Looking for another truck/SUV
 

I've about had it with my gutless, 4 cyl. Mazda king cab pickup and am looking for something a little more comfy for commuting and eventually towing. I know nothing about SUV's, but am thinking of something along the lines of a small one - no bigger than an Explorer or Honda Pilot. I want a cheap one, as it will only be used to go back and forth to the Vienna Metro and hauling car parts occasionally. Only firm requirements are at least 6 cyl. and automatic. What kind of beater can I get for under $8k?

Smaller tow vehicle should equal a more expensive (aluminum) trailer, or risk blowing the thing up. Now i know kurt had managed with his pickup for some time with the enclosed, but he is just a lucky man all around so that doesnt count :lol:

So the difference of roughly 4k between the aluminum and the steel trailer can be rolled into the vehicle. so now your budget is up to about 11k. You can get a decent tahoe for under 10k with under 70k on the clock and then get a steel trailer used for about 1200. you can get out the door for about 11k with full rig.

Bottom line is that a short wheel base SUV sucks for towing. You do not want the tail wagging the dog. I ran my blazer with the steel on long hauls and it was more taxing than the track sessions themselves. You have to always be worrying about it and tiptoe your way along. It really isnt very fun. You can go small blazer or explorer size, but you NEED aluminum if you go that route IMHO...

Best bang for the buck, pound for pound and HP for HP is a PU truck. Look for a mid sized 4 door. 2000 or so year trucks are selling in the $8K range. They think they are cars with big trunks. Good for the day to day driving and can cary stuff in the back that you would not want inside.

You did not mention towing but if you were to becpme so inclined, setup is almost everything. I lugged an encolsed with a mid sized 4 door PU and it handled better than another trackrats Escade/open rig did. He could out pull me but his rig would wriggle and dance on the highway.

I haven't ruled out another pickup yet. I may go back to the stealer where I got my Mazda and see what kind of trade-up deal we can work out. There's just too much out there to research it all. I am a long ways off from getting a trailer, since I have no place to store it and want to keep my SC streetable.

I like my Cherokee. You can try it on for size. A well maintained one you should be able to buy for your $ requirement. The regular Cherokee is also a snap to work on if you need to.

Rick, call the guys over at The Auto Gallery in Leesburg. They have a few used SUV's that they are looking to get rid of quickly to make room for some sports cars. They are very honest and straight forward. Talk with Jerry and tell them Dan Morton sent you. They should have just what you are looking for from Ford Exploders to Land Rovers.


http://pages.loudouncounty.com/auto/gallery.htm
Auto Gallery Motorcars
Established 1953
109 West Market Street
Leesburg, Virginia 20176
(888) 743-7707; (703) 777-7707

-Dan

Re: Looking for another truck/SUV
 

He did mention towing so wanted to make sure he kept the long view in mind. Why go throught the motions twice? That said, pickups do make a lot of sense!

The current line up of Toyota Tundra trucks are very nice. You can get a v8 for towing, they have nice interiors and are quality trucks. Plus, they seem to ride better than most american versions and get decent mileage for a truck.

Rick: I've loved my '95 Ranger extended cab, 4.0 liter, automatic with towing package, fully loaded (CD player; great sound system!) for 10 years and 135,000 miles. Towed kart trailers all up and down the Eastern Seaboard with no problems. It's my daily driver, routinely gets 20 mpg (best ever was 24, lowest was 14 mpg -- in the mountains). Highly recommended. I haul everything in it. You're free to try it out anytime. I suspect a similar one is worth $6k-$8k. Cost $18k new (dealer's cost). Comfortable and quiet, flies beneath the highway patrol's radar. Next step up would be an extended cab F-150.

Thanks guys. I'm leaning toward an SUV. My Mazda is the same as a Ford Ranger, though I wish I had gotten an auto V6. I'll try to go visit some places on Sunday and see what kinf of trade-in deals are out there. With three cars already, it's gonna be tough to buy another before I unload the Mazda.