Looking for a tow vehicle - Diesel Edition

keitho64

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Jan 18, 2017
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I am starting to look for a new tow vehicle. I tend to buy 1-2 year old cars and run them for a 100k miles or more.

In the past I had a 2004 Trailblazer extended with three row seats. I now have a Saab 97x (still a Trailblazer). The Saab is the shorter chassis with two row seating. Both of these had the 4.2 inline 6.

I tow a 30’ RV that weights 4,400 empty, probably pushing 5,000 full. The Trailblazer chassis tows them fine unless I’m in large hills. The drawback is fuel economy when towing at 65 is about 8mpg. Without the trailer it runs about 17mpg. I can squeak 20-21 highway if i stay under 75. Like that happens. [emoji2]

I’ve been looking at the VW Tourage, Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q7 all with the 3.0 turbo diesel. All of these are rated to tow 7,700 pounds and will get 11-14mpg towing, much better mileage without he trailer. I ruled out the Jeep due to my personal concerns of reliability.

I am spoiled with the Trailblazer / Saab as I put 160,000 miles on the Trailblazer and have 145,00 on the Saab. Other than an exhaust manifold every 40k the reliability has been fantastic. For that reason I am considering a gas engine Traverse but that is limited to 5,200 pounds and I’m afraid the gas mileage will suck. It does have a much better trans that I have now which may make towing easier.

Do any of you have experience with any of these? I’m curious how reliable they are, ease of towing, mileage when towing etc.

Thanks!
 

Outlaw

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Does your wife have anything against a full size SUV? Such as a Tahoe or Expedition? My folks have a 2017 Yukon and on the drive home from Laura GMC in St. Louis we saw just over 24 MPG with cruise control set at 72. It's rated to tow over 9,000#'s and has a drivetrain with a pretty proven track record. I've towed my enclosed car trailer with it a few times with a car inside and if I remember correctly I was seeing 12-13 on backroads with plenty of 25 mph towns and frequent stop signs.


When it comes to campers, weight is only half the battle. They have a high center of gravity and are about as aerodynamic as a school bus. Your 5,000# trailer is probably putting closer to 7,000#'s worth of strain on your vehicle due to wind resistance alone.

Personally, I like my load to be about 70% of what the vehicle is capable of, they're "max" ratings for a reason. Get something that's able to handle some adverse situations without pushing the vehicle to or beyond its limit, especially on long trips with your wife and children. I'm not harping on ya, but I cringe everytime I see someone towing a gigantic travel trailer with a traverse or other small SUV. It's just not safe in my opinion.
 

keitho64

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Jan 18, 2017
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I’ve looked at the Expedition and Tahoe’s, they are great just too big for us as an every day driver.

I know a diesel pickup, Ford or Chevy, would be a fantastic tow vehicle but just too big. If I graduate to a fifth wheel sometime I would likely go Dodge due to my preference for the Cummins engine.

The issue with towing on the highway is definitely the height. When towing the trailer it is like dragging a wall. The faster you try to go the worse it gets. I tend to keep it in the 65 range which is just right for my setup.

I keep hoping Chevy would come out with a mid size SUV with a diesel.
 

keitho64

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Jan 18, 2017
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Lol my thoughts exactly!!



I work for a company that has a large fleet. We have seen issues with reliability of the Jeeps. There have been issues with the transmissions, 4wd system and suspensions. I know part of it may be from the way there are driven but it left me a bit concerned. This was my reasoning for ruling the Jeeps out.

As for the reliability of the Audi, Porsche and VW that is why I posted this. I want to hear if anyone has any experience with them. I don’t and am trying to find out.

I’ve been spoiled with the Trailblazer/Saab as they both have been great.

Thx
 

MrMezger996

Formerly CobraSki
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Jun 12, 2015
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Hoffman Estates
I work for a company that has a large fleet. We have seen issues with reliability of the Jeeps. There have been issues with the transmissions, 4wd system and suspensions. I know part of it may be from the way there are driven but it left me a bit concerned. This was my reasoning for ruling the Jeeps out.

As for the reliability of the Audi, Porsche and VW that is why I posted this. I want to hear if anyone has any experience with them. I don’t and am trying to find out.

I’ve been spoiled with the Trailblazer/Saab as they both have been great.

Thx

Well my cousin just traded in his 2013 Cayanne for a 2019 Jeep GC. You will not want to service a Porsche, he had many small issues and all seemed to start out of warranty. I cant speak to Audi or VW. Again this is one example, doesn't mean Porsche is crap cause it certainly isn't, but cost of repair is definitely up there.
 

ragingclue

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Dec 19, 2013
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Guys tow some good stuff with the 2.8d in the twins, those are also rated at 7700. Plus you can get the CCLB if you'd like, more stability that way but you've got the turning radius of a battleship.

There are some dedicated towing threads on coloradofans.com if you're interested in looking into it more. They also cover what sort of mileage they see when towing, so there's some good info in there.

Went to help a customer out yesterday at a local diesel performance shop and they've got a Canyon out back waiting to drop a built longblock in it, they say it should do 550 to the wheels. I'm kind of skeptical and didn't ask how much it would cost or how much money would have to go into the tranny and other supporting mods, but that's pretty cool. There are plenty of more mild options as well if you don't feel like building the bottom end. It's a pretty proven engine globally but the aftertreatment is shit on a stick.
 
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