking in LA. I kick myself every time I tow (around 5k miles a year) for not getting an escalade or denali. I have heard good things about the sequoia and would like to tow with one before my next purchase.
Old     (kruiserkat)      Join Date: May 2010       05-12-2010, 4:19 PM Reply   
Just re-read the top post again it says nothing about towing beasts. It says luxury suv's. We all know that a 3/4 or one ton diesel truck is designed to tow, that's why they build them. I think Brady wanted peoples opinions on luxury suv's who already had them. So what did ya get Brady?
Old     (big_b_21v)      Join Date: Oct 2006       05-12-2010, 4:30 PM Reply   
Nothing yet. Still leaning towards the Escalade. I made a lowball offer on a 2008. We'll see how it pans out. I agree with everyones assessment of what tows the best as far as trucks go.
Unfortunately, we are talking about much of what Ed touched on above. Looking for something that is still luxury and easy for Diane to drive. She just sold her Lexus RX 350 so I still would like for her to have something that has similiar option but will tow the boat.
We looked at the Sequoia, but to get the Platinum model its a 55-60K vehicle. And their aren't too many used models out there.
Old     (ilikebeaverandboats)      Join Date: Jul 2007       05-13-2010, 1:28 AM Reply   
Yea I did kinda bud in at the wrong time with the whole diesel thing. I apologize.

I have towed my boat with a 2001 land cruiser, It does well, but gas milage is terrible. It might be because I tried to tow like i was in the diesel, but who knows.

a 6 speed tranny in anything would really help out with towing.

Anyone know what our boats actually weight? I was under the impression that my Tige 20V weighed about 6-8K?? that was just a guess tho.
Old     (MattieK27)      Join Date: Mar 2010       05-13-2010, 8:55 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by ilikebeaverandboats View Post
Yea I did kinda bud in at the wrong time with the whole diesel thing. I apologize.

I have towed my boat with a 2001 land cruiser, It does well, but gas milage is terrible. It might be because I tried to tow like i was in the diesel, but who knows.

a 6 speed tranny in anything would really help out with towing.

Anyone know what our boats actually weight? I was under the impression that my Tige 20V weighed about 6-8K?? that was just a guess tho.
According to Tige's web site, just under 3500 lbs. With only a 30 gal fuel capacity, add about 190 lbs for a full tank of fuel and assume a very conservative 1200lbs for a trailer. Add in 200 lbs of gear (again, conservative) and your looking at 5090 lbs. (But most likely less)

Again, these boats are not that big, they do not weigh that much...
Old     (rio_sanger)      Join Date: Apr 2007       05-13-2010, 9:50 AM Reply   
"Looking for something that is still luxury and easy for Diane to drive."

If you want an SUV that tows,why not get the best of both worlds?
I've always towed with 3/4 ton Suburbans, you get the luxury SUV, but on a truck chassis. Nodifferent to drive than the typical soccer mom 1/2 ton burb/yuke/ escalade, but has the balls of a 3/4 ton truck.
I have the 8.1 in mine, and with the 4.10 rear end, has a towing capacity of 12,000lbs.
Old     (ilikebeaverandboats)      Join Date: Jul 2007       05-13-2010, 10:28 AM Reply   
Wow, I really thought they weighed more. now i know haha

I bet you can get a burb with a duramax, i know you used to be able to get it i dont see why you couldnt get one now!
Old     (lifetimewarranty)      Join Date: Oct 2008       05-13-2010, 12:18 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by ilikebeaverandboats View Post
Wow, I really thought they weighed more. now i know haha

I bet you can get a burb with a duramax, i know you used to be able to get it i dont see why you couldnt get one now!

Not a factory one, though. It's never been an option. They do have a fully developed, ready to go, 4.5 litre Duramax that they were planning on putting in them, but haven't yet.

Go with the Escallade. She will love it, it will tow great, handle excellent, parking is simple, and you can still feel like a man driving it. My neighbor always gets hassled by women that tell him his Sequoia is a ladies SUV...lol. I would doubt you get that with a Cadillac.
Old     (big_b_21v)      Join Date: Oct 2006       05-16-2010, 10:39 PM Reply   
They accepted our offer on the 2008 Escalade. We picked it up last Thursday night. A few little detail issues, but other than that we are both very happy with the deal and the vehicle.
Pulled the boat on Saturday and I couldnt even feel it back there. Much better than the Tahoe. They only problem I had was the hitch height is much higher and the jack on the trailer wouldnt crank up that high. I was able to adjust the Fulton F2 and once I flip the hitch receiver over it should work just fine.
The auto rear leveling control is pretty slick.
Thanks for all the input and ideas.
Old     (elc)      Join Date: Jan 2008       05-16-2010, 10:55 PM Reply   
Cool, congrats Brady. What color is it?
Old     (bawshogg)      Join Date: Dec 2005       05-17-2010, 7:01 AM Reply   
Black.

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