Which car, or ummm... truck. I mean SUV?

My wife wants a MiniVan and while I feel the whole utility thing I am leaning a bit to SUV/Crossover. Why you ask? Easy.

1) I sorta like AWD so I feel a bit more ok with her being out in bad weather. Its nice to have one AWD in the fleet I think. 2) Can't think of a MiniVan that will tow 5000lbs. I have access to a truck but I like the idea of being able to tow my car to track days so I don't have to worry about driving it home if something goes wrong.

Right now I am a bit interested in the Trailblazer family but have given some consideration to others. Tahoe/Suburban is a maybe but I don't NEED quite that much room and the size makes them a bit harder to drive not to mention the MPG hit.

As such I ask you gentle friends... what say ye? Ponder me some ideas and help me figure out what to buy next.

I can't think of anything (non-diesel anyway) that averages more than 19-20 mpg and can tow 5,000 lbs. If you find one let me know!

The new Jeep Grand Cherokee is quite nice (built on the ML platform), has AWD, the new 3.6L V6 is fairly powerful, can tow 5,000 lbs, but averages about 19mpg.

The trailblazer can be sort of nice, but the interior is dated and fugly. I like my friends Trailblazer SS (LS2 powered) but it averages somewhere in the mid teens mpg.

The new Tahoe is pretty sweet. Gorgeous interior, classy exterior, powerful standard 5.3L V8 and averages about 19mpg which is saying a lot for something that big.

The Toyota Rav 4 V6 is very powerful and gets awesome mileage (my wife is averaging 25 mpg) but it is only rated at 3,500 lbs towing.

The brand new Explorer, check the test drive up this morning at autoblog

An Astro was available with AWD (or was that 4WD?) and will tow 5000lb.

SAAB 97x Aero. Trailblazer SS with the LS whatever and a swanky Swedish interior.

mtn wrote: SAAB 97x Aero. Trailblazer SS with the LS whatever and a swanky Swedish interior.

Those do look pretty nice. Weird, really.

tuna55 wrote: The brand new Explorer, check the test drive up this morning at autoblog

That is what I am going after next. 290Hp V6 - will pull 5000 lbs with the towing package.

I saw one of the Trailblazer family this week up here in North Bay - it was an Isuzu badged version with Florida plates. I didn't know they made an Isuzu one!

80's-90's Suburbans are dirt cheap now. The price difference compared to a newish SUV buys a lot of gas ...

slantvaliant wrote: 80's-90's Suburbans are dirt cheap now. The price difference compared to a newish SUV buys a lot of gas ...

Word. I ended up with a similar vintage truck but with hindsight, I probably would've been better off with a Suburban. It was just a matter of what showed up first on CL...

That said, if you're not living in flat country, a mid-nineties truck or Suburban with the 350 will feel rather underpowered. I have to go over a pass to work and while it does an OK job, it still has me wondering how GM managed to waste that much displacement on an engine this anemic. If I'd go shopping for another one I'd consider one with a big block but I shudder at the thought of the increased fuel consumption - I'm only getting about 15mpg as is...

miatame wrote: I can't think of anything (non-diesel anyway) that averages more than 19-20 mpg and can tow 5,000 lbs. If you find one let me know!

The H3 comes with AWD and can tow 4500 lbs with the 5 cylinder and automatic. My dad's knocks down 20 mpg with mostly highway miles. It can tow more with the V8 but I'm guessing the mileage will take a hit. I dont know his mileage when he's towing, however.

I have to agree with the Saablazer.

V6 Toyota 4Runner. Right around 20 mpgs, tows 5000 pounds, and is from the era when Toyota didn't suck. Still body on frame design with a solid rear axle and real 4WD with a proper low range.

there are days ive wondered how similar a 5.3L powered trailblazer/rainier/ascender/9-7x/bravada/envoy variant would be to my SS (mostly when i fill up) as theyre often 4wd rather than awd and still have lots of grunt in what i'd call a rather nice driving midsize with a proper drivetrain and frame for towing small/medium stuff.

dinger wrote: V6 Toyota 4Runner. Right around 20 mpgs, tows 5000 pounds, and is from the era when Toyota didn't suck. Still body on frame design with a solid rear axle and real 4WD with a proper low range.

HUGE cash for what you get though.

Just a thought here, while it's nice to own a vehcile that can do all, I'm thinking buy something AWD, gets better mileage that you've been accepting in the compromise, and then rent (horrors) a truck for when you need to tow the race car.

It'a a cost/how often do you use it thing. If you're towing the race car/other autos or need to tow often, then, it makes sense. But, if you're towing only a couple of times a years, say even 5-9times during the summer, how much $$ would you spend over the course of the year just to do that compared to having a more fuel efficent vehicle for the other 95% of the year it's used.

I've been wondering about this recently. A trailer I can see buying, buy why should I settle for 18-20mpg year round when I'm only going to need that capability 5-7 times a summer.? Haven't crunched the numbers, but a couple of "almost" projects have come up, as did this topic..

1999 Toyota Tacoma 4X4 with a V6 and manual. Gets just over 21 MPG in daily driving yet can tow 5,000 pounds.

David

xterra/pathfinder with the 4.0 (pathfinder now comes with the titan's 5.6L as an option) gets over 20mpg highway (I usually get 23 highway) and will tow 6000lbs with the factory/aftermarket valley hitch.

edit: so will the frontier and the (cheaper) suzuki equator that is a rebadged frontier.

Saablazer huh... The wife likes quirky.

Isuzu version? Interesting... I like it.

New Tahoe getting almost 20mpg... Considered it and it is impressive.

Toyota... She don't like em.

New Jeep, Ford, Insert other new truck name... They are new. Want circa 2000-2005 ish for the right combo of wife acceptance and low price.

Old school Subdubburbanosity or the like... See above. Not really in the sweet spot of lush features vs price but a good thought.

"something AWD, gets better mileage that you've been accepting in the compromise"... Ok, I'll bite. Ideas? CRV and the like are a we bit smaller and the wife wants something with a bit more space and I don't really gain SO many MPG that giving up the capability of the slightly larger truck seems a given.

I should also say that we have two Foresters with one going to my mom and another to Craigslist as she just wants something bigger.

Added info... I'm hoping to stay in the $6000-$10,000 area and she HAS expressed interest in a Envoy XL she checked out on a used lot.

Given the above and the price range anyone think I am way off base or have any other very cool thoughts?

If going Trailblazer/Envoy, the Saab is the most interesting to me. This is ofcourse if they have taken the big depreciation hit that I hope they have. All GM mechanicals just some unique bodywork and interior trim.

triumph5 wrote: Just a thought here, while it's nice to own a vehcile that can do all, I'm thinking buy something AWD, gets better mileage that you've been accepting in the compromise, and then rent (horrors) a truck for when you need to tow the race car. It'a a cost/how often do you use it thing. If you're towing the race car/other autos or need to tow often, then, it makes sense. But, if you're towing only a couple of times a years, say even 5-9times during the summer, how much $$ would you spend over the course of the year just to do that compared to having a more fuel efficent vehicle for the other 95% of the year it's used. I've been wondering about this recently. A trailer I can see buying, buy why should I settle for 18-20mpg year round when I'm only going to need that capability 5-7 times a summer.? Haven't crunched the numbers, but a couple of "almost" projects have come up, as did this topic..

Excellent points here. Just one thing to add though. I went through this process myself, and did some research. At least in my neck of the woods, finding a vehicle that you can rent which is capable of towing is hard to do and expensive. Enterprise, etc...have very limited fleets of vehicles such as this, and they are quite costly.

In the beginning of your post, you mentioned minivan. If you do decide to forgo the 5000lb tow requirement, and you have the use for a minivan versitility, don't overlook them. They're FWD, so snow traction is good. I drove ours through a few pretty decent snow storms with no troubles. That was on all season tires. It'd be even better with snow shoes on. I'd only hesitate in a huge blizzard, but for the other 95% of storms, no problem. Great at hauling people and stuff, handle more like a car than truck.

If you do insist on SUV, what about the Pathfinder?

triumph5 wrote: It'a a cost/how often do you use it thing. If you're towing the race car/other autos or need to tow often, then, it makes sense. But, if you're towing only a couple of times a years, say even 5-9times during the summer, how much $$ would you spend over the course of the year just to do that compared to having a more fuel efficent vehicle for the other 95% of the year it's used.

I've given up using logic like this. Once somebody decides they 'need' an SUV, there is no arguement on earth that will persuade them otherwise...

I don't NEED an SUV. I am however a victim of too many things parked in the yard and having a multitasker seems more appealing than 2 unitaskers.

With that said I am not fully anti Minivan, there are even a few AWD ones including the forum darling, the Astro which CAN tow.

I drove a 9-7X for six months earlier this year. It felt a lot smaller inside than I expected from the size it was outside. Having said that, it was a solid and powerful enough ride (this one had the 6, so I'm sure a V8 would be heaps o'fun.)

About that quirky SAAB interior: look out for the ignition switch, which is mounted SAAB-correctly in the console. Ergonomically excellent, but maybe just a little rushed through engineering: it occasionally refused to release the key until you beat it up and/or slammed the gear lever around. There was, as far as I could tell, not pattern to the frequency/duration of this issue. I believe my sister (the original lessee) had it back to the dealer a couple of times for this, but it wasn't cured.

FWIW, she now has an EX35 and can't get over how little gas she's using (and she is NOT a light-right-foot girl.)

mndsm wrote:

dinger wrote: V6 Toyota 4Runner. Right around 20 mpgs, tows 5000 pounds, and is from the era when Toyota didn't suck. Still body on frame design with a solid rear axle and real 4WD with a proper low range.

HUGE cash for what you get though.

i agree, it was between the xterra off road with all the bells and whistles with nearly 3 years and over 30k of warranty left and 07 or 08 4runners 5-10k out of warranty.

nice thing about the toyotas though, is the 4wd system on the v6 models is 2wd, AWD with center torsen diff, full-on 4x4 with locked center diff, and 4lo with locked center diff. some of the later 08 and 09's even were available with a locking rear diff. the v8 models i'd shy away from, 15/19 mpg, they were available in 2wd, but the 4wd models were Awd or locked 4hi, 4lo only, which makes a dent in fuel economy. the v8 also had a timing belt which needs to be changed at 60-70k.