OK....guess I'm buying American again..some back story and need suggestions...

[Meghan54]

Well, we close on our property sale tomorrow and receive a nice chunk of down payment. (0.86 AC tax assessed at $156K, selling a little lower to move it quickly, or as quickly as Wellfleet moves which is dog slow. Half in down payment, carrying other half as mortgage @ 2% over 10 years.)

We need to replace our '02 Blazer which crapped out after 249K miles. Hve been looking at Highlander, Pilot, Santa Fe, Outlander, etc., but the weird thing is almost without exception, none of the Japanese SUVs can tow any sort of load unless they've had the "Tow Package" installed. Buying used makes this sort of assessment of whether the packages are installed or not a crap shoot at best. (Tow packages typically include upgraded radiators, fans, alternators and sometimes remote oil and trans. fluid coolers.)

Conversely, the American alternatives rarely if ever have the need to have a tow package preinstalled to tow at all, just hitch up and go.

We're going to spend around $20K on the vehicle and need a vehicle that's rated to tow a minimum of 3500#, and more is better. So, given $20K is our limit, we've pretty much been relegated to looking at American vehicles......such as Ford's Edge, Escape, etc., GM's Equinox, Tahoe, etc., Mercury Mariner, and the odd Silverado. Really trying to stay away from Chrysler products if we can. Oh yeah, has to be either AWD or 4x4.

We're going to buy from a new car dealer with a certified vehicle.....wife wants the warranty, so that's just something set in stone.

Suggestions?

 

[PricklyPete]

I think the Edge or Traverse (or any GM Lambda) would be a pretty solid crossover choice...but if I was looking in your range, I would look at a 2007-2009 Toyota 4Runner. You can even get them with a V8, but the 4.0L V6 they had was PLENTY stout enough for 3500lb+ towing. I had it in my 2005 Tacoma and I towed some crazy stuff with that engine without issue.

To top it off, I don't believe the "tow package" consisted of more than a hitch (at least on the Tacoma), so you should be more than fine (plus I'm pretty sure a LOT of these sold with the tow package). The 4Runner is not a crossover with a car based unibody, but instead a real deal body on frame SUV. Plenty tough for towing and doing any off-roading you might need to handle. The V6 and the V8 are both stout, reliable engines. You could easily put a crap ton of miles on them.

 

[Meghan54]

You're right, the tow package on the Tacoma/4Runner isn't much, but on the "new" car-based Japanese built crossovers, that package is real upgrades to cooling, charging, etc. systems. Determining what has and hasn't had the package added is tough without access to the build codes.

Looked at the Traverse/Acadia twins, but even 2 years old they're too expensive with the mileage we want. The affordable ones within what we put as our cap, we're paying cash and want no payments at all, are either high mileage or too old...before the model change.

 

[vi edit]

Pathfinders are in the mix too....
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=u&car_id=304314991&dealer_id=67780&car_year=2006&systime=&doors=&model=PATH&search_lang=en&start_year=2004&keywordsfyc=&keywordsrep=&highlightFirstMakeModel=&search_type=used&distance=75&min_price=&rdm=1318265931968&drive=&marketZipError=false&advanced=&fuel=&keywords_display=&lastBeginningStartYear=1981&end_year=2012&showZipError=y&make2=&certified=&engine=&dma=PEORIA-BLOOMINGTON&page_location=findacar%3A%3Aispsearchform&body_code=0&isFlashPlugin=true&transmission=&default_sort=priceDESC&max_mileage=&color=&address=61517&sort_type=priceDESC&max_price=&make=NISSAN&seller_type=b&num_records=25&cardist=86&standard=false

Come's factory equipped for towing, decent tow rating, and are comfortable on the road for a body-on-frame design. Pricing isn't horrible. The 4.0L V6 in there is stout.

 

[PricklyPete]

Pathfinders are in the mix too....
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=u&car_id=304314991&dealer_id=67780&car_year=2006&systime=&doors=&model=PATH&search_lang=en&start_year=2004&keywordsfyc=&keywordsrep=&highlightFirstMakeModel=&search_type=used&distance=75&min_price=&rdm=1318265931968&drive=&marketZipError=false&advanced=&fuel=&keywords_display=&lastBeginningStartYear=1981&end_year=2012&showZipError=y&make2=&certified=&engine=&dma=PEORIA-BLOOMINGTON&page_location=findacar%3A%3Aispsearchform&body_code=0&isFlashPlugin=true&transmission=&default_sort=priceDESC&max_mileage=&color=&address=61517&sort_type=priceDESC&max_price=&make=NISSAN&seller_type=b&num_records=25&cardist=86&standard=false

Come's factory equipped for towing, decent tow rating, and are comfortable on the road for a body-on-frame design. Pricing isn't horrible. The 4.0L V6 in there is stout.

Good call on the Pathfinder...good alternative to the 4Runner and probably at a cheaper price point used. If you want a V8, you really need to go 4Runner, but either the Pathfinder or the 4Runner have good V6's.

If you were open to Chrysler products, the Jeep offerings obviously play into your needs, but I would say on average you are likely to have better reliability with either the 4Runner or Pathfinder.

 

[Vic Vega]

If you want a mid sized, body on frame, RWD based, American SUV - they're all gone.

The Explorer, for example, which had all of the above options and a V8 is now FWD, uni-body with no V8. Hence, it's no longer able to tow 8,000 lbs like it's older brother.

If you want those features in an SUV, you have to go foreign or bigger (think Tahoe or Expedition).

 

[kornphlake]

How about a frontier king cab, you can drop the nose gear of a 747 in the bed and tow it to the gate according the commercials.

 

[slag]

If you want a mid sized, body on frame, RWD based, American SUV - they're all gone.

The Explorer, for example, which had all of the above options and a V8 is now FWD, uni-body with no V8. Hence, it's no longer able to tow 8,000 lbs like it's older brother.

If you want those features in an SUV, you have to go foreign or bigger (think Tahoe or Expedition).

For 20k, he wouldn't be buying a new explorer, he'd be buying the last of the rear wheel drive/4wd models which are excellent vehicles. We have a 2006 with just over 100k miles and its been very reliable for us, plus has a nice ride.

 

[Meghan54]

For 20k, he wouldn't be buying a new explorer, he'd be buying the last of the rear wheel drive/4wd models which are excellent vehicles. We have a 2006 with just over 100k miles and its been very reliable for us, plus has a nice ride.

You're quite right...not looking into new this time, only used, although some of the used prices are so close to comparable new that we'll investigate new when we get our plan codes this week for GM, Ford, Chrysler, Toyota and Nissan.

Thx for the suggestions!