Bull

There is something else about the vehicle limitting towing capacity, which is NOT based solely upon the engine power. Another big consideration is brakes. The rest of the drivetrain and the chassis/suspension also come into consideration. That is why a 3/4 ton pickup can have a higher towing capacity then a 1/2 ton pickup with the same engine.

TRWright

I have towed with my friend's gas v10 excursion, and it feels great. He wanted the diesel, but got a great deal on the triton v10, so he went with it. I have even used my ex-land rover discovery, and that did better than I had expected. These vehicles were pulling a car on an open steel trailer.

DCLee

I tow with a Nissan Armada LE, it tows 9,100 lbs. and the drivetrain is incredible-- smooth, refined, and very Lexus-like. Big aluminum block V-8, load-levelling air suspension, decent leather int., etc., etc. A zillion times better than my Tahoe for towing. I drive it to work occasionally, no probs.

http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/gt...s_02_copy1.jpg



Lee in D.C.
'04 GT3 RS Clone

Jack667

I tow with a 3/4 ton Suburban. Not much to add to this thread regarding that.

However, have you considered a van? I haven't scoured the thread to see if it's been mentioned, but full size vans with V8's have some great towing capacities. You may want to look into that if you're considering all solutions

gbaker

People I know who tow with vans swear by them. Lots of room and relatively good value as they are not as popular as SUVs. Most of these racers have faced the same 95% street, 5% tow issue mentioned here and bought the van as a dedicated tow vehicle. I think Ford makes a tacked-out conversion van good for 10,000#. Makes sense if you have a place to put it.

The buffed up Durango is impressive. A friend tows a 40' travel trailer with the 8,900# capacity version with no complaints.

ltc

Agreed. Interesting that the Cayenne brakes are the same, except for paint (black, silver or red).

JPhillips-998

Assuming you are including torque with engine power, alot of the vehicles towing capability is in the type of frame or chassis the is used. Big box frames like in the pickup trucks can tow several tons b/c of their beefy chassis. While a small SUV may have more hp than some of the trucks, most are based on a car or station wagon chassis that can't handle the weight and pull of a huge trailer.

I was surprised to see the new LR3 can tow 7700 #s.

Bull

And, how much does calliper paint cost????

Alan Herod

Since, I like many would use the tow vehicle more for general use then for towing. How about posting the non-towing mpg as well. I saw both the Nissan and the Toureg towing mpg, but not the non-towing numbers. Currently we have an Escalade which I have never used for towing which gets 15-17 on the highway. We keep accurate records of every fill-up. I shudder to think what it would get with a loaded trailer behind it. The Escalade will probably not be available for towing by the time I get a trailer and I will need to consider something else more appropriately sized. Required to haul four people in comfort on occasion in addition to occasional weekend towing. 10 MPG would be pretty dreadful for a daily driver.

DrJupeman

I mentioned it earlier, but my Excursion diesel gets 19-20 mpg highway, 15 mpg around town, and 8-10 towing a 20' box (maybe 7000# all loaded).

I believe the newer models with smaller but more powerful engines and 5 speed trannies do better. A friend gets 15-17mpg with his towing an open Trailex carrying a Boxster S.

penguinking

RWD or AWD? while researching suburbans (starting to look like the strongest tow SUV) i noticed the RWD models have higher towing capacities than the AWD versions...shouldnt an AWD car be able to tow more because it has more traction? am i a hazzard if i tow an enclosed trailer with a RWD suburban?

Bull

Usually, a 4wd version of a vehicle is rated slightly lower than the 2wd version simply because the 4wd is heavier. The extra weight eats up some of the max combined weight of the tow rig and loaded trailer. It has nothing to do with "traction" or pulling power.

Pulling power is one factor of the tow rating of a vehicle, but has little to do with safety in towing. Think about weight, chassis, and brakes when picking a tow vehicle. Power and fuel mileage are secondary issues.

ngoldrich

Mine is 4 wheel drive and rated for 11,000 lbs. I pull 10,000 with no problem. My last one was 4 wheel drive as well. You need to get the 4.10 gear and 3/4 ton and 8.1 liter in the GMC/Chev to tow that much. I also have autoride...

Norm

kary993

The GMC Yukon Denali in either XL or not will tow 8000 lbs without issue.

Larry Herman

I'd agree with that. I tow about ~5500-6000 lbs with mine and there are times where I have spun the front tires under hard acceleration. It's a little unsettling as the truck suddenly veers in another direction, but a quick lift and then a little easier on the gas straightens it out.