Need TOAD advice ........................

[Richard_999]

I am looking for a FLAT TOW car , but it seems that almost EVERY one I consider , has really rotten ratings and histories on Car Complaints website.
I prefer something between 2005 and 2012 , for price reasons.
Jeeps ... ALL , seem to be a garbage car..
Saturns ... seem to drop transmissions often...
Equinox ... appears to have LOTS of complaints, except for '09 and '14 and newer...
Malibus ... Perhaps the worst transmissions & steering columns ever made...
Pickups ... just too heavy ...
I have had 5 in the past , and minimal issues , but those were older , and as such, made better than the non-American versions of newer ones.

I would GREATLY enjoy any input from actual owners on this topic.

Thank You

[Y-Guy]

OP bought his car, and this thread is going south so going to close it down.

[Richard_999]

Lane ... I agree with you that people only make NOISE when they are unhappy.
BUT ............... as you research cars on CarComplaints website , as I have ( extensively ) ... you will see that MANY MANY MANY MANY MORE people seem to be VERY VERY VERY unhappy with JEEPS , than ANY other vehicle.
THAT... cannot be ignored by someone that has an open mind.
Then again ... look at how many people still smoke & take Opioids , until they die.

If YOU like JEEPS ... and want them for some personal reason that overcomes financial risks ... then BUY ONE !
Then again ... we ALL are guilty of that EXACT same logic-flaw when it comes to MOTOR HOMES !
THEY .... are certainly an excuse follow personal preference , and NOT prudent financial judgements.

Thanks for your comment .............. Richard

[lane_hog]

Lol.... Maybe the reason you see low ratings on CarComplaints.com is because only people who are pissing and moaning about their car would go there. People who love their car won't go to a complaint site...


I'm on my second Liberty, and I've owned two Cherokees, and two Patriots.

Patriots are essentially an AWD Dodge with a Jeep label, but the Liberty and Cherokee 4x4s were rock solid for us. No major mechanical issues that I couldn't fix in my own driveway on a Sunday afternoon.

[Richard_999]

AGAIN ... Thanks to all ( minus Mike ) ... who responded and gave me input.
To those who have JEEPS , and feel my comment about them is off base... please keep in mind , I have never owned one , so my only source of info is from Car Complaints website and people who HAVE owned them... and are EXTREMELY unhappy about it ... BUT ... like an earlier poster said... if they treat them like ATVs ...Mud-Boggers .. and abuse them ... then THEIR opinion is invalid.
Without knowing who is who .. I can only walk away with a negative opinion.
Thanks again ... I did buy a Honda ELEMENT
( sorry Mike ... )
(( well ...not REALLY sorry ! ))

[Richard_999]

mike brez wrote:
So you did all this research on a toad and you went out and purchased a POS Damon made by Thor. ROTFLMAO

Well Mike ... I have owned 13 motorhomes to include..
..TWO Damon Challengers ( YUP... count 'em .... TWO ! )
..a REXHALL AERBUS
.. a REXHALL Rose Air
.. a BOUNDER
.. two COACHMEN units
.. a PACE ARROW
............ and the list goes on
AND ( wait for it ! ) ...... there is VERY LITTLE difference in any/ all of them !
The mfgr buys the frame / drive train from FORD-CHEVY or whoever..
... They ALL use the same companies to supply Appliances - Furniture - TV's - Beds - and almost EVERYTHING inside.
... The ONLY places they differ , are on design features , and uh ... well ... uh ...gee , not much else.. even then , they are more alike than NOT ! ( get it ? )

BUT ... who am I to challenge someone with YOUR wealth of wisdom , that can see thru all of this, and declare THOR to be a POS ?
Since I now own a SOUTHWIND , I will consider myself LUCKY to NOT own a THOR ( whew ! ) ......
I hope my current choice is good enough for YOU !
I am certain YOUR jeep rides like a flying carpet , especially as you bounce around on those trails in he backwoods ... and has every CHROME addition that makes people SWOON as you pass by....
One day .... I may as wise as I feel you see yourself... but perhaps not today !
IF .... you wish to go to CarComplaints website , you can tell the 12,700 people with severe JEEP complaints how WRONG they are... and it MAY make them feel better.

Until then ... try NOT to help ME any more ... I seem to have digested your input , and
feel a bit queezy from it ........................ ENVY - I guess !

Ha

[magicbus]

mike brez wrote:
So you did all this research on a toad and you went out and purchased a POS Damon made by Thor.

Jeeps ... ALL , seem to be a garbage car..
Saturns ... seem to drop transmissions often...
Equinox ... appears to have LOTS of complaints, except for '09 and '14 and newer...
Malibus ... Perhaps the worst transmissions & steering columns ever made...
Pickups ... just too heavy ...

I feel like I have slipped into an alternate universe where everything is reversed...

Dave

[mike_brez]

So you did all this research on a toad and you went out and purchased a POS Damon made by Thor. ROTFLMAO

[Islandman]

We're very happy with our 2003 Jeep Wrangler TJ with auto trans, no problems whatsoever and it's really great to haul the lawn chairs, fishing gear, and the extra stuff that we all seem to add to our "nice to have just in case" belongings. The Jeep is really great when you want to explore the off-beaten paths in the western USA and Canada. It's towed four-down and is easy to hook up and unhook; no disconnecting battery and other items to take care of like some other dinghys; we have the Stay-N-Play towing system for our Jeep.

[happy2rv]

When we had motor homes we flat towed a couple of cars and a Ford Ranger extra cab pickup. The Ranger was by far my favorite. It was a 5 speed and we used a brake buddy aux braking system.

[wildtoad]

I’ve only had two towed cars. A 2013 Chevy Sonic Automatic, and my current 2016 Jeep Wrangler. The Sonic was great to tow, only had to bypass one fuse to allow tow, never had a single issue. Currently have been towing ( and daily driver ) a 2015 Jeep Wrangler 2dr Sahara ht. A fine running car, looks brand new inside and out. I picked it up at Carmax. Not one single issue towing or just driving. If you get one just keep in mind it was not designed to ride like a luxury car and you will be fine.

[MetalGator]

dodge guy wrote:
They now get bad reviews because soccer moms are buying them and they expect them to ride and handle like a full size luxury SUV. Look what they have done to it already! Luxury interior with heated seats and touch screen. Sliding soft top, electronic t-case on some models (you’re never know it because the shift lever is just a switch with a lot of resistance to make you believe it is manual!). Once they go independent front suspension it’s game over for the wrangler. And it’s going to happen just give it time.

I always love the reviews that talk about Wranglers riding stiff. Duh, it's designed to be an off road vehicle, not a luxury car.

Anyway, I have been happy with both of our Jeeps. The wife wanted one when we were looking at motor homes. I thought it would be a good idea since they are so easy to hook up and tow. She bought a 4 door hard top and I liked it so much a year later I bought a 2 door soft top.

To the OP, they make great toads. I wouldn't let the negative reviews scare you off. I have a gas Class A and hardly even notice the two door when towing. The 4 door is heavier but the motor home pulls it just fine as well.

Burch

[Richard_999]

Thanks to all who responded...
I did buy a Honda Element yesterday ...

[Richard_999]

MetalGator .... I do suspect your analysis has a LOT of merit , since there seems to be a lot of them as toads.
MANY ... of the Jeeps I see ( mostly Wranglers / NOT being towed ) ... are "pimped-up" ... and their decals are consistent with Off-Road and "Me-Bad-Dude" mentality .
Sounds like YOUR experiences are GOOD and consistent with actually TAKING CARE of them .
Thanks for the input.

I did buy a Honda Element yesterday. Nifty little item.

[dodge_guy]

MetalGator wrote:
Not sure why Jeeps get such bad reviews. We currently have two Wranglers and used to have a Jeep Cherokee. All 3 have been great vehicles. I have two friends that have Jeeps and they haven't had any issues. I have both Wranglers (2 door and 4 door) setup for flat towing behind our Motorhome. They are really easy to setup and tow. I often wonder if the bad reviews are because many people abuse Jeeps by rock crawling and other off road activities. Both our Jeep Wranglers are daily drivers and neither of them have had any issues (except for airbag recalls).

Burch

They now get bad reviews because soccer moms are buying them and they expect them to ride and handle like a full size luxury SUV. Look what they have done to it already! Luxury interior with heated seats and touch screen. Sliding soft top, electronic t-case on some models (you’re never know it because the shift lever is just a switch with a lot of resistance to make you believe it is manual!). Once they go independent front suspension it’s game over for the wrangler. And it’s going to happen just give it time.