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Old     (sidetracked3)      Join Date: Jun 2009       09-07-2010, 7:50 AM Reply   
I am looking for a midsize SUV that will pull my boat with no to little problem. I have a Tahoe right now that does great but we are looking to downsize. I have a 2008 Supra Sunsport 22v and would like to know what would pull this. Thanks
Old     (bill_airjunky)      Join Date: Apr 2002       09-09-2010, 7:35 AM Reply   
Crickets.

Good luck with that.
Old     (saberworks)      Join Date: Sep 2010       09-09-2010, 9:12 AM Reply   
The only things smaller that I can think of that would have a prayer would be an explorer with a v8 or a jeep grand cherokee with a v8. Either one would suck going uphill though.
Old     (csaidler)      Join Date: Aug 2010       09-09-2010, 9:17 AM Reply   
would a crew cab pickup be an option? Might not be much of a downsize but can be more versatile.
Old     (bill_airjunky)      Join Date: Apr 2002       09-09-2010, 9:32 AM Reply   
And neither the Explorer or Cherokee get better mileage than a Tahoe.

In my experience, the smaller rigs work harder to do the same job. So mileage in it is as bad or worse than the bigger rig. I assume better mileage is the reason for the downsize?
Old     (sailing216)      Join Date: Oct 2007       09-09-2010, 10:02 AM Reply   
Audi Q7 with V8 or diesel.

used VW with V10 diesel

New Ford Exploder with a V8 (very good looking truck)
Old     (alans)      Join Date: Aug 2005       09-09-2010, 10:09 AM Reply   
2008 or 2009 4 Runner w/ V8. replaced my '06 Tahoe with one and will never go back. Tows better, gets much better gas mileage, and is build 2x better. Tow rating is 7,300 BTW.
Old     (huh01)      Join Date: Nov 2005       09-09-2010, 10:11 AM Reply   
I tow my Supreme v208 with a Grand Cherokee... towing is no problem, but the milage really sucks.
Old     (polarbill)      Join Date: Jun 2003       09-09-2010, 10:11 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by sidetracked3 View Post
I am looking for a midsize SUV that will pull my boat with no to little problem. I have a Tahoe right now that does great but we are looking to downsize. I have a 2008 Supra Sunsport 22v and would like to know what would pull this. Thanks
Are you downsizing because you want a smaller vehicle? better fuel economy when not towing? better fuel economy when towing?

Also, how far do you usually tow the boat? Over any mountain passes? On the highway?
Old     (sp0tts)      Join Date: Jun 2004       09-09-2010, 11:07 AM Reply   
What Joe B said, you can also add a Porsche Cayenne S, Turbo, or Turbo S to that list (I'd recommend an air suspension if going with any of the german midsizes). And Mercedes also has a diesel offering that would get the job done.
Old     (Jeff)      Join Date: May 2010       09-09-2010, 5:48 PM Reply   
Not enough info from the OP about goals and budget and specifically what's meant by "downsize". The implication is that he's trying to save money on fuel but I can't imagine netting any real $$$ savings by realizing the loss due to depreciation on an existing vehicle to buy another while trying to save gas money with only marginally better MPG. Towing takes mass and big torque (Relative to a Geo Metro). Aside from a diesel, anything capable of towing that boat is going to get pretty crappy mileage (Once again relative to a Geo Metro) when on daily driving duty.

Now, if you owe a lot on the Tahoe and are looking to "downsize" your debt then that could be doable but there aren't too many cheap midsize SUVs that are equipped to make long hauls with a 22' inboard boat. The best value would probably just be an older (cheaper) 1/2 ton chassis SUV or truck.

Are there parking space considerations? That's the only other interpretation of "downsize" I can come up with.

What are the other factors besides the actual dimensions of the vehicle and the resulting efficiency?
Old     (antoddio)      Join Date: Dec 2006       09-09-2010, 8:41 PM Reply   
I've been real happy with my 04 4runner pulling my Supreme V232 around. That's 6K for boat, trailer and fuel minimum. I would imagine it's more like 6500 actually with all the gear. No problems with long hauls and great stopping power. It's a solid vehicle.

If you are look to downsize to save money, agreed that you prob won't save much.
Old     (mmobius2001)      Join Date: Jun 2004       09-10-2010, 2:49 PM Reply   
you really need a full size to pull a wakeboard boat.

i tried this, i got rid of an F150 that got 14mpg and 12mpg while towing for a V6 Escape, and will NEVER do it again. sure for around town driving the escape got 20mpg. while towing this is no joke i got 5-7mpg, and it was soooo hard on the transmission.

i bought a 06 Jeep Commander w/ Hemi it gets 14mpg around town and about 10mpg while towing but does an EXCELLENT job.

i dont think you can downsize much more than where you're at now, Jeep or Explorer V8 is as small as it gets.
Old     (gregtay)      Join Date: Aug 2008       09-10-2010, 3:04 PM Reply   
As mentioned above... VW Touareg w/ air susp. Perfect motor is the V10 TDI, but the V8 (4.2L) and the new V6TDI also work great (meaning they pull just fine... i just like unlimited power of the V10.) You can get a new Touareg for $50K.. or pick one up used. My friend just picked up an 05 V8 LOADED Touareg for $21K to pull around his Moomba.
Old     (polarbill)      Join Date: Jun 2003       09-10-2010, 3:06 PM Reply   
I have no idea at all how it would tow but what about one of those Chevrolet Traverse's or the Buick/GMC version of it. They are fairly large and get ok fuel mileage. They have a max tow capacity of 5200# which you would pretty much max out.
Old     (guido)      Join Date: Jul 2002       09-10-2010, 3:09 PM Reply   
I was just eyeing some specs for German mid-sizers yesterday. I'm getting tired of driving the F250 daily, but love the way it tows/hauls. I know I wont duplicate it, but was impressed by some numbers.

Q7 is at the bottom of the pile with the X5. They both have mid 6k tow ratings and that's with Audi's heavy duty tow package. I'm sure they both have plenty of power with the V8 options.

The Mercedes has two options. The ML and GL. The ML hauls 7,300lbs. It has the same rating for all motors, though the V8 will obviously tow better. There is a 6 cyl diesel option that I imagine would work great). The GL hauls 7,550. I was suprised how close the ML was to the GL even with the big size differences. The same motors are available in both with the exception that the 6 cyl gas motor isn't available stateside in the GL.

The Volkswagen and Porsche both tow 7,700lbs and top the list. The new VW diesel would be a great option. The V10 diesel is awesome, but not for the faint of heart when they start having problems. Not that I've heard of many, but the motor has to come out for the majority of repairs. My stepsisters dad just traded his second V10 for the new 6 cyl diesel and he thinks it's great. His was having A/C problems out of warranty that were going to get really expensive with that motor.

For me personally having driven them all fairly extensively. I love the Porsche and the BMW for how sporty they are. The MBZ is the most capable when used as a truck. Good ground clearance, great suspension, but not very sporty. The Audi is smooth and comfortable, but again, not as sporty as the BMW or Porsche. The VW is the best buy of the bunch. All of the bells and whistles of their expensive cousins at literally almost half the price of some of them. If money was no object I'd have a Cayenne GTS sitting in the garage.

I'm not sure about the domestice SUV's, but I hear the 4 runner is also a great alternative.
Old     (csaidler)      Join Date: Aug 2010       09-10-2010, 3:11 PM Reply   
jeep overland 4x4 with a hemi
Old     (sp0tts)      Join Date: Jun 2004       09-12-2010, 8:29 AM Reply   
Quote:
If money was no object I'd have a Cayenne GTS sitting in the garage.
If money wasn't an object, you should go for the Turbo GTS is actually no more in the 2011 MY, but the redesigned S is as impressive and the new Turbo is just rediculous, 0-60 in 4.4.

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