The Audi is nice, but why not save $10k and get the VW Touareg TDI. That's my vehicle, and it pulls my car/open trailer just fine. Tow rated at 7700 lbs. Fantastic DD also.

 

...cough cough...ahem....bact to the subject at hand... the other option is keep your current tow rig and get a nice sedan to deal with the DD side of it... as nice as most are the SUV's are a bit of a compromise between a really good sedan and a truck, and they don't really have the capability of the truck to pull an loaded enclosed trailer...

 

I have not towed with the Touareg yet...just had a hitch installed. BUT...it's a great vehicle !

 

Cayenne S......or Turbo

I absolutely love mine for towing and for a DD.....

 

'07 or later Tahoe. Maybe not as well appointed or as sexy but it has more room than all of the above mentioned and gets better mileage.

I had an '07 Tahoe and traded it on an '05 Cayenne S (long story and it involves having twins). For my purposes the Tahoe was the better vehicle.

 

Hmm. I'll take a look at those. Aren't they close to a Cayenne?

Yeah, I like the H2, but have 50k on it now. So, I'm skeptical if it will hold up.
The S is def at the top of the list.
Wifey has an Escalade...almost the same ride as the Tahoe. We have two small ones also, so she has exclusive use. It's a great car for many different purposes.

 

Thanks guys! Any of you had bad experiences with tow vehicles? For example, the H2 pulls pretty good and is cool to drive, BUT, the swing gate for the spare tire is always in the way when I'm towing a trailer. I have to drop the trailer to get into the rear.

Oh and also the 06' is a 5 speed auto...6 speed would be smoother.

 

If you want to go offroad or put a bunch of things in your car, go for the LR4. The interior volume is actually pretty cavernous for the car's dimensions. And it'll tow at least 7800 lbs.

 

Yeah, I do like the new design and the upped hp. But doesn't it get like 13mpg?

 

The biggest issue I see with your list is that they all have a short wheelbase. The larger the wheelbase, the more stable and smoother the ride when towing.

I have a Ford Explorer Sport Trac V8. 7000lb towing capacity. It's wheelbase is I believe a foot longer than a regular Explorer's is. With the independant rear suspension, it is quite comfortable to drive as a daily driver. Never had an issue pulling my open trailer (Steel with a full wood deck) to Waktins Glen, Summit Point, Lime Rock...etc.

And with the rear truck bed, I can throw all my junk in there without messing up the interior! (The back seats are a bit 'upright' but I don't sit back there at all...)

-Z-man.

 

I love the LR4 but couldn't swallow the fuel mileage. Apparently, they're incredibly heavy for their size. You could probably get into single digit mileage with a trailer!

 

Absolutely love my CS. (65K miles and still pulling strong... in all honesty, put 50 K miles on this car and have yet to have a single mechanical issue, plus my 100,000 mile CPO is good until 2013).

I now pull a trailex enclosed (spare wheels, gear, tools, car, etc is close to 6,000 lbs). Brakes are awesome... no glitches whatsover, towed from VIR to WGI last season. Get around 11-12 mpg towing... and she's my daily driver into philly every day. Extremely comfortable car to drive around town.. it's a tight sqeeze, but I do get two carseats and a booster in the second row for my three daughters, 90 lb dog in the back, thule rack on top and we're off for a long weekend with the family. I can even park in "compact car only" spots in my underground garage at work in the city. Amazingly versatile vehicle. Will drive this to the ground and then buy another one.

Yes, agree with the criticism on the wheelbase... but it's worked for me and I've yet to have a "tail wagging the dog" experience.. important to have a tongue scale and properly distribute weight and have a good electronic brake controller.

 

As a recovering British SUV owner I would urge you to stay with other makes. I have actually walked away from it on the side of the road in disgust hoping someone would make it go away. Finally gave it to the GM dealer and got denali which worked great. In all fairness I still have a thing for Rovers but have sworn off the brand.

 

Ya know, the new one looks pretty darn good.

I get like 8mph with H2 and a trailer...
Hmmm. Might need to give Wally a call.
Now that is scary. You think the new LR4 is still as bad? I've heard some scary maintenance stories about the brand.

 

Lets just say I like everything about the brand, design function, style, interior, etc...........the one thing it lacked was "reliability". One measure might be the used car section of your local MB, BMW or Porsche lot, typically they have several gently used models.....just saying.

I hope they are more reliable its been two years and if you have more than 2 vehicles to drive and they provide free towing service you should be good to go