[s-cars] Work vehicle advice needed

Mon Dec 18 02:19:06 EST 2006

I totally agree with Theodore on this one....domestic pickup.  You don't
want to worry about tearing up your bazillion dollar tranny in a
Mercedes/Audi when you are towing your car around.  I am totally unbiased
about which domestic manufacturer I like, i.e. I have no Chevy tattoes on my
arms :) but in doing research for my own work truck I found that the Ford
F-Series were simply the best ones for holding their value and reliability.
I have a 1991 F-150 that I drive across the country every once in a while to
pick up thigs from in-laws, etc.  I have towed up to a 6x12 enclosed u-haul
trailer with this.  If I was to want to tow 3500 lbs I would definitely want
the F-250, preferably with a Diesel, but the big 460 would work as
well...just not as good on gas.  You don't necessarily need a crew
cab...extended cabs actually offer a good bit of room in full-size domestics
for the backseat passengers, if they are under 5'9" or so.

The Chevy suspensions are not setup for towing...more for suburban cruising
soccer moms.  I had a friend who used to work for Hypertech  (chip tuning
company) and he used to tell me horror stories about the Chevy towing
experiences.  They had two trucks, one was a Ford and one was a Chevy and
they used to basically fight over who got to drive the Ford when towing was
involved.  Same reason I would go with a pickup vs. SUV.  The suspensions on
the SUVs are not setup as well for towing.

I also wouldn't hesitate to buy something older than 5 years old.
Especially in the diesel market.  The cool thing about a work vehicle is you
don't have to worry about ticky tack things that always break...as long as
the truck has good brakes, a good engine and tranny you are good to go.
This is one of the main reasons I went with the F-150....out of all the
older trucks I was looking at they were consistently in the nicest shape.
They also consistently had oil leaks on the order of a quart every 2-3k
miles, but who cares...that's a couple of bucks every 2k miles and a piece
of cardboard if you care about the spot where you are parking it.

--Calvin

-----Original Message-----
From: s-car-list-bounces at audifans.com
[mailto:s-car-list-bounces at audifans.com]On Behalf Of Theodore Chen
Sent: Sunday, December 17, 2006 7:50 PM
To: Taka Mizutani
Cc: S-CAR-List
Subject: Re: [s-cars] Work vehicle advice needed

chevy suburban 2500 or ford excursion turbodiesel?  still too much
truck for you?

the problem is, even though you might not use it much, you still have
to get up and down mountains while towing, and you don't want it to be
a white-knuckle experience.  i frequently hear people saying they're
so tired from trying to avoid crashing during the tow that they don't
feel like racing by the time they get to the track.  that calls for
something big and heavy so it doesn't get pushed around by the load.
i don't see why you need to make it a daily driver.  personally, i'd
buy a used turbodiesel work truck and use it only for hauling, and
drive the STi or miata as a daily driver.  turbodiesel trucks hold
their value well because the buyers don't care whether it has the
latest stuff or not, only whether it can get the job done.  so you
won't be losing a lot of money on depreciation with the truck just
sitting there.

this is one area that definitely calls for a domestic vehicle, and
i'd consider a suburban or expedition to be the minimum for towing.
the '99+ explorer is supposed to be pretty good at towing, but i'm
doubtful whether its engine has the beans to pull a 5000-6000 load
in the mountains.  you're not going to like climbing the mountains
at 15-20 mph.

-t.

--- Taka Mizutani <t44tqtro at gmail.com> wrote:

> If I get something that can tow, I want it to be able to tow the STi or a
> Corvette or
> a 911. That way, I wouldn't have to get a replacement tow vehicle if I
> decide to tow
> something bigger than the Miata.
>
> Definitely mountains in PA, it's a climb to go to the Glen from Philly, I
> don't think it
> was much elevation going to Summit Point or Lime Rock, and I've not been
to
> VIR yet.
>
> It's not something I'd do all the time, so there's no way I'm getting a
> diesel crew- far too
> much truck for a few tows a year and most of the time being used for a
daily
> driver, maybe
> hauling some light stuff (produce, lumber, etc.).
>
> Taka
>
>
> On 12/17/06, Theodore Chen <tedebearp at yahoo.com> wrote:
> >
> > although the touraeg is heavy, the wheelbase isn't that long.  the best
> > tow vehicle would be a 3/4 or 1 ton truck with crew cab and a
turbodiesel.
> >
> > it depends on how often you plan to tow and where you're going to be
> > towing (a lot of mountains, or mostly flat?).
> >
> > what's this 3300 lb car you're going to tow, taka?  a miata is nowhere
> > near that, unless you fill it with lead.
> >
> > -teddy
> >
> > --- chris chambers <fastscirocco_2000 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> >
> > > VW Touareg maybe?
> > >
> > > 2004 with ~50,000 miles is in the $22k range.
> > > But I don't know what it's towing capacity is.....
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --- Taka Mizutani <t44tqtro at gmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > > Hi listers,
> > > > This may be a little while more in the future, but I will need a
> > > > vehicle
> > > > that will need the following:
> > > >
> > > > 4-wheel or all-wheel drive
> > > > carry 4 passengers comfortably
> > > > enough ground clearance to go through at least 12" of snow w/o any
> > > > issues
> > > > (any more and I'm not going anywhere- roads will be closed)
> > > > quiet enough to carry a decent conversation on the phone (I want
> > > > hands-free
> > > > Bluetooth speakerphone- aftermarket or OEM)
> > > > can tow a 6000 lb. load w/o issues (3300lb. car and trailer as the
> > > > max.
> > > > load)
> > > > Under $30k, new or used, but financeable within reason (can't be
more
> > > > than 5
> > > > yrs. old)
> > > > reliable
> > > > good safety record
> > > >
> > > > The towing capacity is an absolute must- if I get a big vehicle, it
> > > > must be
> > > > able to tow at least an open trailer with a max. 3300lb. car
> > > > on it, comfortably for at least 300 miles, up and downhill (trailer
> > > > would
> > > > have electric brakes, I'd get an Aluminum trailer if possible).
> > > >
> > > > I think there are no Audis that can do this except maybe the Q7,
> > > > which is
> > > > way more than $30k, so what can you suggest?
> > > >
> > > > If I do need this vehicle for work, gas mileage won't really be an
> > > > issue
> > > > (meaning I'll be able to afford it). :-)
> > > >
> > > > But I don't want to excessively waste gas for no reason.
> > > >
> > > > I'm sure that some of you have tow vehicles for going to the track
> > > > and such,
> > > > no?
> > > >
> > > > Taka
> > > > _______________________________________________
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