Well, this doesn't suck, or---let your wife buy a tow vehicle. The Lexus has landed!

[Meghan54]

So, in the continuing saga that's our escape from Cape Cod, we've decided that we need to buy a new-to-us tow capable vehicle, at least more capable than our Murano, which has a 3500# capacity. And I'll never buy another used vehicle up here ever again because of rust potential.

Our towed assortment includes an 18 ft. Triton fish-and-ski boat w/150hp Mercury on the back, a cute little 5x8 open utility trailer and a workhorse 7x14 dual axle enclosed trailer. The boat and small trailer are no problem for the Murano, but the larger trailer weighs 2000# empty and can hold another 2000# in cargo.

The plan is she buys a vehicle down in GA/SC, drives it back up here to Cape Cod and we sell the Murano. So the vehicle search started out by looking at the usual suspects----full sized pickups. Wife hates each and every one of them. She drives a Honda Ridgeline. Meets the minimum requirements, but she ends up hating it, too. So now we're back to SUV's and these days, even meeting a 5000# tow capacity narrows the SUV selection radically.

We whittle it down to a Toyota 4Runner as most likely candidate. She drives one and likes it.....a lot. Little V6 engined one. So, decide to have her cruise down to a dealer to look at this one:

'08 4Runner, 56K miles, V8. Asking $18,900 and clean Carfax. She drives it, loves it.


Then, the unthinkable happens. Same dealer says, "We've got a vehicle you need to drive." She does. I get a phone call saying the 4Runner is out and this is what she envisions as our "new" tow vehicle:

'06, 72K miles, asking $22,000 for it.



WTF?????


Loves the ride, seats are more comfortable, etc., etc. Cannot dissuade her, so I guess we're getting a 7 year old Lexus GX470.......at least I thought we were until this morning. This morning, things changed again. She's on the way to look at another GX and she states, "I found something else last night that I'm going to go look at before I look at the Lexus." This is what she's referring to:

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, V6, 32K miles, $22K, CPO, which would give us 5 years, ~72K miles of drivetrain warranty.




So, I've lost control of the situation down in SC. I'm almost sure a Lexus GX will be bought.....she adored the power pedals, power telescoping steering wheel, power rear glass on the back hatch door, etc., etc. But now she's talking warranty and the CPO Jeep.


Sheesh......next thing I know, she'll call and say she found an oxcart with a great horse.

 

[NutBucket]

I'm glad my wife isn't so fickle when it comes to cars. I would have gone with the Lexus and not looked back.

 

[Meghan54]

You and me both. I allotted $25K for a "new" vehicle and she seems determined to spend every penny of it. C'est la vie.


I'm betting the Lexus wins out. Don't think the Jeep, even with its CPO warranty, can compare to the Lexus's driving experience. We shall see.

 

[halik]

I don't know that much about SUVs, but that lexus seems expensive considering its age and miles.

 

[NutBucket]

The Jeep isn't a bad drive but it appears to be a base model...might not even have leather.

EDIT: Its no Lexus though...but then that Lexus is body on frame which helps the Jeep? Not sure.

 

[Meghan54]

The Jeep is a unibody construction and the Lexus is body-on-frame. Long term, I'd tend to think the body-on-frame, while more archaic the construction, would have more longevity, esp. with towing.

As for the age, I really wouldn't consider a 2006 most anything for $20K, unless it was a Lexus or MB. Sure, buying a toy or that "special" car, but for a vehicle we'd be using extensively, nope. But with the Lexus, I'm tempted to take that chance.

I see too many way old Lexus vehicles bopping around with mileage well past 200K miles and doing it well to ignore the probability that with care, an '06-'07 GX could push it another 6-7 years. It'd take that long to get past 200K with the mileage we tend to put on vehicles.



And, she just drove the Jeep. Lethargic acceleration. Quiet, pretty smooth, comfortable. Just a stone. On the way to look at the Lexus pictured above.

 

[Fritzo]

I don't know that much about SUVs, but that lexus seems expensive considering its age and miles.

Lexus miles are like 1/2 normal car miles. They make nearly every Lexus model bullet proof.

 

[Baked]

You need to be a man and tell your woman what you want. If she's so damn picky, how many guys did she go through before she decided to pick you? That would blow my mind.

Ps. I would go with the 4Runner. My bro had his V8 Sport for the past 8 years. Awesome car.

 

[WT]

Entertaining read. Went thru this scenario last year when my wife and I looked for what I thought would be an SUV tower for my enclosed trailer. We were no sooner on the lot than her eyes befell a new Honda Odyssey minivan that she fell in love with. With that purchased, I soon abandoned my plans to tow the trailer. Frustrating, but she got what she wanted, and in the long run its best to keep the wife happy.

 

[sgrinavi]

Sounds like you should have gone to get your damn car

 

[superccs]

Luckily for you the New Beetle and Mini Clubman don't tow the intended weight...

 

[JulesMaximus]

The Lexus would be a better choice.

 

[ScoobMaster]

here you go:

2009 Kia Borrego Limited

The best kept secret in Luxury SUVs that can tow worth a darn! 7500lb towing capacity, V8, and I get 24 MPG on the highway (although mine is 2WD, not the 4x4). I am very impressed with mine (owned it a year now). It is too bad Kia brought these out at the WORST time possible. Had they brought them to market 5 years earlier they probably would have sold well and made it past 1 model year.

 

[Viper GTS]

The Lexus would be a better choice.

That's what I'm seeing here too. You want to find a tow vehicle, she finds a body on frame V8 SUV.

What's the problem here?

Viper GTS

 

[jaedaliu]

You need to be a man and tell your woman what you want. If she's so damn picky, how many guys did she go through before she decided to pick you? That would blow my mind.

Ps. I would go with the 4Runner. My bro had his V8 Sport for the past 8 years. Awesome car.

Sonds like OP is the big winner. He's the keeper pick!

It feels funny that the Lexus is the best pick (subjective statement,) but they also have among the best pedigree of being a real SUV. Land Rover, Toyota and Jeep are the original Safari vehicles, right?

 

[EagleKeeper]

Need a V8 to tow properly.

 

[Gillbot]

Lol, allowing your wife to pick a tow vehicle..... Man up or be prepared to pull whatever you have with your own 2 hands and feet.

 

[lavaheadache]

I would just grow some stones and tell her your getting a Z06

 

[Doppel]

I thought OP was gonna say she bought a FWD highlander!

I would drop 30k and get a new pathfinder and be done with it. Of a last gen if I got a good price (new gen is unibody but has a 5000-5500 tow rating).

 

[ElFenix]

Need a V8 to tow properly.

the I6 in the trailblazer tows pretty ok every time it's been loaded up. gas mileage drops to nothing. dunno if i'd tow at highway speeds with 2 pallets of sod on a 1 ton trailer, though.

 

[ScoobMaster]

D'oh. missed the SC/GA state thing in the first read through.

I found a Borrego V8 Limited in GA. Not sure how far away from where you are looking this is though...

2009 Kia Borrego V8 Limited in GA

This one is only RWD (like mine) but it has only 32k miles and asking price is the same as the 4runner you originally were looking at. Fully loaded, heated leather seats (front and 2nd row), 7 passenger seating, and tows 7500lbs.

 

[Meghan54]

Thanks (?) for all the comments. I won't bother to quote, but you'll know what's directed towards whom.

First, my manhood is quite intact, thank you very much. With the age of 60 tapping me on the shoulder, if my manhood isn't intact by now, it never will be.

Yes, I do trust her to buy a tow vehicle. Would it help if I mentioned she's towed 4- and 6-horse horse trailers for years? She knows exactly what we need. Just like with the Jeep, decent vehicle but underpowered from the get-go and a zero for towing. And I really wouldn't have let her buy the Jeep anyway. Outside buying one for a toy, won't buy one, esp. that one.

And I don't mind her buying the next car. She bought our '02 Blazer which turned out to be a great truck. Got 250K out of it before it blew its rear main seal and ate the rear main bearing. 9 1/2 years. Bought new. She passed on the one I liked because the one we bought had a "better vibe". Worked out well then, seems to be working again today.

She drove the Lexus pic'd above. Felt something described as a grumble from the right front, got worse with speed. And compared to the first one she drove, this one just didn't feel as tight. She passed on it.


Yes, a V8 is about the only way to go with towing. We'll be going through the bottom end of the Smokey Mountains on a monthly basis with up to 4000# or so (2-3 pallets of tools--hand and power) on the back. Just don't think a V6 will cut it long term, comfortably. Just have to eat the gas costs. But at least the engine will be smooth.

Z06, yeah, right. How's things, btw?



About the Borrego. We actually looked at one that was in Hyannis back at the end of 2011, while we were shopping for what became our Murano. Decent vehicle. But, in the end, despite everything it is, it's a Kia, and in all honesty, I'd rather give up a couple of model years and buy a Lexus GX. More comfortable, quieter, just nicer. And should be damned bullet proof a vehicle. And its reputation, both anecdotal and observed, lead me to believe an older Lexus is worth many newer models out there.


Tomorrow is on to NC to see a pair.

 

[rommelrommel]

I just bought a 06 GX470, aside from a few trouble spots (rear air suspension, and a transfer case leak) they have very few problems, last forever (essentially a fancy Land Cruiser Prado) and are very very capable off road to boot. Yes, the mileage is not great but the driving experience + body on frame strength.

07's have a much much better nav/info center if that matters to you. If you can find a sport package the KDSS suspension option firms up the handling a lot. (You can find it without the sport package but the only way to know is get under the vehicle or check to see if the idiot light comes on at startup.)

4runner is largely the same vehicle underneath (and actually the I6 isn't too much down on power, and the V8 limited drivetrain is identical to the lexus) but the cheap ass toyota interior just killed it for me.

Oh and the GX470 certainly doesn't have power glass OR a rear hatch, the door swings to the side and the glass doesn't open. My 06 doesn't have power pedals either.

The only other thing that I really liked driving was 07+ escalades but I didn't have a lot of faith in them holding up as well as the lexus, and they are much worse for any kind of logging/service road action.

 

[WT]

Scoob, Kia still gets no luvin' in these forums. It hasta be a ZR1 or an M3 to get their attention (or maybe a Unimog). While I applaud your attempt, its lost in here. Would be easier to get them to admit that pointy elbows aren't such a bad trait after all.

I PM'd you soon after your Borrego thread about how reliable my Sorento was after 6+ years and bemoaned the fact that I couldn't trade mine in for a Borrego to haul my junk around. I ended up selling my enclosed trailer and am buying an open one - half the weight, and my Sorie can tow 2 ATVs but does struggle mightily in the mountains.

Badges and a status vehicle are more important than a reliable off brand one around here.

 

[KK]

Thanks (?) for all the comments. I won't bother to quote, but you'll know what's directed towards whom.

First, my manhood is quite intact, thank you very much. With the age of 60 tapping me on the shoulder, if my manhood isn't intact by now, it never will be.


Tomorrow is on to NC to see a pair.

you ain't gotta go to NC to see a pair, here you go...

Anyways, any reason not to get a fullsize truck, double cab...something along those lines.