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Old 03-24-2021, 04:01 PM   #1
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which 3 row mid sized SUV for 17B or 19 Escape?

Hi, I looked at some posts, but wanted to post a new thread. We don't have an escape yet, but are first looking to upgrade our vehicle. We have a 2013 Subaru Outback, which I really love. I have test drove the Subaru Ascent, Toyota Highlander, VW Atlas, and Honda Pilot. I think I like the Ascent the best, but it might be because we have an Outback, so it feels most familiar and comfortable. We want the 3 rows for an overall vehicle, as opposed to a truck. I also don't want something any larger than those, as they all feel much larger than what we drive now.

Does anyone have experience with these for towing? I did read about the CVT being less ideal for towing, but I don't know enough. Highlander appeals because of what I have read, and how I could get a used one at a lower price. However, the third row and interior space seemed a little small and I didn't have a great overall experience with the test drive, I might try it again though. Ascent appeals because it seemed to have a lot of power and I liked how it felt inside. Pilot didn't feel right to me, not exactly sure why! At first I loved the Atlas, but then didn't...it didn't seem to have enough initial power on the second test drive and it seemed large. MPG is important to me, reliability, safety.

Thanks!
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Old 03-24-2021, 05:06 PM   #2
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You need to read your owners manual re: towing specifications and limits........
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Old 03-24-2021, 05:48 PM   #3
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Originally Posted by harvest View Post
Hi, I looked at some posts, but wanted to post a new thread. We don't have an escape yet, but are first looking to upgrade our vehicle. We have a 2013 Subaru Outback, which I really love. I have test drove the Subaru Ascent, Toyota Highlander, VW Atlas, and Honda Pilot. I think I like the Ascent the best, but it might be because we have an Outback, so it feels most familiar and comfortable. We want the 3 rows for an overall vehicle, as opposed to a truck. I also don't want something any larger than those, as they all feel much larger than what we drive now.

Does anyone have experience with these for towing? I did read about the CVT being less ideal for towing, but I don't know enough. Highlander appeals because of what I have read, and how I could get a used one at a lower price. However, the third row and interior space seemed a little small and I didn't have a great overall experience with the test drive, I might try it again though. Ascent appeals because it seemed to have a lot of power and I liked how it felt inside. Pilot didn't feel right to me, not exactly sure why! At first I loved the Atlas, but then didn't...it didn't seem to have enough initial power on the second test drive and it seemed large. MPG is important to me, reliability, safety.

Thanks!
We are in a similar situation as we wait for our E19 due next January and will be buying a tow vehicle with similar expectations you have articulated. I've done a lot of research and would narrow your choices down to a Honda Pilot or Toyota Highlander (slightly preferred for us). The Ascent has had some reliability issues in previous years - example see article link below. And the Atlas also has reliability issues. Pilots and Highlanders regularly exceed 200,000 miles. Higher initial cost = greater reliability and longevity and both are comfortable daily drive vehicles. Lots of Escape owners tow a 17 or a 19. Be aware that different models of the same SUV have different towing capacity. We're looking for a 3-4 year old Highlander with reasonable miles. Hope you find what works for you.



https://www.torquenews.com/1084/why-...ou-should-know
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Old 03-24-2021, 05:54 PM   #4
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We are also waiting for our Escape 19 and looking at SUV options for TV. Here's my opinion based on quite a bit of reading and test driving: The Atlas and Ascent have had some reliability issues. We are looking for a Pilot or Highlander due to their long-term reliability - many owners get over 200,00 miles. Highlander seems to be a bit better. Remember that different models of the same SUV may have different towing ratings. Avoid front-wheel drive only models. Lots of Escape owners of 17 or 19 models tow with a Pilot or Highlander. We are starting to look for a used Highlander, 3 or 4 years old with reasonable mileage. That's my humble opinion. Hope you find what works for you.
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Old 03-24-2021, 06:28 PM   #5
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We are also waiting for our Escape 19 and looking at SUV options for TV. Here's my opinion based on quite a bit of reading and test driving: The Atlas and Ascent have had some reliability issues. We are looking for a Pilot or Highlander due to their long-term reliability - many owners get over 200,00 miles. Highlander seems to be a bit better. Remember that different models of the same SUV may have different towing ratings. Avoid front-wheel drive only models. Lots of Escape owners of 17 or 19 models tow with a Pilot or Highlander. We are starting to look for a used Highlander, 3 or 4 years old with reasonable mileage. That's my humble opinion. Hope you find what works for you.
Thank you. Very helpful opinion. I am going to test drive the Highlander again. All four of the cars/versions have 5000 towing capacity. Long-term reliability is important. I have had a Toyota Corolla wagon in the past '93. It was great. Lasted until over 200k or about that amount. I had also looking at around 2018/2019 low mileage Highlanders. I didn't really like the look (or cost) of a brand new one!
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Old 03-24-2021, 06:29 PM   #6
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You need to read your owners manual re: towing specifications and limits........
Thank you. Right - important. I know they all have a 5k towing capacity - the ones we were looking at. But I will look into it more detailed when we get closer to the top pick.
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Old 03-24-2021, 07:27 PM   #7
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Hi, We are also looking for a suv for the future 19'. Though I love the highlander and pilot, my impression is 5k towing capacity maybe just borderline for towing 19. I am interested to know if anyone has experience with a bigger suv such as the ford expedition?
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Old 03-24-2021, 07:45 PM   #8
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Have a 2019 Expedition and it is the cat's meow for towing our Gen1 21. 25K so far with 75% towing and zero issues. The Gen2 19 is almost as heavy as our 21 and I cannot imagine pulling one over all the mountain passes we regularly traverse with a normally aspirated V6. Love the 3.5 EcoBoost so much I just brought home a Ford Transit 250 AWD cargo van to do a camper conversion.

Before the 21 we had a 17B and the 2013 Highlander was good for the 2850#'s wet weight.
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Old 03-24-2021, 07:53 PM   #9
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I ordered a 17B for 3 main reasons...


1) When not towing, we will occasionally need 5-6 passenger capacity.

2) We know of a few campgrounds we love where 18' is the max trailer size
3) I wanted to have something smaller to get used to towing..



After keeping my eyes open for a while I ended up with a 2011 Honda Pilot 4WD. I don't yet have experience as I pick up my trailer next week! But if I were looking at a 19', I suspect the Highlander is the bare minimum.


Should we decide we love using our trailer, and after our kids have left the nest, A Pick up and a 5th wheel may be in our future...
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Old 03-24-2021, 07:54 PM   #10
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By coincidence yesterday I was exploring a Honda solution with an Escape trailer and read through the 2021 Pilot manual.

If you need three rows be sure to take the number of people in the car into account when determining how much trailer you can haul. I’ve attached the relevant table from the Pilot manual. The GVWR of the 17 is 4000lb and 19 and up 5000lb so you may be hitting the limit.

I was surprised how similar the towing specs between the 4Runner and Highlander were. I think they were 5000 too.

The two Fords Expedition and Explorer have nice specs (6000 and 5600) and appointments but I have no experience since we are Honda people.
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Old 03-24-2021, 08:12 PM   #11
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Hi, We are also looking for a suv for the future 19'. Though I love the highlander and pilot, my impression is 5k towing capacity maybe just borderline for towing 19. I am interested to know if anyone has experience with a bigger suv such as the ford expedition?
Totally agree with Rossue! We also have a (2017) Ford Expedition 3.5EB that tows our 21C. Love this combo, plenty of power. Just noticed that the E19 and E21 both have a 5000lb GVWR so I would recommend an Expedition that has the 'Heavy Duty' or 'Max' tow package. So glad we have this. Most Ford Expedition engines have a max towing capacity of around 6000 lbs, but an Expedition with the 'Heavy Duty' tow package will bump up the tow capacity up to around 9000 lbs - a huge plus - and brings me peace of mind when towing on high altitude roads in our Sierra Mountains. Best of luck in your search for a TV. - Bea
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Old 03-24-2021, 09:00 PM   #12
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If I wanted a 3 row suv for towing it would be the American made Kia Telluride. It won every award available to it last year and is top ranking with all reviews.

If you don’t like the look then try out the sister ship Hyundai Palisade.

Great value for what you get and I think both can be had with self leveling rear suspension for towing.

We sold our Ford Explorer Sport for a Hyundai Santa Fe and I notice a lot of little things that are so much better designed...I am very impressed.

Of course we use our F150 for towing and not the Santa Fe.
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Old 03-24-2021, 09:11 PM   #13
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I'll remind you that my buddy waited six months to get his Santa Fe back as the dealer searched North America and then the world for parts. I think, in the end they replaced the engine with a rebuild. While he waited, the dealer installed a hitch and brake controller in a service vehicle so he could go camping.

I would check Consumer Reports or other rating services.

BTW, he replaced it with a Highlander. On the other hand, he did buy a Kia Soul for his wife ( the ones that catch fire ).
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Old 03-24-2021, 09:28 PM   #14
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I'll remind you that my buddy waited six months to get his Santa Fe back as the dealer searched North America and then the world for parts. I think, in the end they replaced the engine with a rebuild. While he waited, the dealer installed a hitch and brake controller in a service vehicle so he could go camping.

I would check Consumer Reports or other rating services.

BTW, he replaced it with a Highlander. On the other hand, he did buy a Kia Soul for his wife ( the ones that catch fire ).
By any chance, did your buddy also buy a life insurance policy on his wife?
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Old 03-24-2021, 10:03 PM   #15
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I'll remind you that my buddy waited six months to get his Santa Fe back as the dealer searched North America and then the world for parts. I think, in the end they replaced the engine with a rebuild. While he waited, the dealer installed a hitch and brake controller in a service vehicle so he could go camping.

I would check Consumer Reports or other rating services.

BTW, he replaced it with a Highlander. On the other hand, he did buy a Kia Soul for his wife ( the ones that catch fire ).

I find this amazing ! not that the engine blew. I know nothing about this suv. I amazed the dealer installed a hitch and brake controller on the loaner.
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Old 03-24-2021, 10:23 PM   #16
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I find this amazing ! not that the engine blew. I know nothing about this suv. I amazed the dealer installed a hitch and brake controller on the loaner.

Everybody's level of frustration had risen considerably. I expect Hyundai picked up the tab.
Same dealer just replaced my six-month-old Highlander steering wheel under warranty. There was a tiny flaw in the stitching, which i figured would get worse over time. I would have just glued it down myself. They replaced the whole wheel.
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Old 03-24-2021, 10:38 PM   #17
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when considering a vehicle be sure to look at not only the horsepower but also the TORQUE

we used to tow a Escape 21 with a 2011 Acura MDX and it didn't have enough *torque*

towing was not good. example - merging onto a California freeway.... towing the 21.... with a slight uphill on the on-ramp...... was scary. Could not get up to 60 mph fast enough to merge in well.

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Old 03-25-2021, 01:50 AM   #18
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We had a 2017 4Runner and a 2007 Escape 17B. Around Ontario it was great, west of Denver at higher elevations, it worked pretty hard. Many climbs at 8000' I was towing on third gear.

We now have a 2020 Escape 19. I bought a Tundra 4.6L with 310hp but the gearing wasn't where I liked it, revved to high in 4th and couldn't hold in 5th. I traded that Tundra on the 5.7L and hope the gearing works out better.

When selecting a tow vehicle, buy the most power you can. Towing is really hard on a vehicle and effects long term reliability. If your pulling at higher elevations higher than 5000' I would suggest something with a turbo and max tow package and max payload package. Never listen to salesman, do your own research.
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Old 03-25-2021, 02:02 AM   #19
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If your pulling at higher elevations higher than 5000' I would suggest something with a turbo and max tow package and max payload package. Never listen to salesman, do your own research.

I figure the salesman would love you if you demanded all that.

I can put up with a high revving engine for a few minutes, climbing a hill, in return for a vehicle I can park and that gets decent mileage the rest of the time.
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Old 04-01-2021, 10:43 AM   #20
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I ordered a 17B for 3 main reasons...


1) When not towing, we will occasionally need 5-6 passenger capacity.

2) We know of a few campgrounds we love where 18' is the max trailer size
3) I wanted to have something smaller to get used to towing..



After keeping my eyes open for a while I ended up with a 2011 Honda Pilot 4WD. I don't yet have experience as I pick up my trailer next week! But if I were looking at a 19', I suspect the Highlander is the bare minimum.


Should we decide we love using our trailer, and after our kids have left the nest, A Pick up and a 5th wheel may be in our future...
MB
That is exciting. Yes, we are down to Pilot and Highlander now!
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