Fun to drive, fuel efficient, towing vehicle?
 

Thinking about making the jump to a track vehicle that I would tow to events, but this would necessitate a DD. Since I only have room for 2 cars (man life is hard) I figure I would want an enjoyable but somewhat efficient vehicle for towing. Unfortunately the list of cars that match this seem to be pretty low.

I figure I need at least a 4000 lb towing capacity, since the car I tow would be between 2300-280 lbs, then trailer would be 800+ lbs + spares.

So far the only vehicle that seems to meet all the requirements I need is the X1 28 xDrive

4400 lb tow capacity (overseas rating), decent gas mileage, and I had fun on the test drive.

Anyone have other ideas as to vehicles that are similar? The Tacoma X-Runner is pretty close, but only 3500 lb tow rating. The F30 3 series apparently has a 4000 lbs tow rating (wtf). If money is no object the 5 series Gt and Panamera do the job too...

Any vehicles I'm missing?

I've heard people rave about the Ford Flex, but haven't personally driven one. Towing capacity of 4500 lbs and decent gas mileage.

Mazda CX-5 Diesel.

Will meet all your requirements, have lots of torque and get ~35+ mpg on the freeway (not while towing).

I think the VW Tiguan Diesel would do the same but then you'd have that CEL staring you in the face all day.

Have the CX-5s arrived in the US yet? I thought we weren't getting them until next year sometime.

I wouldn't touch a VW with DSG, but that's just my personal opinion because I don't feel like spending an extra 400 bucks every 20-30k miles or whatever it is to service the transmission.

All the reports (rumors really) said the USA was getting the CX-5 Diesel at the end of the 2013. Even it comes out the first of next year, it's worth waiting for IMHO.

The BMW X5 35d isn't a bad option either. Sure there's a recent recall but it's just on the fuel filter heater. I guy I race with tows an enclosed trailer with one and he moseys along at 70mph, no problem.

Its hard to say since i didn't see a price range, but the new Jeep grand Cherokee CRD would make a good choice. I haven't looked at the towing figures yet but a Subbie Forester XT seems like a good choice.

You could always pick up a used 5.9 Cummins ram, it would tow anything you throw at it, and can actually be pretty damn fast(in a straight line) with some minor mods. My brother in law has a 6.7 and gets just above 20mpg when hes got it set to the "mild" 400hp tune.

If you want something a little less expensive, we have a couple of newer 5.7 hemi rams at work and they do pretty well for towing. Standard cab, long bed 2wd, i think we got them for about $24k each new. They are "work truck" specification trucks, but they still have AC/CD, one has cruise and power doors. Pretty good value if youre looking for a dedicated tow truck, and i'm sure the Ford and GM offerings should be pretty close.

If it were my money, i'd probably try and find a 2wd, early 2000's 5.9 Cummins, standard cab, short bed. Or maybe an ecoboost F150 of the same configuration.

This. Tow rating is 5000lbs for reference. The supercharger whine on that giant M112 will scare women and small children.

i would not buy a unibody vehicle for any dedicated towing.

Yes you can tow stuff with those big fancy SUV’s…

But a huge steel rectangle is a huge steel rectangle..

I’d go with any of the modern Ford or Dodge offerings, they have everything figured out and their modern engines are quire economical.

I would agree on the Lighting. A few extra mods and they are beating lots of cars. And it's weird that I'm saying another Ford, cuz I hate Fords, but that F150 Ecoboost is just pretty damn cool. Downpipe, exhaust, tune, you're flying. Maybe a lightly used Tacoma and toss on the TRD supercharger, with new pulley and exhaust. Those would be my choices. All really fun, and can do what you want.

Tow capacity is only 2000 lbs :(

The Subies are only 2500-3500 lbs also.

I like the suggestions you guys are throwing out, thanks.

Only issue is what kind of fuel efficiency would I be getting when daily driving it? the SVT Lightning and Ford Flex appeal to me most of all of these, but I would prefer decent gas mileage in my vehicle for day to day driving if possible.

Realistically price range is from 20k to 40k.

17 in town is pretty optimistic. My parents have an '01 f150 supercrew with the (non sc'd) 5.4L and they rarely see more then 16. We once towed a trailer, with 3 motorcycles in it, across country and averaged around 10mpg.