Towing vehicle suggestions

[atvaholic]

Heey Jedi,

Your posts have been really informative and the truth always comes out of arguments...so I greatly appreciate your input. With numbers to back up your points...love such discussions.

Yes I do love Japaneese vehicles in general (and hate american;-) and if I could find a good deal on Highlander it'll be on my driveway by the weekend....I don't have a single objection aainst it just a matter of fitting in into the budget.

 

P.S. Just to provoke you to post again ;-)) what about Honda Ridgeline? No one mentioned it so far but it seems capable towing vehicle...again fuel economy aside

 

Cheers,

Ice Fisherman

 

Heres a good read on a midsize truck shootout. Includes the taco and ridgeline.

[jedimaster]

funny how the suzuki is ranked 4th and the fronty ranked 2nd, when they are the same truck sold under different brands. Any of the top 5 would be happily in my parking spot if they fit my budget.

[Billy Bob]

The Honda Ridgleline is a great mid size almost truck....if you decide on getting one make sure you hook your boat up and fill it with money on the way to the dealer....those puppies are EXPENSIVE...

[DRIFTER_016]

 

 

P.S. Just to provoke you to post again ;-)) what about Honda Ridgeline? No one mentioned it so far but it seems capable towing vehicle...again fuel economy aside

 

Cheers,

Ice Fisherman

 

Honda Ridgeline is a Honda Pilot with a pickup bed.

So it is the same as a Pilot. And it will pull you boat just fine.

Cost on the Pilot and Ridgeline is about the same.

[Billy Bob]

Honda Ridgeline is a Honda Pilot with a pickup bed.

So it is the same as a Pilot. And it will pull you boat just fine.

Cost on the Pilot and Ridgeline is about the same.

 

Did you know...(you probably do) that Honda doesn't make a vehicle with a V-8 engine.....with the way gas is going, they may be on to something...

[Chuck Best]

Wish I could help you out buddy,but all my attentions turn to anything with a bow tie on the front grill and 4x4 switch on the dash.......TC and tight lines......Chuck..

[Fish4Eyes]

My buddy has a Ridgeline and says he really likes the truck. He did mention that when he towed his boss's bass boat to Simcoe it guzzles but does the task effectively. When not towing he was pleased with the fuel economy. Having been in the truck, it is very roomy, even in the back seat. Be warned, they are expensive. Let me know if you want more details pertaining to this truck and I will inquire with my buddy.

 

I would be calling a few Toyota service manager's to confirm if the V6 in the Rav eats cams like mentioned by one of the previous posters who was told this by a Toyota tech. Have you read any reviews on the Rav from people with high mileage?

[JoshS]

Looking for a used, less expensive tow vehicle too and was checking out the Liberty's. The price is right..

 

Does anyone else have input on the liberty?

[Guest nuker]

I have ford flex limited awd ecoboost with the class 3 hitch.

rated for 4500 lbs

 

i towed my smokercraft millentia 192 with a 150 on it and does just fine.

 

i haven't loaded up the car with gear and obviously you'd only be launching at perfect boat ramps!

[danbouck]

Looking for a used, less expensive tow vehicle too and was checking out the Liberty's. The price is right..

 

Does anyone else have input on the liberty?

 

I had one as a rental and took it back after 2 days. Poor mileage, no room and no power

[JoshS]

I had one as a rental and took it back after 2 days. Poor mileage, no room and no power

 

OH no, doesn't sound to promising. Reviews online are mixed as usual. Room I'm not to concerned about.. the specs seem to look good in terms of power but I'm far from an expert.

 

Anyone else?

[lookinforwalleye]

OH no, doesn't sound to promising. Reviews online are mixed as usual. Room I'm not to concerned about.. the specs seem to look good in terms of power but I'm far from an expert.

 

Anyone else?

 

Well I have had mine for more than two days and I have no problem with the room and I have no problem with power, I guess if you normally drive a vehicle with 300-400 h.p the 210 h.p of the Liberty might be considered tame but for me and I would suspect for most drivers it`s fine! My Liberty tows my 18 foot Stratos with very little effort in fact you hardly know it`s there, I did a round trip last fall to Nakina and back and the Liberty was jammed and averaged just a hair under 30 mpg and the vehicle is pretty comfortable no sore back or butt after that Nakina jaunt.

I am more than happy with my 2008 Liberty and you couldn`t beat the price I think I paid 15K or so and that was with a real nice extened warranty a set of snows and 32k`s on the odo.

Comparable vehicles from other mfg`s were running 8-10 grand more and I figured that money buys a lot of gas.

 

Did anyone mention a Rav 4 is not really a truck a but a grocery getter!!!

 

Judging by Dan`s avatar he looks like a pretty big boy and I can understand his comment on the room but I am only 5-7" so I fit fine!!!

Edited April 19, 2012 by lookinforwalleye

[jedimaster]

I have a 2005 liberty, and I am very happy with it. It doesn't have V8 power, but the 3.7 V6 is plenty enough. Its very comfortable on the highway given it has independant front suspension. I haven't had any issues with mine, but I have only had it for about 3 months now. Pulls a boat with no issues, has a REAL 4x4 system, not an awd. It will get in and out of the hunt camp, pull the boat out of the water on a wet gravel ramp, and its easy to park in the city. The only issue I have is that it is no better on gas than some bigger vehicles. However I knew that as I wanted something heavy and stout enough to safely tow with, but I didn't want the size of a truck as I live and work in the GTA core. Whats good for me may not be good for you. If your primary concern is fuel, than you aren't looking to tow anything serious.

[dave524]

Ditto on the thumbs up for a Liberty, got a 2006 with 52,000 km on the odometer a little over a year ago. Tows my 3500lb capacity landscape trailer with a yard of topsoil just fine and a 18 foot aluminum with a V4 fine. It is rated to tow 5000 lbs , realistically 3000 would be my personal max. Price was right and like others have said it is a real 4 wheel drive compared to others in its class. Gas mileage, well being retired I really didn't care as I'd be lucky to drive 10thou km a year now, but it don't seem any worse than the GMC Safari it replaced. Someone else got a 2006 CRD Diesel Liberty same time I got mine, think it might have been Terry, could be some fuel savings with that model.

[smally21]

you are getting 30MPG in a liberty??? thats like, almost 1000km to a 74 litre tank. hamilton to temagami and back on one tank in a fairly large vehicle??? nakina and back on less than 3 tanks of fuel??

 

arent the rated 16/22MPG or something??

 

forgive all the ?????, this is quite a number. im gonna test drive one tomorrow. my mazda3 doesn't get 30MPG. we should all drive one.

[jedimaster]

If you get in a good groove on the highway and don't pass anyone I get about 25 ish I would guess. My durango was rated for 15mpg on the highway and I drove from Cochrane to Port perry on a full tank a few years ago, with 2 adults, 3 kids and lugga loaded to the max, no trailer. Had maybe an 1/16th left in the tank. so I think I got a good 4 or 5 mpg more than the rated amount. Sticker rating aren't real world. It depends on how you drive.

[lookinforwalleye]

you are getting 30MPG in a liberty??? thats like, almost 1000km to a 74 litre tank. hamilton to temagami and back on one tank in a fairly large vehicle??? nakina and back on less than 3 tanks of fuel??

 

arent the rated 16/22MPG or something??

 

forgive all the ?????, this is quite a number. im gonna test drive one tomorrow. my mazda3 doesn't get 30MPG. we should all drive one.

 

 

I think your numbers are for the itsy bitsy US gallon and I don`t know how 29/30 mpg is 1000 km`s a tank perhaps that new fangled new math , 16 gallons x 29 = 464 miles or 742 km`s the 2008 Liberty is rated as 29 mpg hiway and has a 16 imperial gallon tank and if memory serves I did indeed average 29-30 miles per gallon which in all honesty surprised me...but I wasn`t driving 120-130 kmh or passing a car every 5 minutes pretty easy to getgood mileage figures on that stretch of hiway.

City mpg is another story!

[BillM]

I never use the inflated Canadian MPG numbers, always the US ones..

[lookinforwalleye]

If you get in a good groove on the highway and don't pass anyone I get about 25 ish I would guess. My durango was rated for 15mpg on the highway and I drove from Cochrane to Port perry on a full tank a few years ago, with 2 adults, 3 kids and lugga loaded to the max, no trailer. Had maybe an 1/16th left in the tank. so I think I got a good 4 or 5 mpg more than the rated amount. Sticker rating aren't real world. It depends on how you drive.

 

I think 25 mpg on the highway in the south would be about right but up north on those long stretches without stopping is a different story,set the cruise for 90/95 and relax!

Fuel mileage ratings vary obviously but under ideal conditions can be attained unfortunately ideal conditions are rarely a reality, I am assuming the 22 mpg the op stated was a US figure and of course the US gallon is 20% smaller.

[smally21]

the 'ecoboost' ford i had mentioned earlier is now getting much better mileage. apparently programmed to eay fuel for the first 9000kms then it starts behaving itself...

 

so, i was critiquing the engine unfairly. be interested to hear what owners are saying about them.

[SlowPoke]

Did anyone mention a Rav 4 is not really a truck a but a grocery getter!!! :lol

Just because you can carry two more bags of groceries in your Liberty doesn't quite elevate it to truck status. Is there perhaps some short comings in your life that you are compensating for?

[12footspringbok]

Just because you can carry two more bags of groceries in your Liberty doesn't quite elevate it to truck status. Is there perhaps some short comings in your life that you are compensating for?

 

LOL

 

I downsized last year from a full sized ram to a grocery getter similar to Rav4. It was nice having the big truck but I have little regrets about trading it in almost a year later.

[doubleheader]

I don't know how many miles you drive/year, let alone how many are pulling a load, but it has been my experience that I get about 20% better fuel economy pulling my boat with a V-8, in my case the 5.7L Tundra, than I did pulling my boat with the V-6 Honda Ridgeline. Pulling the boat I got 12mpg with the Ridgeline and I get almost 15mpg with the Tundra @60mph. Open highway miles without a load I get 19mpg with the Tundra if I keep in under 70mph, and with the Ridgeline about 20-21. City miles with the Tundra is really bad, maybe, if I'm lucky, 12mpg, I don't remember what it was in the Ridgeline but it wasn't good either. I don't drive a lot of miles, less than 10,000/yr, and about 2,000 of those are towing so mileage isn't a huge consideration for me. Cabin noise in the Tundra is about 50% what it was in the Ridgeline. Sorry I can't comment on the Liberty, but if it's rated for 5,000lb you'll be fine, just don't expect better mileage than you'd get from a V-8.

[Billy Bob]

I don't know how many miles you drive/year, let alone how many are pulling a load, but it has been my experience that I get about 20% better fuel economy pulling my boat with a V-8, in my case the 5.7L Tundra, than I did pulling my boat with the V-6 Honda Ridgeline. Pulling the boat I got 12mpg with the Ridgeline and I get almost 15mpg with the Tundra @60mph. Open highway miles without a load I get 19mpg with the Tundra if I keep in under 70mph, and with the Ridgeline about 20-21. City miles with the Tundra is really bad, maybe, if I'm lucky, 12mpg, I don't remember what it was in the Ridgeline but it wasn't good either. I don't drive a lot of miles, less than 10,000/yr, and about 2,000 of those are towing so mileage isn't a huge consideration for me. Cabin noise in the Tundra is about 50% what it was in the Ridgeline. Sorry I can't comment on the Liberty, but if it's rated for 5,000lb you'll be fine, just don't expect better mileage than you'd get from a V-8.

 

That TUNDRA truck is one fine sweet refined ride you got there......what year is your's....I got a '07 and it the best vehicle I have ever had....named my puppy after the truck....that's right....my chocolate lab is called TUNDRA The Queen of Labrador...

 

BTW...Icefishing guy....that RAV4 will treat you right, I'm sure....

[Raf]

I get about 20% better fuel economy pulling my boat with a V-8, in my case the 5.7L Tundra, than I did pulling my boat with the V-6 Honda Ridgeline. Pulling the boat I got 12mpg with the Ridgeline and I get almost 15mpg with the Tundra @60mph. Open highway miles without a load I get 19mpg with the Tundra if I keep in under 70mph, and with the Ridgeline about 20-21. City miles with the Tundra is really bad, maybe, if I'm lucky, 12mpg, I don't remember what it was in the Ridgeline but it wasn't good either.

 

This is an important point that I may have mentioned earlier but I'll mention it again, I saw the same mileage improvement on the hwy when I switched from a 6 Cyl Cherokee to a V8 Grand Cherokee. My mileage on the highway towing and not towing is actually better in the V8 than it was in the I6. In the city, the V8 is a little worse.