JAC1982 wrote:
coolmom42 wrote:
JAC1982 wrote:
coolmom42 wrote:
rexlion wrote:
I put 140,000 miles of towing (for work and play) on my '08 Highlander. I sold it with 185K total on the odometer. By that time the transmission temp light would come on sometimes when climbing long grades at higher elevation (Rockies). I was happy with it up until then. Good power in most situations, although climbing while in a strong headwind would cause me to slow down to 38-40 mph and use a lower gear. I did have a 16'L x 7'W x 99"H KZ travel trailer for about 3 years, 2700 lbs total and about 375 lbs (loaded) on the hitch. And I used the Andersen hitch, mainly to reduce the humping over the expansion joints and to smooth out the ride; it was pretty nice to use compared to my old Equal-i-zer.
Now I have a '08 Lexus GX470 with 4.7L V8. The thing I like best about it is the air suspension, which stiffens the rear and keeps it level even with trailer attached.
The newer Explorers have the 3.5 L Ecoboost, which is a great towing engine.
Only the Sport or Platinum models have the 3.5L Ecoboost. The Limiteds and XLTs just have the regular 3.5, which has significantly less HP and torque (tow rating is the same as long as you have the tow package). You can also get the Limited or XLT with the Ecoboost 4 cylinder but that's not a good towing engine. That's the #1 reason I got a Sport vs the cheaper models.
Thanks for this info. I did not realize that the Limited was not available with the 3.5 L Ecoboost. But you are absolutely correct. That engine is only on the Platinum and the Sport. This puts the price point up with a F-150, which might just happen!
To be honest, I thought about getting an F-150 instead of the Explorer, because it would be nice to have a 2nd vehicle that could at least pull our toy hauler out of the driveway etc (we learned towing our toy hauler on trips with an F150 wasn't a fun experience). We had a 2013 and I really enjoyed driving it, but then in the end, the extra enclosed cargo space was something I really needed so we went with the Explorer instead, plus the Explorer does get a bit better gas mileage than our F150 did, I get almost 21mpg on my commute, F150 was more in the 17 range. You could also look into Expeditions, as I believe all of them have the EcoBoost, and a higher towing capacity. They get $$$$ very quickly though.
I'm also glad I decided on the Explorer, as we go downtown to Denver for sporting events etc., and while there's places you can park an F150, there's more options with the Explorer (even it gets tight in some spots down there though!).
Also if it helps, I purchased a 2016 model in July, so they were ready to wheel and deal on it. I paid invoice price, which was about 5k less than sticker. There's still 2016s to be had even now, probably at even better discounts as they have 2017s arriving every day. I originally was looking at low mileage used Sports, but they were harder to find with the towing package (it's now standard, it used to be an option), and I was still looking at the high 30s for a 20-30k used model... interest rates are better on new, so it actually worked out the same to just get the new one, and you get the warranty with new.
I definitely prefer a SUV over a truck. I like the enclosed/secure cargo space of a SUV.
I'm going to take a hard look at Highlander vs 4Runner. Then will start looking at pricing, pick which one I want, and start looking for the vehicle.
Thanks for the info.
