What Vehicle would you actually RECOMMEND 3124Ks

Looking at vehicle features, reliability, gas mileage, price and anything/everything else... I am open for any vehicle to tow my new 3124Ks. My 2000 Tundra has been absolutely trouble free, but it is 8 yrs old and there are things that will soon need attention. With incentives the way they are likely to be/go in the near future it might be a prime time to buy a new TV. I am open to truck and SUV's for the job. I live in the Rockies so that's a factor. My experience with American and German has been poor.

I pull mine with a Sequoia. Barely know the TM is there if I don't glance back. Plenty of room in the TV to store gear and a great car for my Realtor-wife to use for work. Only gripe is so-so mileage, ranging from 13 to 17 while towing.

I absolutely love my 1500HD as a tow vehicle:

The 6.0 engine is large enough that I can accelerate up I80 at Donner Summit any time I am willing to buy the gas.

I like the stability of the long wheelbase.

It carries 5 adults.

It carries 6+ mountain bikes.

I only use it for towing when I go camping and when hauling large objects. If we have 5 adults going out to dinner we also use it, because the other cars only hold 4 adults.

When hauling small objects I use my Dodge Dakota, because it gets better mileage. Going to work I use the Sentra because it gets even better mileage. DW has her own car, I get the other three. Long story about why the two of us have 4 cars. Each kid has their own 2 cars. What recession.

I think that what you are asking is what is the smallest truck that can tow 4500 pounds of trailer so that you can get better mileage that I do. I get 13 not towing and 10 while towing. But every thing smaller is too small for me.

I always try to keep my cars and trucks for 20 years or 200k miles, which ever occurs first. So far my cars have always died between 185k and 195k. I'll make 200k this time around on at least the Sentra and Dakota. Replacing cars before it is time for the crusher is too expensive. I used the money saved to buy gas.

With that formula I should stay with the Tundra. No troubles. only 82K miles better mileage than your post. And it is paid for.

[countrygirl]

Buck....that is what my dh said when I asked him what he thought...he said...stay with the Tundra and he did not even know you only have 82K miles on it. Tom says he would drive the Tundra till it had at least 300k on it.

So you could use the car payment you don't pay out for fuel...SWEET! Or if you have money to burn buy a Lincoln Navigator...don't know the mpg or price but they are really pretty.

I would expect the Tundra to last 300k. At least the engine and transmission.

When looking at the cost to own a vehicle, I ignore the cost of tires, brakes and tuneups. You always have to do that not matter what.

That leaves repairs. Radiator, starter, power steering pump, and the like. I figure that as long as these other costs are less than about $1500 per year it is cheaper to keep the car. I have paid for a transmission rebuild twice, once for each of two cars. When the engine failed I was worried about how long the transmission would last. I can not cost justify rebuilding both the engine and transmission at the same time.

My current TV, 2002 1500HD was purchased used in February 2005 with 58k miles on it. It now has 98k miles. Not a dent in the body. The interior is immaculate. I'll keep it until it dies, or I have a need for an 8 foot bed instead of 6.5 feet.

82k miles on a Toyota is low miles. Unless you can find something that gets double the mileage, then why bother. And I don't think any tow vehicle will be capable of doubling your mileage.

I drive 25k miles per year. DW drives 20k miles per year. I can not afford to keep cars for only a few years.

[Bill]

Buck -

You asked

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.

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

[ShrimpBurrito]

If for some reason you decide you need another car (sounds like the Tundra has lots of life in it....there will always been factory and dealer incentives to buy), then I second the vote for the Sequoia for all the reasons Rich mentioned. It is very comfortable, quiet and smooth ride, and plenty of room for gear and other passengers. The second row of seats is quite comfortable for adults, even for a long haul. The 2008 version has a redesigned body, modified interior, and a 5.7L engine (vs 4.7L). More HP and torque. You can configure a 2008 to have a 4.7L -- it is technically an option -- but you won't find one on any dealer lot. Rumor is that they are virtually non-existent.

Rich - How are you getting 17 MPG on your Sequoia while towing? I also have a Sequoia, always stay at 60-65 MPH, and I average 13-14 MPG. Not towing, I get 17-19 MPG on the highway.

Dave

Originally Posted by ShrimpBurrito

Rich - How are you getting 17 MPG on your Sequoia while towing? I also have a Sequoia, always stay at 60-65 MPH, and I average 13-14 MPG. Not towing, I get 17-19 MPG on the highway.

Hot humid weather (great for mileage), flat highways, staying at 55-60 MPH. 15 MPG is more typical under less ideal conditions or at > 60 MPH

My other car is a Prius. That thing's in-dash display really teaches you how to drive to get the MPGs - I routinely get 55-60 MPH on my daily commute.

82K miles it is still a spring chicken. We use to have a Camry that was over 15 years old and it had only a few problems and over 200K miles on it. We gave it to one of the kids until she was ready to buy her own.

The only time it wouldn't start was because she had the transmission in gear when she tried to start it...I drove 70 miles to show her that you must put the car in park or neutral.

I am pulling with a Tacoma Prerunner without problems. 4 door gives everyone a door and a seat, but I would recommend the access cab which gives another 2 MPG and a bigger bed.

I vote you stick with what you got unless there was 2 in front of that 82K.