Looking for the Perfect Family Hauler
 

Hey guys, looking for some input. I know my way around cars but not so much about trucks.

Long story short, I'm looking for something enclosed, with AWD, and a V8 so I can reliably travel with my family, 2 mid sized dogs, and a travel trailer. I'm moving to western Washington state so there will be a lot of rain. Would like something that can handle snow occasionally too. Max Budget is around $25,000.

Right now these are the trucks I'm considering...

2006ish 4Runner V8 AWD
2010ish Suburban 5.3L AWD
2011ish GX460
5.3L AWD Tahoe

My main priorities are reliability, decent cargo space for my kids/dogs, and safety. I'm also trying to stick with V8s so the truck doesn't struggle with an average sized travel trailer, but I don't know much about hauling, so maybe a V6 is also an option?

Right now I'm leaning towards the GX, but I hear bad things about the ride. I'm open to any other trucks and opinions. Not interested in Fords though. Thanks in advance.

Grand Cherokee's and Durangos would also fit what your looking for. Curious as to why your set on the v8 though?

I've thought about Durangos but I know absolutely nothing about them or which engines/variations are the most solid.

I'm wanting to tow a travel trailer occasionally. I don't own it yet, but it will probably be around 20-22 feet. With it all geared up and loaded I'm worried that I would be pushing a V6 too much. I like the idea of extra torque, but I'm not opposed to a V6 if it can get the job done. I've never towed anything more than a simple 2 wheel trailer before, so I'm not really familiar with hauling something with more mass.

Trailers really very alot when it comes to the towing wight they need to move them. In alot of cases you will need to worry more about the stopping of them then the getting them going.

For example I just did a quick google search for 22' camper trailer and came up with results ranging from as light as 3000lbs all the way up to as heavy as around 4500lbs.

That said looking at trailers that have their own brakes will help you get that narrowed down as there are quite a few v6 suv out there rated for over 4000lbs towing capacity.

For example my wife has the v6 cherokee trail hawk. Its tow rating is 4600lbs on that. Now would I reccomend doing that mehhhh not really as the vehicle its self only weights 4200lbs. This goes back to the being more worried about stopping it then getting it going as that v6 would have no issue pulling that weight.

Another thing to look into is make sure what ever you go with has a transmission cooler suited for towing.

Those are good points. I get that the trailers themselves aren't especially heavy, but when they get loaded up with gear and water it seems to push the limits of most V6 platforms. Also, it seems like a lot of V8 versions of trucks will have things like transmission coolers and larger brakes from the factory. IIRC the V8 4Runners have a transmission cooler from the factory.


Basically I'd rather have too much truck than just enough. I hate the idea of lugging up a snowy hill with a V6 and all my gear loaded up. At the same time, the thought of having a huge Suburban isn't really my style. To be honest, I'm more of a wagon guy at heart.

If you don't go GM (which you should) you could look at older Nissan Armadas as well.


You could also try looking for a TBSS unless you absolutely need the third row capability.


Simply put, you can't go wrong with anything "LS" based. They last forever, cheap to maintain, get decent mileage (compared to other makes / models doing the same thing) and a ton of option packages.


I don't know that I'd restrict myself to an AWD vehicle though, there are plenty of 4wd vehicles and you wouldn't pay as much of a fuel penalty when you're not using it. Also 4wd seems (SEEMS) to sell for less than AWD vehicles (at least in my area). 4wd / 2wd vehicles usually have better tow ratings as well.


Basically, my thoughts....buy the nicest / newest GM 4wd product you can.

Thanks, I knew that the LS engines were bulletproof, I just didn't know about everything else with GM (transmissions, electronics). I have heard some horror stories about the newer Cadillacs and their electronics and didn't know if that carried over the Chevy/GMC.


A third row isn't a must, I just need enough rear space for the doggos.


I didn't even realize you could get any of those cars with 4WD and not AWD. That shows how little I know about trucks. I am totally fine with just 4WD, AWD isn't a must for me, I'm just trying to avoid RWD.


I never even thought about the trailblazer SS, but it looks like it can tow a decent amount. I will research some more, but what are the huge differences between the Tahoe and Trailblazer? It seems like they are almost identical in size.

Another thing to consider is how often are you really going to be doing the camping thing? Do you really want to saddle yourself with a 18mpg v8 for the 1-2times a year you want to pull a camper that you could possibly pull with a v6 that gets 26mpg?

Alot of factors to consider here. Reason why when I was looking for a daily driver that I did not go with a truck is just that could not justify the 1-2 times a year I could potentially need it versus the every day practicality of another vehicle.

Without a doubt you should strongly consider a 2005-2007 Toyota Sequoia.

Extremely reliable
V8 engine designed for Lexus
Removable third row
Decent towing

I've owned several 2001-2007 and driven them 200k miles with zero issues

2008 and later lose the removable seats and are ugly IMHO

If in your position I would rank things:

4Runner for the V8 (Toyota quality, keeping it in the family, plus it isn't boxy)

Xterra because I think it is the right size for daily use, but might still manage the occasional towing requirements. Except it has bad MPGs and they hold their value so low mileage ones are not cheap.

Pre-2011 Pathfinder. Same as the Xterra, just bigger overall to meet your size and towing requirements.

From your list,

The Tahoe sounds like the right all-rounder, but for their size, its always seemed like the cargo area of these GM trucks are crap when it comes to vertical space.

get a minivan (i love my honda odyssey) ... no SUV can compare in terms of cargo space and it has decent power... no AWD, but FWD performs pretty good in the snow... i just don't understand why ppl buy SUVs for cargo space... u get almost the same amt from a wagon or hatchback

I would get the Tahoe or Suburban (or Yukon equivalent). The 5.3 is solid, and parts are cheap for it. I just did plugs/wires/WP/belts/tensioners the other day, under $200 and about as easy as it gets. I have it in our family vehicle, a 2006 Express AWD, which is an absolute boss but probably bigger than you are looking for. Although if you want more vertical space you can't beat it.

I'm not 100% sure about the size differences, but the Tahoe is considered a bigger vehicle and it is based off a truck chassis. I had a TBSS and it could easily tow a car on a trailer, I never had any issues with the transmissions (though that is the weakest link) and it was pretty solid. It also ran 13's in the 1/4 mile. I couldn't get much better than 18 MPG, and that was me trying to get every MPG I could cross country, but it did cart my dog around and five full grown adults comfortably any time I asked it too.


Tahoes are generally found with a 5.3 in them which is solid. Any electrical gremlins or transmission issues are well documented and cheap to fix for the most part.


Someone suggested an Xterra....that would not be good for what you're wanting. I have a 2011, and the seats are not that big in the back. My dog does have adequate room. I love the thing as a DD but it has a tow rating of 5000 lbs, and the rear springs are known to sag if you try and tow too much. Spark plugs require removing the intake manifold as well. Parts are more expensive than the GM stuff for the most part and I can eek out about 18-19 mpg if I really try on a long trip. Nissans in general don't hold value, but if you were going to buy one Xterras kind of do. You can find lower mileage second gen ones for around 14K if you really look. I have seen 30,000 mileage pro4x models going for low 20's though.... so YMMV.


If you were buying Nissan, in this instance....I'd go for an older Armada that was based off the Titan truck. You can find lower mileage ones right around 20K. When you start to look you'll notice you can find Nissans cheaper than most brands.... just a trend I noticed. I would say don't buy a V6 SUV though if you're planning on towing a camper ever.

Right now I have a 2002 Sienna XLE. It's great, I love minivans, but I can't tow much with it unfortunately.


I guess right now I'm leaning towards a Tahoe or Suburban. I'm going to go check out the 4Runner, Suburban, and Tahoe in person on Sunday.


Any opinions on the GX460s? They seem like they don't hold their value too well compared to the 4Runner and Sequoia.