Used 4x4 SUV or Truck

danceintherain

New member
I know I posted about minivans less than 2 weeks ago, but I'm starting to reevaluate our wants and needs.

Mostly, my husband really wants a boat (his favorite hobby is fishing) but we don't currently have anything that could tow and launch a boat. It wouldn't be a super heavy one, but I think we'll need something that can handle around 3000 lbs at minimum and has 4 wheel drive.

I was thinking about getting a minivan, but now I'm thinking that we can probably make a 5 passenger work for at least 2 more years. My thought is that he can drive the better gas mileage car predominantly, since I hardly drive anywhere.

This means that I need something that would be more car seat compatible than a car that the kids rarely ride in. Our budget is only $7000 (I still want a minivan eventually) which limits us to older vehicles.

Currently, we have two kids, a RFing 2 year old, and a booster training 6 year old (he's harnessed in our primary car). We plan on trying for another child shortly. I figure we'll have at least a year after the baby is born where a 5 passenger vehicle won't be too cumbersome, especially with the eldest in a booster. I can either have him climb to the middle seat around the infant seat base, or put him outboard and only put his booster in when he's in the car.

So, I'm looking for a sweet spot of car seat compatibility with high towing capacity.
For example, the Jeep Grand Cherokee has excellent towing capacity, but the models prior to 2005 only have a lap belt and no top tether in the center position, so it probably wouldn't be our best choice.
Safety is important too, so if there's a midsize SUV that rates best prior to 2005, that would be good information to have.

So...my checklist...
- 4WD
- Can accommodate 3 car seats with reasonable effort
- can accommodate 2 RF seats without affecting the front seats much (I'm 5'9 and my husband is 6 feet - leg room in our Caliber is currently at a premium)
- Good safety ratings for an older vehicle
- Less than $7000
- decent gas mileage (over 20 on the HWY would be great)
- less than 150,000 miles on it

Right now, some options that pop up are (all 2000-2005):
Ford Explorer
Suzuki XL7
Ford Escape
GMC Envoy
Nissan Pathfinder
Chevy Trailblazer
There are also a few trucks, but the gas mileage is terrible.

What is my best option of the above? Or is there another option I should be keeping my eyes open for?

We're not in a hurry, but I want to make sure I'm not overlooking something.
I didn't put enough thought into our last car purchase (2010 Dodge Caliber) so it's not going to stay with us as long as I had originally hoped.
Our other vehicle (1998 Buick Lesabre) challenges us in completely different ways.
 
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SavsMom

New member
Of those listed I'd eliminate the Escape - while it can tow, it's not really meant to do so. I'd also eliminate the Suzuki - they are no longer made, so repairs can get spendy as parts are hard to get and reliability just plain stinks,
Of all those listed, the Pathfinder would be at the top - in terms of towing capacity, passenger comfort, ride and reliability.

I think you really need to determine what you will really need in terms of towing capacity first though. There is nothing worse than finding out you underestimated your towing needs.
 

kathysr98

Active member
Does your husband have in mind a small aluminum boat or an enormous boat? A small aluminum boat wouldn't be a problem for the Escape, but that's all I would tie with it. An Explorer may be available in a six or seven passenger model in 2005. There were a few made before the body style change, and it would offer more interior room.
 

danceintherain

New member
Of those listed I'd eliminate the Escape - while it can tow, it's not really meant to do so. I'd also eliminate the Suzuki - they are no longer made, so repairs can get spendy as parts are hard to get and reliability just plain stinks,
Of all those listed, the Pathfinder would be at the top - in terms of towing capacity, passenger comfort, ride and reliability.

I think you really need to determine what you will really need in terms of towing capacity first though. There is nothing worse than finding out you underestimated your towing needs.

He says he just wants a simple bass tracker. I've found some with package weight at around 1500 lbs. He indicated that we'd need to add in about 1000 lbs for water weight, then a bit for fuel, so 3000 lbs should cover it. I agree that we need to be absolutely clear on what we need. I would hate to buy a 4x4 and have him never use it, because it doesn't actually work for it's intended purpose.

It is nice that the Pathfinder can accommodate 7 passengers. I don't think it would keep me from wanting a minivan, but it could postpone it. The higher towing capacity would leave him room to get exactly what he wants (within reason) which I'm sure he'd appreciate. I don't love the gas mileage, but it's still better than the trucks I've seen...

Thanks for all the help!
 

MamaChirpy

New member
A Tahoe fits all your wants except maybe price. You would have to check your area to be sure. They are pricey here.


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katymyers

Active member
I'd get a Tahoe. Around here you could get one within your price range, but gas mileage isn't really better than a truck (though honestly, with towing being such a major concern you're going to need a large vehicle which means poor gas mileage).


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danceintherain

New member
I'd get a Tahoe. Around here you could get one within your price range, but gas mileage isn't really better than a truck (though honestly, with towing being such a major concern you're going to need a large vehicle which means poor gas mileage).


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He'll only be towing something maybe once a month, so while towing is important I'm not sure about sacrificing gas mileage completely. Eventually, it will probably be his main vehicle. Right now he commutes about 50 miles a day. That's probably going to change within the next year or two, but I'm not sure in what direction. He says he'd be ok with an hour commute each way, but since he's never actually had one I think he's overestimating his tolerance. He's a country boy, so I doubt we'll ever live super close to where he works.

It's possible that maintaining a 3rd vehicle is in our future, but for now it doesn't make a lot of sense.

Through a preliminary search, the only Tahoes in our price range nearby have close to 200,000 miles on them already. Maybe that's ok, but I'd have to do some more research.
I'll put it on my list though, and see what happens. Our neighbor actually has a Tahoe, so maybe she'd let me drive it and check some car seat installs.
 

MamaChirpy

New member
My Tahoe that I had for several years was a 2006. It got 20-21 mpg. I could get 22 mpg on the highway. I also had 3 seats in it. [emoji16]
Not trying to argue you into it!!! Just providing more info.


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danceintherain

New member
My Tahoe that I had for several years was a 2006. It got 20-21 mpg. I could get 22 mpg on the highway. I also had 3 seats in it. [emoji16]
Not trying to argue you into it!!! Just providing more info.


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Good to know

All the info I've seen for our Buick says that it should only get like 27 mpg on the highway, but when the tank is full it gets closer to 30. My Mom was adamant that cars usually get about 4 hours of driving time on one tank of gas, but the Buick can go 6 hours without stopping.. Not that I usually get to just drive for 6 hours without stopping, because the children don't allow it, but it was still a pleasant surprise when my grandparents gave us the car.
 

danceintherain

New member
We tow with an Odyssey... 3500lb limit. If you're looking at smaller boats, no need to limit yourself to SUVs.

A 4WD Odyssey within our price range probably won't happen. Technically, we have about $17,000 to work with, but I'd like to reserve some as a starting for replacing the second vehicle when that becomes necessary, and he would still need to buy a boat, which we don't expressly have money set aside for yet.

Also, I can deal with him driving "my" car for his hobbies for a set time frame, but I'd rather have primary use of a vehicle eventually. He's kind of a slob when it comes to cars, and I've tried to convince him to put down some kind of lining when he hunts and fishes, but he refuses. It MIGHT work, but isn't ideal in the long term, especially since he'll likely still want a "truck" at some point, even if he can do all the same things with a minivan.
I've explained that paying for gas in a truck or SUV isn't rational on a regular basis, when you only really need the extra features a few times a year, but he's a country boy who is now in the military. The truck culture is pervasive, and I feel like if I CAN accommodate him to have one, I should at least consider it, even if it makes no sense to me as a city girl.

He gets really cranky whenever he tries to haul wood (we build furniture) in our Dodge Caliber, and I imagine the same frustration would arise trying to tow something in a minivan.
 

bubbaray

New member
Actually for launching a boat, a 4WD *is* a better option because they are higher and you can get your trailer into deeper water without getting the exhaust pipe in the water (which you don't want to do).

I don't think the Ody has ever come in 4WD. The Sienna does but personally I wouldn't feel comfortable launching a boat with one, it's pretty low.
 

thepote

New member
Didn't realize 4wd was required for a minivan, too. That's fairly limiting! A 1500lb bass tracker type boat is easy to trailer with a van, but yes, I agree that if you want to load/unload something larger you'll want to be higher up.
 

kathysr98

Active member
It sounds like a midsize truck and a minivan would be a better combination of vehicles for your family. Is there any way to swing two trades?
 

rosey2007

Active member
I have a 03 Explorer that has a third row seat. I love my Explorer but I also have 2 kids that are in booster seats. I'm sure that there is enough room for infant seats. The middle seat in the second row is rather small, and I'm not 100% sure what seat would fit.
 

jess71903

Ambassador
I love the '02-'05 Explorers, although I think the '02s had transmission problems. 3rd row is usable, and 3 across the middle is pretty easy.

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danceintherain

New member
Didn't realize 4wd was required for a minivan, too. That's fairly limiting! A 1500lb bass tracker type boat is easy to trailer with a van, but yes, I agree that if you want to load/unload something larger you'll want to be higher up.

It's not precisely. We could get a minivan with towing capabilities now, and try using it to tow, but he doesn't even have a boat yet. Overall, I don't want to buy something that isn't my top choice in minivans just so I can tow, then figure out that it doesn't work well for what he wants anyway.

There is a dealership about 50 miles away that currently has a Honda Odyssey, and a Nissan Pathfinder. So maybe we will be able to get out there some time this week to look at both cars.
It doesn't look like the Odyssey has the towing package though, so I'm not sure it's a viable option.
 

thepote

New member
It's not precisely. We could get a minivan with towing capabilities now, and try using it to tow, but he doesn't even have a boat yet. Overall, I don't want to buy something that isn't my top choice in minivans just so I can tow, then figure out that it doesn't work well for what he wants anyway. There is a dealership about 50 miles away that currently has a Honda Odyssey, and a Nissan Pathfinder. So maybe we will be able to get out there some time this week to look at both cars. It doesn't look like the Odyssey has the towing package though, so I'm not sure it's a viable option.

All of our odyssey tow stuff is aftermarket. It's pretty straightforward and maybe $500 for everything (hitch, transmission cooler, wiring harness, possibly brake controller and power steering cooler). The only downfall is the hitch will be lower and obvious if you do the bolt-on type. The Honda-installed OEM doesn't show as much as it's up in the bumper with a hitch ball cutout.
 

danceintherain

New member
Now we're currently on hold. I suggested to DH that we go look at some cars last week, and he doesn't want to move forward until after my first ultrasound. I got pregnant earlier than anticipated, and for some reason we both have a feeling that it's twins this time.

I still think I would be fine driving an SUV for a few years, as long as there's enough space, but he wants to wait. So we'll wait...all the advice is still helpful.
 

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