gums

I'm sure you've been over this a thousand times, but a new year is at hand and now it's my turn for a truck. Here are my guidelines:
-seat 6
-Tow 6,000 lbs.
-Not too huge, gotta go into NYC occasionally
-run on regular fuel or diesel, no premium
-Cool interior for kids that are growing

So far I'm thinking (and by the way; likely used):
-Yukon Denali
-Escalade
-Benz GL (SDI)

Any thoughts/additions/experience?

Larry Herman

Actually I loved my old Denali. 6K lbs, no problem. BTW the Escalade runs on premium.

Veloce Raptor

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Gary R.

Gums - Diesel is pretty much the same cost as premium, though you will normally get better milage from a diesel. For an SUV (new) I would go with the big Yukon, used it's the 05 Excursion diesel...

93 FireHawk 968

What about the Infiniti Q56 or Nissan Armada? Don't they have 7000lb plus towing? I've driven the Infiniti and it's pretty nice inside.

Chris M.

If you want to easily seat 6 then an Expedition or Expedition EL is the way to go. Towing capacity is 87-9200 depending on spec. The 3rd row seating folds flat into the floor when not in use and raises and lowers at the touch of a button.

I like the looks of the GM products (Tahoe, Yukon, and Escalade) but the 3rd row is a pain since it has to be completely removed when you don't want it and reinstalled when you do. If you get a Yukon XL or Suburban then it might be possible to leave the 3rd row in all the time since you will have more cargo room behind it. XL, Suburban, and Expedition EL are all pretty huge.

Since you say 6000 I'm assuming you're talking enclosed? If so I wouldn't go without one of the huge ones.

cannon1000

Toyota LandCruiser or Lexus Equivalent are great trucks.

Believe it or not, a Nissan Pathfinder tows 7000 lbs. I towed my boat regularly with mine. It is much more nimble than my Expedition I used to have before it, Premium is only "recommended"...I use Regular all the time with no issues. It's not as wide as the other trucks, so three grown ups on the 2nd row are as tight as they would be in a good sedan (it does have three rows).

kush07

Toyota sequoia. Tows almost 10,000 lbs. Three rows. Third row is legitimately comfortable for adults and folds flat at the push of a button. Ton of space for gear with the third row down. Big, yes, but makes plenty of NYC trips.

GT3 Techno

My Mercedes GL 350 Bluetec is the best car I ever had. Can tow my 20 feet ATC enclosed trailer with ease, has plenty of room inside, very comfortable and can go on a full tank for a while... I had and Audi Q7 4,2L and I wouldn't trade back the GL for it.

schwank

Excursion PSD. Oh wait, not TOO huge. Good towing, or not huge. Pick one

jonmacs22

I've done this tow vehicle dance four different times. Be very careful as you tread down this path when it comes to SUVs.

6000lbs is not just 6000lbs, it depends on what form it is in and what else you will need to carry inside the vehicle. For instance, if you buy a trailex enclosed trailer and put your car in it, you will be at about 6k lbs. Here's the problem, you are not allowed to use a WDH on a trailex. So now you have all of the tongue weight on the rear axle. Plus, you likely carry about 200 lbs of tools, spares, EZ-Up tent, clothing, etc in the back of the SUV, so now you have even more weight over the rear axle and the SUV will drive horribly.

If you could provide some additional input into what you are towing (enclosed, type, etc) it would help. The most recent SUV I towed with was a 2008 Yukon Denali, it had the best gas motor I've ever towed with (my current 5.7L Tundra motor is a very close second), BUT the rear suspension STUNK, the brakes were barely able to accomplish the mission, and the tires had to be upgraded.

gums

Keep the input coming, guys, it's very helpful. I'm towing my 2900 lb race car on a 1000 lb aluminum open trailer, that's why I said 6000 total; to give plenty of extra margin.
GMC Acadia is marginal for that reason.
I road tested a Toyota Land Cruiser yesterday and had to rule it out; third row is only for amputees.
So far I'm leaning towards the M-B GL, seems so nice.
But I'm waiting to see the new Durango as well.
Sequoia, Yukon, etc still in the running.

cannon1000

It's a tough combo for sure.

The Pathfinder isn't sexy per se, but it is great in city traffic, easy to park, reliable, has three rows, can hold a lot of stuff and can tow. (Cheap too). It is built on a proper truck frame as well. They got rid of the infiniti equivalent.

You can look at one size up (Armada/Q56). I am not sure what "Too Big" means to you.

The Toyota ForeRunner may be able to tow that much, it couldn't when I bought my truck back in '07.

The Cayenne of course gets you that towing power - but it doesn't pass your Premium Fuel test.

Whatcha' thinking ??

Veloce Raptor

You said going into NYC? You need an armored 3/4 ton Suburban.









Professional Racing and Driving Coach

jonmacs22

Ok, this is a completely different story now.

open aluminum trailer is a non-event. So long as you are not planning on upgrading to a 22-24ft enclosed unit anytime soon, ANY of those SUVs will work.

If you do not care about mileage (mpgs) on a daily basis, then go find yourself a Denali, I HIGHLY recommend it. Also, I highly recommend the brand new 2011 Touareg, it is a great tow vehicle and in diesel format when unloaded, it turns some incredible mpgs (19/28).

For towing this sort of load, you do not need to go the Denali XL or Suburban route, that is more length than is needed, and unless you get the 2500 version of the Suburban, the tow the same (because the suspension, brakes, and motor are 100% the same as the standard length Yukon/Tahoe).

The other person who mentioned the GL diesel may also have a good recommendation, but I do not know how softly sprung those are (soccer mom happiness).

Best of luck, with the type of load you have described, you have tons of leeway.