VERBOTN

@Sean

Yeah I know it just seemed to me that GM had their head in the feed more than others.

jscott82

Can't say that I have compared and contrasted all of the options mentioned but will put a plug in for the Armada. I have been towing with mine since 05 and love it. Factory tow package with air suspension is a must and it does uses premium fuel. I've heard some folks use regular, but the manual say premium and I stick to it.

Just helped a buddy move his 50-something Packard last weekend, good lord that thing was huge. Still pulled it like nothing there (open trailer)...

Kenneth Greenfield

Hi There,

While there has been some talk in this thread about the Porsche Cayenne, I would like to add a bit about it. I had an '09 Cayenne with the V-6. Towed a 28' trailer with a 3,000 lbs. car, associated spares, and a golf cart with no problem whatever.

While there has been a lot said abut MB's I had a 350 and it did not hold a candle to the Cayenne. The Cayenne is one of the most underrated SUV's on the market. It is only five seats and does require premium but I loved it to death as it was agile for 5,000 lbs. and a joy to drive in all conditions towing or not. The newer models have shed about 400 lbs which will help and they even have a hybrid model that will get 25 MPG on the highway.

I graduated to a 48' trailer recently and bought a Ford F-350 diesel. Great truck for heavier loads. Not needing the Cayenne for towing any longer I traded this week for a 2011 Panamera.

While this has nothing to do with this thread and a lot of the Porsche faithful hate it (as they do/did the Cayenne) it is a wonderful car and like the Cayenne it allows a Porsche enthusiast to drive with a comfortable car when you want more than two seats. The Panamera in my opinion is a far better car than an "S" class MB or a seven series BMW.

That is all off subject but please consider the Cayenne. I believe it will do all that you need and provide you with a super vehicle when not towing.

ajcjr

What type of 28' trailer? Did you use sway bars, weight distrubition hitch? Just wondering because i towed a 24' Haulmark with a 1500 Yukon XL and it towed fine but its also longer than the Cayenne but i would rather drive the Cayenne daily.

Thanks

M758

I don't see how that is possible.

28' trailer is going to be 3500lbs minimum + 3000lbs car = 6500lbs

Then add in 1000lbs golf cart + 200lbs for tires (minimum) and 200lbs for other grear = 7900lbs.

That is alot of weight and length for a cayenne of any engine size. That seems like mess waiting to happen.

Leigh2

I'd rather be driving a Cayenne than my ML320 which doesn't handle all that sharply...comfortable but definitely not in the Cayenne's league as far as handling. One of the problems here in Canada is that a comparable Cayenne is over $30,000 more than the ML (new) and the Cayennes depreciate faster than condoms. The ML's diesel is also a huge plus as it gets spectacular fuel economy and no arguing with 400 lb/ft of torque. Not great throttle response but at least your not dashing from gas station to gas station.
The SUVs make great day to day drivers especially in winter climates and for the maybe 5% of the time I spend towing I'm not willing to drive a huge heffalump pickup truck...and don't want to buy one and have it sit for 95% of the time. No question that towing with a smaller SUV is a compromise...but it does work.

Marks951

A durango is a good option as long as it has the 5.7 hemi, they can be found with rear air, 3rd row seat, dvd, and navigation pretty cheap.

The Jeep Cherokee is also in the same category but doesn't have the third row, but does have AWD.

If you'd consider the MB or AUDi you should look at an Explorer, their tow capacity is close, but they can be found with AWD, the 4.6 V8, navigation, rear air, 3rd row seat, and DVD pretty reasonable. It's not as big as the Expedition, but the 330 other days of the year when it's not towing it is great around town.

If it's a dedicated tow vehicle, then step up to a truck or an Excursion.

Rob in VA

According to http://www.toyota.com/sequoia/specs.html it has a towing capacity of 6,900.

M758

Toyota re-rated the sequoia based on a new SAE towing standard. They are the first auto maker to do that. But also remember the tow rating is
lower with the base V8 as compared to the 5.7L.

The 4.6L = 6900lbs an 5.7L = 7400. I think it used to be 10k in 2008-2010.

JimmiLew

Just went through this. YUKON DENALI XL is the winner for me. I love it! With the trailer you tow, you wont event feel it back there. I love my truck and I've only had it 2 days!

jittsl

If you can get away with 5 seats then you can't go past the cayenne for towing an open trailer. Failing that my best bud has a Q7 with the diesel and it does a wonderful job of fitting lots of people and towing his 996 on aluminum trailer. People who recommend American trucks have never done thousand mile days in German comfort.

mooty

^ that's what i thougt. i hated american cars.
then i bought a new cayenne gts and a new GMC 2500 duramax slt. towing or not, i like the gmc a lot more than pepper. but that's me. certainly better than my bmw's.

mooty

heehee. you actually got an suv. i have the TRUCK.
i really love it. so much so, i want a dually now.

multi21

I would never tow a car with an open trailer let alone an enclosed with the the MB ML series. That is not made for that kind of weight, wheel base is too short and I'd worry about the rear wagging the dog.

FWIW, I'd love to get a diesel SUV, but can't seem to find a good reason to part with my 2000 Yukon XL. Almost 11 years old, 100,000 miles, room for everyone in the family and nice leather interior. Just towed car for 6 hours yesterday in rain and traffic without stopping. VERY COMFORTABLE.

mooty

^ second that. unfortunately the big suv's now dont come in diesels ugh.