Buck -
You asked
Quote:
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What vehicle would you actually recommend? ... With that formula I should stay with the Tundra. No troubles. Only 82K miles, better mileage than your post. And it is paid for.
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That's not an easy question. The answer, of course, is "It depends ..." And to answer the question, you have to reflect on some issues that some people regard as invasive when I mention them.
o Are you the kind of guy who needs a new car every two years? Do you need a flashy car? It's an ego thang, and we see a lot of it here in Scottsdale, where Maserati, Jag, and Rolls dealers outnumber Ford and Chevy and Toyota dealer. (On the other hand, when I get back home to Maine, there may be one Jag dealer in the entire state.)
o Do you insist on a Japanese vehicle? Your post sounds like you do, which is OK, and it shortens the selection process a lot.
o Will this be your second car, and you will use something else most of the time?
o Do you have any preferences among pickups, SUVs, minivans, or sedans?
o Do you have "special requirements", such as a weekly need to move 6 kids to soccer practice during the non-towing months?
o Are you willing to trade just a bit of perceived safety, and just a bit of long-term relaibility, for just a bit of mpg? (This is a serious question.)
o As you are climbing Vail Pass, is it important to you to pass some other guys who are obviously struggling? Just as important, are you willing to slow to 20 mph and let people pass you? Again, it's an ego thing.
o When you say "your experience", when?
o WHERE will you tow? You've already said that it will be in the high-altitude high-grade Rockies, so no lightweights need apply. The answer would be different if you were going to stay in the midwest or the east coast, so your question may serve as a basis for future queries.
o Are you looking for actual advice, or are you looking for validation of a decision you've already made? (Again, a serious question.)
o Do you appreciate the lower insurance cost, and much lower registration costs, of an older vehicle, or does it make you feel cheap, and envy those guys with the new super-trucks? (And again a serious question.)
o Through the life of a vehicle, are you willing to do (or have done ) the minor maintenance items that ensure a car will keep running as its age advances? Oil changes on a religious schedule, for example?
o Are you willing to do (or have done) the minor mileage-related repairs that an older vehicle needs, and compare the cost of those repairs to the relatively repair-free ownership cost of a new vehicle?
o What is the value to you of, say, 2 extra mpg from the tow vehicle? For example, if like most people you drive 12,000 miles per year, and you sacrifice 2 mpg for a more capable tow vehicle, you will buy about 100 extra gallons per year for the entire 12,000 miles, towing or not. If gas costs $3.50 a gallon, that's $350. After paying $20-30K for a trailer, will you begrudge this amount, or will you pay it without reluctance to get a more capable tow vehicle?
As I say, it depends ... And
then we get into the real towing issues of torque, wheelbase, tow rating, stress on the vehicle, and so forth.
Bill