Tow Vehicle/Pickup truck HELP

[papou]

The two strongest contenders to fit the OP's needs are not on the list:

- Ford F150
- Honda Ridgeline

Among the trucks listed in this thread, the Ridgeline is by far the most versatile and the best daily driver (independent rear suspension). A short test drive on a bumpy road will bear this out (as it has for many Ridgeline owners who came from other brands). I get 24 MPG US on the highway. Among the mid-sized trucks, it is the only one that has a full-sized cab that can comfortably carry five adults, and the only one that has four feet between the wheel wells for carrying standard construction supplies. It is the only truck with a trunk, which is shockingly handy. It will probably remain reliable for twice as long as the GMC or Nissan. It has the best slippery-road handling among pick-ups. It only handles moderate off-roading, and can only be lifted 2in. Some aftermarket accessories will cost more due to its unique shape.

BTW, disregard MSRP, as Honda oddly does not advertise rebates. Also, the people who wrote some of the Ridgeline commercials appear to be on some serious drugs. Eesh.

The Ridgeline will tow your boat very well. Your older LSV will be well within its 5000 lb towing capacity. I did same-day head-to-head comparison with a 1997 Silverado (w/tow package) for handling while towing my XLV. The only thing that the Ridgeline could use is extension mirrors. It is designed and now assembled in the U.S.A. See http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums for a deluge of information, including honest comparisons by many people who were really doing their homework while shopping.

I probably would not pass up a Touareg if some fantastic bargain on one crossed my way. However, the OP wants a pickup truck.

The Avalanche is also very versatile and has rear coils springs for better comfort... but again I would not buy one because is made by GM.

Ford seems to be the only Detroit brand that seems to finally "get it" with respect to quality, and that's only recently. They also have a new line of efficient engines for their trucks. Both Ford and Honda are expected to have entirely new offerings in their trucks by next spring, so my advice is to wait until then if you can stand to do so. Then you'll have both old and new models from which to choose for these strong brands.

I strongly agree with the other posters about 4WD. You will probably encounter a situation where it will prevent a VERY stressful issue, whether or not the boat is involved, compared to a RWD-only truck. It will probably avoid a great many marginally troublesome situations, too.

comming from a Ridgeline i could say that pulling my boat on the highway it was not strong enough it was very hard on gas if your pulling more than 3500 LB i would`t buy a Ridgeline . My new truck is a f 150 with a 5.4 it pulls great and cheaper then the Ridgeline on gas on the highway.

[Ian Brantford]

comming from a Ridgeline i could say that pulling my boat on the highway it was not strong enough it was very hard on gas if your pulling more than 3500 LB i would`t buy a Ridgeline . My new truck is a f 150 with a 5.4 it pulls great and cheaper then the Ridgeline on gas on the highway.

What year of Ridgeline did you have? I bought a 2009 model (when 2008 models were still around and discounted) specifically because of the engine/transmission revisions that were made then. While its peak torque/power is barely changed, it has significantly more mid-range torque. Yes, you have to let it rev up on the uphill areas. It's made to do that, though it feels weird if you are used to V8's. I expect that when more people start using Ford's new high-output 3.5L V6 Ecoboost engine for trucks, there will be a lot more popular comfort with this notion.

Yes, the fuel efficiency drops quite a bit when towing heavy, possibly even lower than a recent V8 full-size when on the highway. Given that the handling is stable and that towing accounts for a minority of my driving time, I would not trade the Ridgeline for a vehicle that is far less appropriate for my needs the rest of the time. I have a full-size truck available (Dad's Silverado) anytime that I want to use it. I don't.

I do have a concern with the other mid-sized trucks (Tacoma and Frontier). They have solid axles and leaf springs. They aren't that heavy themselves compared to the their advertised hauling capacity, which is made to rival a basic half-ton full-size truck. Their rear ends tend to bounce a lot when not heavily weighed down -- more than mid-sized SUV's with softer suspension. That could be a problem on a bumpy road... or when towing a trailer that does not have a lot of tongue weight.

[sailing217]

All good points but the only thing I can add is get 4x4.

I have a montero with V6 and get 20mpg on the highway, 15 city, 7-8 towing our at the limit when loaded with gear boat. I'm waiting for a used Audi Q7 TDI to come my way. I won't take our V6 through the mountains. Already upgraded suspension and brakes, just the engine/tranny scare me. stopping is the most important part. The MDX/Ridgeline is very similar to our truck but a bit better MPG.

If you have your wife's suv for harder towing then I think something like a ridgeline or F150 V6-eco would be good choices and might get you into 20mpg+ on the highway. Used ridgeline as usually nobody tows with them and only used to haul home projects the wife makes you do to/from the Home Depot. You can get one for $20k pretty easy and look for no marks on the inside of the hitch.

[zegm]

All good points but the only thing I can add is get 4x4.

I'm waiting for a used Audi Q7 TDI to come my way.

Note: The Porsche Cayanne, the VW Touareg and the Q7 are all the same platform all made on the same assembly line. Same chasis, brakes, engines (different states of tune here) exhaust etc. The Porsche's hold their value due to the name. The VW Touareg prices drop quickly, unless you just want the Audi version check out the V-8 Touareg. I would tell you to check the V-10 TDI diesel like mine but since they stopped selling them in the US the value of these are actually rising. It is good to know that I can still get what I paid for my Touareg even after owning it for 2 years and putting 30k miles on it.

[Ian Brantford]

I have a montero with V6 and get 20mpg on the highway, 15 city, 7-8 towing our at the limit when loaded with gear boat. I'm waiting for a used Audi Q7 TDI to come my way. I won't take our V6 through the mountains. Already upgraded suspension and brakes, just the engine/tranny scare me. stopping is the most important part. The MDX/Ridgeline is very similar to our truck but a bit better MPG.

I had not read anything about the Montero until today. That's interesting that they went with independent rear suspension and unibody for the 3rd generation. It handled bumps better, but still had handling problems at speed. I can see why you upgraded the suspension. Kudos for going to the trouble to get the handling that you should have.

The Ridgeline handles like an AWD sports sedan. Some owners report that it is still stable when hitting the limiter at 112 MPH. A stunt that Honda did at a customer appreciation event was to take some of them as passengers (professional driver), with 1000 lbs of unsecured lead shot in the bed, through a wacky obstacle course at up to 70 MPH. Nice.

If you have your wife's suv for harder towing then I think something like a ridgeline or F150 V6-eco would be good choices and might get you into 20mpg+ on the highway. Used ridgeline as usually nobody tows with them and only used to haul home projects the wife makes you do to/from the Home Depot. You can get one for $20k pretty easy and look for no marks on the inside of the hitch.

D'oh. I completely forgot to report on my own mileage when towing. At 60 MPH, it's 12-ish MPH while towing my XLV. I had the tower up and the bimini was rolled up in its jacket (attached to the tower). That's going by the trip computer, but it has shown to be pretty accurate. Consumption is mainly an issue of wind resistance at highway speed on level ground. I'd guess that towing an LSV would yield 15-16 MPH.

[schuylski]

I've got a Tacoma, and I can agree with whoever was talking about bumps when not towing or weighed down. It's a far cry from a sport SUV...

But I've had no issues towing an LSV with it. Taken several 2 and a half hour trips with it. Around 11 mpg when towing on the highway around 65. Up hills it definitely doesn't feel like it's going on its own- you need step on it, but it hasn't been an issue and I'm not needing to go 70 up a hill. Haven't been in a situation where I needed 4x4 yet, but I like not worrying about when that situation may arise. I get 20 sometimes 21 mpg when not towing. Yes ideally it would be a full size truck, but it is what it is- this worked out better for me.

ALSO hasn't surprise accelerated on its own yet! I'm holding my breath waiting for that one

[saskyrider]

dodge ram 1500! I bought mine last fall and I have just over 35K on it. Absolutely love it.... Tons of power and when I took the 8 hour trip to pick up my 04LSV I got 22.5 mpg ( not us mpg either!!!) and on the way home I averaged just over 17. The ride is the best out of any truck I have ever owned and I've owned all of the big three!

geoff

[NCSUmoomba]

One thing to not forget when calculating tow weights, the trailer can weigh almost 1000 pounds, making a 3000# boat a 4000# load.

[saskyrider]

yep.... my boat is 3000lbs and the trailer is 800lbs according to the sticker.

05 lsv

[skiyaker]

yep.... my boat is 3000lbs and the trailer is 800lbs according to the sticker.

05 lsv

plus add gas, cooler, boards and all the other random crap and it adds up. I always try to tow it as dry as possible for long distances.