Something That Tows 5000lbs and Doesn't Suck to Drive.

So I am going round and round on this again.

Background: now that I have an enclosed trailer one of the features of the campervan (a place to change into my gear) isn't such a concern. I'm contemplating condensing the fleet. Read take the 1990 Ford E250 Camper and the 2011 Subaru Outback and swapping them out for one vehicle.

Here is the rub; I don't like full-size four door pick ups, for me they suck to drive everyday........I find them big and ponderous things.

So what sort options are there?

Hyundai Santa Cruz?

In reply to Apexcarver :

I test drove one and it didn't suck to drive.

x3 tows 4400 pounds is that enough?  

My 2019 Silverado High County 6.2 is anything but ponderous. It's like driving a very fast armchair. 

Any of the German mid size SUVs should work: Cayenne, X5, GLEXXX, Q7, etc. 

My 2016 Escalade has suprised me that is is quite nice to drive, but if I didn't need the space it has I would probably have a GLS550 instead. 

How much payload do you need after factoring in the tongue weight?

In reply to Tom1200 :

Any of the full size SUVs will do that without complaint.  Tahoe, Suburban, Expedition, Navigator, etc.   I've towed close to that with a V6 Explorer but only twice a year (boat to the lake in the spring and back in the fall) and while it would do it I wouldn't want to do it regularly.  Full size V8 for the win.   I'm pretty sure all the current GM and Ford products have IRS now too.

In reply to ojannen :

The the Datsun and the trailer weigh 4250.

A few years ago inside the Nissan Frontier brochure they had one towing a Z car.  Get a new trailer? LOL

My Acura MDX tows 5k and doesn't suck to drive. It sucks to fill it up with premium fuel and she is a pretty thirsty lil' beastie.

LT1 Caprice wagon.

Drop 250 lbs and you could tow with an eco boost Ford Flex. 4000lb towing capacity and is actually pretty nice to drive every day.

hobiercr said:

Drop 250 lbs and you could tow with an eco boost Ford Flex. 4000lb towing capacity and is actually pretty nice to drive every day.

There is no way to this. The trailer is 2500 empty and the Datsun is 1652lbs.

New 4runner? The new LC and 4runner would be a solid consideration for me but they only tow 6k and my trailer is almost 3800 empty. For your case that might be perfect. 

Now I'm considering a GX550. It's only money, right? 

Honda Pilot. 5k towing capacity and great driving environment.  Decent gas mileage and takes regular not premium. 

I'm gonna say it, explorer st.

If I could ever get down to the 11's with ours, it will haul ass and everything I hook to it.

I've been doing similar research to replace der Scheißwagen since my needs are very similar.  The Lexus GX460 is not bad to drive at all nor is the Armada, but they both definitely have a "truck" feel to them.  The Infiniti QX80 with the HBMC option is a little better.  I've been happy with the driving dynamics of my GL-class so the GLS450 with the biturbo M276 V6 seems like it might be a decent option.  In the 2016-2018 model year range.  I don't know if the M256 I6 in the 2019+ models is any good from a reliability standpoint, but I have heard that the V8 is problematic.

The reading from forums that I've done has led me to believe that the Pilot requires some babying to tow near its 5k capacity.  I really like them, though, and would love to hear that they're actually okay.  The 4Runner appears to be a decent choice for towing capacity, but also seems a little bit more trucky, if that's a concern.  I'd like to be able to consider an Explorer, but I'm not entirely convinced that the Ecoboost isn't going to require expensive maintenance, based on what I've read here and other places.  Again, I'd love to be proven wrong on that because they're nice to drive and the 3.5EB pulls so strong.

A dark horse candidate for you: Dodge Durango.  The only one I've driven was back in the mid 90s, when they first came out, but I checked one out when I was wandering the CarMax lot a couple weeks ago.  They appear to be reliable and the interior seems like a nice place to spend a lot of time. 

https://www.autotrader.com/car-news/short-lived-v8-powered-nissan-pathfinder-used-tow-rig-bargain-281474979940072

A QX80/QX56/Armada or Durango are my pick, both will pull nicely but not feel too big.   Good luck finding one but a V8 Pathfinder is sporty with some upgraded dampers, rated at 7000 and the smallest tugger.

Here's one.

Durangos and Grand Cherokees with the Hemi get up to 8700lbs with the right tow package. They have a much smaller footprint than a half ton truck or full size SUV (about 4 inches narrower, 8 inches shorter in length than a regular cab short bed, and ~6 inches shorter in height)

Cayennes/Touregs will also tow 7-8k properly equipped

I had a Frontier, but can't say enough about my new Ridgeline.  It may not pull like a 3/4 ton Dodge, but it rides nice, comfy and though not towing, I drove 400 miles this weekend at 77 - 82 mph and got 25.6 mpg.

Ridgeline is likely the droid you're looking for. It won't tow 5001 pounds (well, it will, but you'll hate it). But it's rated for 5000 and tows a small car on an open trailer very well and doesn't drive like a truck. 

In reply to Tom Suddard :

I really want to like the Ridgeline (and the Pilot, since I think they're basically the same drivetrain, right?) but it seems like getting close to its rated weight makes for a poor experience from what I've read.  How small of a car are you talking about?  I think my car plus the trailer is around 4,500lbs and I live - and tow through - a pretty non-flat part of the country.

In reply to wae :

I'm new to a Ridgeline coming from a lifetime of various 1/2 tons as daily use.

 I pulled a completely stuffed u-haul(biggest single axle box trailer) I'd guess weight at near 4k 1000 miles and was suprised at how well it did the job.

 Not thru mountains but far from flat,not too bad for gear dropping and the mpg was also pretty decent considering.

Its a '24 with the 9 sp,the older trucks with the 6sp have lots of trans problems so I'd avoid those imo.

Touareg TDI was the droid I was looking for. 7700-pound towing. Enough torque to move a loaded trailer with authority. Enough torque and HP to make it fun to drive and easy to maneuver through traffic. It's a better tow vehicle than my Suburban was and much easier to deal with when commuting. 

It also does a pretty good job of hauling my boat.