Gary R.

I wouldn't tow big enclosed with it or any other SUV....... click on the "this" here or in the previous in the post and it goes to the MB site with specs.

audipwr1

Cayenne pulls my atc over the grapevine right along with the big boys

A 350 diesel would be better but not much else

Clark-ApexPerformance

Traded in my 2004 Ram 3500 Cummins diesel for a new one last January. Got another Ram Cummins (3500 Limited) as they are the highest rated towing package for all pick ups. Something like 30,500 Lbs. Cummins doesn't make farm equipment or passenger cars. They make diesel engines and they do it well. 35% of the over the road tractors you see on the highway have Cummins engines in them.
We tow a 53' featherlite. Loaded it weighs in the neigborhood of 17,000#. This new Ram doesn't even know the trailer is there.
I talked myself out of a new truck for 2 years as our old one only had 92,000 miles on it but all the upgrades were calling me. List was 73,500 and they immediately went to 61,500.
We are on the road up to 25 weekends a year so it wasn't too hard justifying the expense.

skxf430

Go diesel in whatever you get. I love the range on a diesel compared with petrol.

GM is already discounting their 2016's up to 20% off sticker.

jlanka

7K tow rating, where the Expedition is 9.2K. I personally need a big SUV due to my skiing requirements but other than that that Merc certainly looks nice.

Gary R.

500+ HP, HUGE brakes, and a hoot to drive (for an SUV!)..

kk2

I know this isn't what you want to hear, BUT if you are SERIOUSLY considering using it as a tow vehicle get a 3/4 ton diesel.

You'll spend the money sooner or later.

1/2 ton with an open is doable, but you'll want an enclosed eventually. An enclosed will be more cumbersome even with a 1/2 ton that has a 13k lb capacity. A 3/4 ton will save you from buying twice.

alexaqui

I have been researching trailers for the past two weeks now that I own a real race car (yay!). My proposed two vehicle is a Cayenne Diesel. Most of the dealers were dead set against anything bigger than 20" and aluminum. For the custom route they were worried about adding too much weight to the front area. That 7.7k and 6xx lb tongue limit approach quickly with gear. Longer trailers seem dangerous as the wheelbase on the Cayenne is pretty short compared to the big trucks. When I mentioned I was going to delay my purchase for a bit as I research trucks, they all said smart move (even though it means loss of a sale in the near term).

rlm328

I have had Fords and Dodges. The Ford F150 is a far superior ride to the Dodge 1500 with the hemi. Towing capacity for all of the 1/2 ton vehicles are comparable. My F150 was good on fuel and I cannot remember any maintenance issues. I traded it in on an F250 as it was not safe to pull my 26-ft enclosed trailer with, or I would still have it.

paradocs98

Really good point, and I may need to rethink all of this.

Thanks everyone for the input!

XPC5

I have a '14 Ram 2500 diesel, as mentioned before, resale value is so much better with any diesel. All 3 diesel trucks I have owned had great resale value, even with high miles. It makes trading out/upgrading much less painful. When shopping I found the Ram had the quickest steering, and generally tighter handling than the Ford or Chevy. More like a really stiff 1/2 ton pickup. It is shorter too by a few inches. My '08 F250 felt much more bus like. The testosterone also likes the nice round 800ft/lbs (my gen) -900ft/lbs (in the '17s) of torque.

For occasional use, its tough to beat the ecoboost fords. great answer for light use, open trailer work. I also had a Jeep GC with Hemi for a few years which handled open trailer work well. Power and brakes were good, but stability in rough weather was wanting. Its those times in rainstorms, cross winds, when you hear the jaws theme music, and start mumbling " I think we need a bigger truck "

mannym5

I tow with a 2015 ram 1500 ecodiesel and it pulls very well. I get 19mpg when towing an open trailer and mid 20's average when not towing. Slightly less mpg with the enclosed trailer but it tows effortlessly and the air suspension is very cool how it adjusts to tongue weight. Very smooth truck compared to 2500-3500 models. Lot of truck for the money.

dogger15

I didn't see what kind of trailer the OP intended to tow if/when he started trailering his car. I was advised by many on here to go with a diesel 2500HD for towing any enclosed trailer carrying a race car and support equipment. If the choice is an open trailer, I think any full size 1500 will perform adequately. I think the type of trailer will need to be determined before deciding on a truck.

My trailer weighs around 9000lbs loaded so my choice was simple. With a hitch weight around 1000lbs (10-15%), I would either be right on or over the limit for any 1500 WC hitch.

Since I was switching from a Toyota Tundra, I had no brand loyalty in the 2500 segment. I looked at all four of the offerings and liked various features on each one. I settled on the GMC Sierra because it had one feature I had to have, an extended cab with a 230" overall length so it would fit in my garage.

Opinions on the best truck brands are like belly buttons, everybody has one. I like them all, and all are well built and more than enough for most tasks. You just have to spend some time checking them all out and see which one best meets your needs. Keep in mind what a previous poster pointed out, unloaded pickups are not the greatest in conditions where rear wheel traction's required. Probably safest to leave it in the garage during winter if you live in the snow belt.

LuigiVampa

First QX56 was a 2006. I used it to tow an open trailer for several years - zero problems.

Bought an enclosed trailer and six months later, at around 180k, the transmission imploded.

Traded the 2006 in for a 2010. Towed the enclosed trailer for six months and transmission blew up around 140k.

Enclosed trailer is at the absolute limit of its towing capacity and the hills from CT to WGI were tough on the QX56.

The 2010 QX56 has a rebuilt tranny but I never use it to tow anymore. Ford F350 diesel pulls the enclosed as if it isn't there - even uphill to WGI. With only 33k miles on it I hope it last as long as I do!

winders

I have had my F350 diesel since I bought it new in late 2001. It has 170K+ miles on it and has been a joy to own and tow with. I don't see myself replacing it any time soon. It has been the single best vehicle purchase I have ever made.