Seats 8, tows a racecar, modern safety?

Currently I'm riding shotgun in the FJ cruiser with all four Deucelings in back. The add on third row is getting a bit snug for the smallest ones which has me thinking of other options.
I'm looking for something that will seat 8 (I already find myself hauling friends) can tow the racecar (so 7k lbs) and has modern stability/airbags and such. Buying new is not an issue.
We've looked at and liked the Nissan NV, and that's currently the top of the list. I also really like the Transit, but the tow rating tops out at 5k on the passenger models. I could survive with that, but I wouldn't be too happy. Sprinter vans are incredibly expensive. GM is finishing out their vans and frankly they're not quite up to snuff.
What am I missing?

E 2-350s are practical but insanely commercial.

Suburban, Tahoe is more livable on a daily basis.

Good luck!

I'm kind of in love with the new Suburbans, but the $$$, good god.

I like the NV models since the large hood seems like it would be easier to work on than a traditional van.

The Transit vans look better.

How about a Ram/Fiat van? Unfortunately it has the same issue of towing capacity the Transit does.

Suburban. Wait 2 years and pick up lightly used for half the price.

Here's an example. $24 K, 63K miles.

I'm also on the Suburban boat. There is a lot of 2014's still on the lot that they want to get rid of for the '15s. Or at least there was.

Diesel Excursion.

why bother diesel? it's .80/1.00 more a gallon than gas, where's the savings with a couple more mpg?

Ford Excursion should fit the bill. V10 is nearly the same HP/TQ as the 7.3 diesel.

I reckon the Suburban works also.

The later Ford Expeditions work also. The XL is the larger/longer model that was introduced when the Excursion was killed off in 2006(?).

Effortless towing and mpg's while towing. Ontop of that. A cared for diesel Excursion holds its value better than anything used besides NSX's and old 911's.

This is exactly what Suburbans as made for. Once you have one you will wonder why it took so long to get it. Selling your truck and the FJ will get you a good start on one, but they are pricey new. Used should be a decent value now with the redesign out.

EvanB wrote: I like the NV models since the large hood seems like it would be easier to work on than a traditional van.

They are. But, they are commercial-only.

http://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/615169163/overview/

'12 with 21k miles.

Knurled wrote:

EvanB wrote: I like the NV models since the large hood seems like it would be easier to work on than a traditional van.

They are. But, they are commercial-only.

The NV is the full size van and they produce a passenger version. The nicest of the full size vans and what my wife sort of wants.
You might notice that I'm leaning toward vans. The suburban/excursion are pretty ineficient from a space use standpoint. When I search through the Ford literature there are combinations of the Transit that are rated to tow 7000 lbs. None of those combinations are available with passenger seats.

I vote for the Nissan. I want one in the cargo high top version.

My folks just leased a transit connect passenger van, the little 'un. They're visiting this weekend. I like it more than I expected. Only 7 passengers though, and 4-cylinder.

The big Transit van is a BIG vehicle. The diesel engine option is ten grand. Ouch.

Sprinter?

Excursion would still be my first pick, followed by Suburban, followed by this.

Suburban et al. Excursion. Sequoia. E350 vans. All can comfortably seat 8 and tow your rig.

How about...

Micro Bird

Off lease Yukon Denali.

It may have been available with a duramax in '13 iirc

In reply to noddaz:

YES!

used but newer conversion van? its crazy how nice the newer ones are inside.

I guess technically they seat 7, not 8. Although I have seen a couple built on the extended/heavy duty vans that have 3 rows of captain chairs and a folding bench seat in the rear for 9 seats. crazy big.

Does it snow where you live?

We just got 50cm (almost 2 feet) of snow. Doesnt matter if you have a locker and studded winters in 2wd, you have a high likely hood of getting stuck.

So I dont know if 4wd is a consideration, but you should keep it in mind!

HiTempguy wrote: Does it snow where you live? We just got 50cm (almost 2 feet) of snow. Doesnt matter if you have a locker and studded winters in 2wd, you have a high likely hood of getting stuck. So I dont know if 4wd is a consideration, but you should keep it in mind!

No snow here in east Texas but we do spend 2-3 weeks in Michigan during snow season every year. My wife also has to drive out to oil rigs for her job every now and again, so 4wd is handy.
My dislike for Suburbans/Expeditions comes from borrowing an Escalade when the kids were little and having about 18 inches behind the back seat to put baby stuff, and using Expeditions to haul people in the field during my geophysics days and having similar gear space issues. For the size of the vehicle, they just don't use space very well. Not that I couldn't work around it, but I hate having to deal with someone else's design flaws.
I'd really like to call up Quigley and have them build me a proper 4x4 van, but I can't quite convince myself that it's money well spent.