A Question About Towing a 21

[Rossue]

My brother has a 2010 A4 he bought new with a 100K mile warranty. Noticed it was using oil and at 99,800 miles and after some balking Audi replaced his pistons & rings. Lately his CVT trans has been a little funky, yet they re-flashed software and seems ok now.

[sailor231]

The newer Audis get good reliability reviews, but will require maintenance, if you want to do oil changes only buy a Toyota.
We have a 2015 TDI, it is comfortable and tows our 21 without breaking a sweat, 17-18mpg with the cruise at 65, 28-20 unhitched on the highway. Not sure how well the gas engine tows, I imagine it is fine power wise but thirsty. The 2nd gen 2017+ is not rated for a WD hitch so you would want the air suspension.

[JaneM.]

Like Ross, I’m a big fan of Toyotas and my only complaint about the Tacoma is the ride/comfort. My ideal tow vehicle would be a Toyota Highlander that could tow 6000lbs (as opposed to the 5000lbs rating it has) or something similar, but slightly larger - the Sequoia is just soooo big. We want a reliable, comfortable TV with reasonable mpg and without breaking the bank and right now that seems like a pipe dream.

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by JaneM.

Like Ross, I’m a big fan of Toyotas and my only complaint about the Tacoma is the ride/comfort. My ideal tow vehicle would be a Toyota Highlander that could tow 6000lbs (as opposed to the 5000lbs rating it has) or something similar, but slightly larger - the Sequoia is just soooo big. We want a reliable, comfortable TV with reasonable mpg and without breaking the bank and right now that seems like a pipe dream.

how about a Ford Expedition. or Chevy Tahoe SUV ? both are based on the F150/Silverado truck series, and should make fine towing machines for the 4600-4800 lb max of a Escape 21.

[JaneM.]

Thanks John. Those are great towing vehicles, but they too are rather large and neither received particularly good reviews from Consumer Reports.

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by JaneM.

Thanks John. Those are great towing vehicles, but they too are rather large and neither received particularly good reviews from Consumer Reports.

Have you looked at the VW Atlas?

[JaneM.]

I hadn’t, but just looked up the towing capacity and it’s only 5000lbs. Nice looking though.

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by JaneM.

I hadn’t, but just looked up the towing capacity and it’s only 5000lbs. Nice looking though.

True, but it has more interior room than the Highlander, and the reviews are positive. It would probably handle a 21 just fine.

[JaneM.]

Thanks - something to think about.

I found a useful towing capacity chart:
https://axleadvisor.com/towing-capacity/

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by JaneM.

Thanks John. Those are great towing vehicles, but they too are rather large and neither received particularly good reviews from Consumer Reports.

Consumer Reports would be happiest if everyone in the world drove Toyota Prius.

[Doug2000]

Originally Posted by Flyfisherdan

I am running the stock coolers on my 2006 Sport Edition V8. I don't have a transmission temperature gauge, but have done 2 transmission fluid flushes in 124K and the fluid was is good shape at each change. I am conservative with driving and don't try to rail up steep grades. As you are probably aware, all towing should be done in 4th gear not 5th (D) We used to live in NM and regularly pulled in temps at or near 100 on some fairly steep grades up to 9,000'. As long as you don't overload the trailer and the 4Runner you should be fine. I also highly recommend weighing your trailer and tow vehicle fully loaded to get an accurate gross vehicle weight.

I tow in OD all the time, as long as you monitor your temps, your fine, if the torque converter unlocks, bump it into 4th.

I just did a write up after my trip out west with the 4Runner.

http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f1...nce-13422.html

[disneydoc]

I am perplexed with the low quality / reliability of Chrysler / dodge Engines / Body of their Cars/SUV.
Even copying a good quality engine of (say ofToyota/Honda ) would have got them far by now, why try to reinvent the wheel when there is a perfectly good engine to simply go & copy the da@n thing.

I am not a expert, but just reading the problems on many boards/forums of Chrysler .... although I understand people with no problems with their vehicles do not post .

See in my case, with a Highlander with 5000 lbs towing capacity one can be reasonably sure of its reliability, although I know it may croak tomorrow.
With a E21 in my future how I wish I would have had a Durango, a medium sized SUV with larger Towing Capacity , but looking objectively at the reviews stop me from going out & buying it.

For a non mechanical person, who gets his oil change done & does not even look at a vehicle's engine because he does not know what good will it do, is forced to go by what one reads in the media/forums/boards. Something like how much a newbie learns from reading this august forum.

Above person would rather pay a few thousand $ more now, rather than finding himself working under the vehicle on the weekends or under go the inconvenience, spend time & money with the Mechanics.
The learning curve is so steep that any novice shudders from working on the cars.

[Bill and Earline]

Disneydoc,

Pick yourself a nice cool Florida morning, and go test drive full size pickups by the four major manufacturers.

I think you'll find they all have redeeming factors, and are more comfortable, powerful, and even nimble than you might have expected.

The Ford Eco-Boost engines are surprisingly powerful, the Toyota Tundra is thought to be ultra reliable, the Chevy has a somewhat lower step-in height and pretty reliable, too. Several forum owners love their Ram V8s.

If excessive length is a concern, all these pickups can be bought with no back seat, a modest back seat, or a full back seat. Bed length is irrelevant for a 21' so shorter is better.

It'll be a fun outing, even if you end up with your current SUV or some other one.

[MikeS]

Originally Posted by Bill and Earline

Disneydoc,

Pick yourself a nice cool Florida morning, and go test drive full size pickups by the four major manufacturers.

I think you'll find they all have redeeming factors, and are more comfortable, powerful, and even nimble than you might have expected.

The Ford Eco-Boost engines are surprisingly powerful, the Toyota Tundra is thought to be ultra reliable, the Chevy has a somewhat lower step-in height and pretty reliable, too. Several forum owners love their Ram V8s.

If excessive length is a concern, all these pickups can be bought with no back seat, a modest back seat, or a full back seat. Bed length is irrelevant for a 21' so shorter is better.

It'll be a fun outing, even if you end up with your current SUV or some other one.

This is great advice, my wife was much more accepting of the F-150 after a test drive. Trucks are actually comfortable now.

[Tisiphone]

If offroading is important to you, I'd stick with your first choice.

I tow with both a Dodge 1500 and a 2014 Toyota FJ. I've towed using both through the Rockies many times and many other ranges with the FJ. The FJ has the same engine as the 4runner (1GR-FE). The FJ tows well. It's not as zippy up the hills as the Dodge but that's about the only negative. There are some positives to the short wheelbase and having the hitch right over the back tires- it's much much easier to maneuver the trailer. I can get it into much tighter spots up on crown land that I wouldn't get the Dodge into. The FJ certainly feels as solid or better on the road towing. I'd assume the 4runner is pretty much the same. I wouldn't hesitate to tow with the 4runner. It will probably be my next vehicle when the FJ is done- unless somebody comes out with another body-on-frame off roader that isn't a truck or a jeep.

[John in Santa Cruz]

note the newer 4runners are trending more and more towards soft suspension and comfortable ride at the expense of towing capacity and payload.

[bdornbush]

Originally Posted by disneydoc

I am perplexed with the low quality / reliability of Chrysler / dodge Engines / Body of their Cars/SUV.
Even copying a good quality engine of (say ofToyota/Honda ) would have got them far by now, why try to reinvent the wheel when there is a perfectly good engine to simply go & copy the da@n thing.

I am not a expert, but just reading the problems on many boards/forums of Chrysler .... although I understand people with no problems with their vehicles do not post .

OK, here is my post. I tow my Escape 19 with a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee with V6 and 8 speed transmission. We have about 20,000 miles on the trailer and about 53,000 miles on the Jeep. We have been over the Sierras and Rockies. We have yet to have a maintenance issue with the Jeep. From what I have read and heard, most Chryslers are just fine with reliability and a few are not fine. Because of that, we bought the extended warranty but have yet to need it. We have been driving Chryslers for 30 years, minivans until the Jeep (for its 6200 pound towing capacity) and can say that earlier vehicles definitely had transmission problems but not lately. Jeep was downgraded by Consumer Reports because of its infotainment system. Ours is fine except that it occasionally loses the presets. I would definitely buy one again.

[gbaglo]

I'm not sure Bill. Was that a glowing endorsement?

[dfandrews]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

Consumer Reports would be happiest if everyone in the world drove Toyota Prius.

The Prius' towing capacity is not what they report:

[JaneM.]

Thanks for the chuckle! We might just consider how to make the Tacoma seats more comfortable...