Quote:
Originally Posted by dombrows
Hello!
With ALL that said, purchasing a Trailmanor also means having to purchase a tow vehicle. We are a one car family and plan to sell our Prius so that we still have only one car. We know full well that we'll be losing a lot in fuel efficiency going from our 40+mpg Prius to some sort of SUV, minivan, or Crossover, but I'm struggling to sort through all the options. So, I'm posting here to see if someone might be able to suggest:
What are some of the most fuel efficient vehicles that can tow one of the smaller Trailmanors? We are looking to buy used, so older model years are welcomed.
Any suggestions regarding the TV or even any insight on which Trailmanor to look for would be much appreciated!
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Given you have a Prius, and I'll make the assumption it has been pretty reliable, so another factor you may want to consider is the reliability of the TV.
For example, when I first purchased my TM and was looking for a TV, I had dismissed the Toyota 4Runner/Lexus GX470 as costing too much given the number of miles the used ones had when I looked. I decided on a 2008 Ford Explorer which had much less miles for less money, was a 1 owner car, maintained well, but after a year developed transmission issues. We loved it and it worked very well for all our needs, but staring down the barrel of a 3-4k new transmission
I decided to hit the reset button and trade it to Carmax and try again.
The experience left me "wiser" in a sense where I looked less at the price and number of miles, and more at the different brands history of reliability. As you might guess, my research (IMHO) showed the most reliable were the Toyota 4Runner/Lexus GX470. My next reality check was "adjusting" my expectations that these SUV's commanded premium prices even with higher miles
!
Given we have a 3023, I preferred the V8 engine, and so 2003-09 Toyota 4Runner (V8 option)/Lexus GX470 (standard with V8) fit the bill, with prices ranging from 8-18K depending on miles, condition, options, etc ... and we found a beautiful 2005 Lexus GX470 that I am thrilled with
.
Ideally if you could keep the Prius as a commute car, the TV fuel economy becomes less of an issue. But if you cannot keep the Prius, I think having 1 car in the family makes reliability an even a bigger factor over gas mileage.
I am not attempting to start a "Holy War"
on which is the best TV or most reliable, but what I am suggesting is the "deal" I got on my Ford Explorer was meaningless once the transmission went, and reliability should be at the top of your list when deciding your many TV options. Good luck!