[vdubin4life03]

I am thinking about picking an SUV/Truck up as a daily driver so i can work on my car. I need it to be able to tow a car incase i need to tow my car. I would also like it to get good gas mileage, diesel would be preferable, but it doesnt have to be. Im not looking to spend a lot of money since it will just be a beater but it has to be reliable and cheap to maintain.
TIA

 

[Seitan]

how far do you need to tow?
if you're just talking short distances you could probably get away with a cherokee and the 4.0.
otherwise if you plan on towing a long distance you're going to need to look at the v8 suv/truck route and then your "good mpg" requirement is shot.

 

[SteveMcqueen]

S-10?
4k towing. 190 hp and 2 something lb ft.

 

[thatguyoverthere]

Re: (SteveMcqueen)

Stay away from s10s. Too many little things go wrong with them.
Either find an older diesel pickup, any are good, so you get decent mpg or just get a full size truck with a big v6 or small v8.

 

[vdubin4life03]

Re: (SteveMcqueen)

its really not gonna tow that much but i want it to be able to tow if the need arises.
i would also like to be able to try to get something that can fit 4 people. thats why i was thining ford explorer.

what kind of old diesels are there. excuse my lack of knowledge i was never a truck guy so i dont really know what kind are out there and what are good and bad.


Modified by vdubin4life03 at 6:42 PM 8-19-2006

 

[wildcar]

I'd second the Jeep, Either a cherokee or a wrangler with the 4.0 I6. They can tow a decent amount of weight factory and with a few simple mods can tow more than most suv's in their class.

 

[vdubin4life03]

Re: (wildcar)

how do these do gas mileage wise? i need something economic since i have my jetta which will be going under the knife as my toy so i just need something to get me around and can tow if i need to tow the jetta.

 

[Seitan]

Re: (vdubin4life03)

Quote, originally posted by vdubin4life03 »

how do these do gas mileage wise? i need something economic since i have my jetta which will be going under the knife as my toy so i just need something to get me around and can tow if i need to tow the jetta.

as I mentioned before, economy and towing don't mix. check edmunds.com for mpg ratings on various suv's.

 

[Sporin]

Re: (silvERia)

If you can find a good deal on mid-1990's Cummins powered Dodge pickup, you can probably resell it in a year or two when your car is done for the same money you bought it for.
The problem with that is that diesel pickups are going for crazy money these days, with 10 year old, 200k+ mile units still comanding close to 6-$10k!

So what about a similar vintage Chevy with a V8? Much cheaper, will easily tow your car.

 

[bhtooefr]

Any of the following would meet your needs. And, yes, there's a common thread here. Two seats bolted in the back. Because there's not any four-door old small pickups.

2.2L Mazda/Perkins engine:
1983-1984 Ford Ranger 2.2 diesel with two seats bolted in the back
1983-1986 Mazda B2200 diesel with two seats bolted in the back
2.3L Mitsubishi turbo engine:
1983-1986 Dodge Ram 50 turbodiesel with two seats bolted in the back
1983-1986 Mitsubishi Mighty Max turbodiesel with two seats bolted in the back
1985-1986 Ford Ranger turbodiesel with two seats bolted in the back
2.2L Isuzu engine:
1981 Chevy LUV diesel with two seats bolted in the back
1981-1986? Isuzu P'up with two seats bolted in the back
1982-1986 Chevy S-10 diesel with two seats bolted in the back
2.2L Toyota engine:
1981-1984? Toyota Truck diesel with two seats bolted in the back
2.4L Toyota engine:
1985?-1987 (counting Canada) Toyota Truck diesel with two seats bolted in the back
2.4L Toyota turbo engine:
1985?-1987 (counting Canada) Toyota Truck turbodiesel with two seats bolted in the back

 

[Sporin]

Re: (bhtooefr)

Quote, originally posted by bhtooefr »

Any of the following would meet your needs. And, yes, there's a common thread here. Two seats bolted in the back. Because there's not any four-door old small pickups. 2.2L Mazda/Perkins engine: 1983-1984 Ford Ranger 2.2 diesel with two seats bolted in the back 1983-1986 Mazda B2200 diesel with two seats bolted in the back 2.3L Mitsubishi turbo engine: 1983-1986 Dodge Ram 50 turbodiesel with two seats bolted in the back 1983-1986 Mitsubishi Mighty Max turbodiesel with two seats bolted in the back 1985-1986 Ford Ranger turbodiesel with two seats bolted in the back 2.2L Isuzu engine: 1981 Chevy LUV diesel with two seats bolted in the back 1981-1986? Isuzu P'up with two seats bolted in the back 1982-1986 Chevy S-10 diesel with two seats bolted in the back 2.2L Toyota engine: 1981-1984? Toyota Truck diesel with two seats bolted in the back 2.4L Toyota engine: 1985?-1987 (counting Canada) Toyota Truck diesel with two seats bolted in the back 2.4L Toyota turbo engine: 1985?-1987 (counting Canada) Toyota Truck turbodiesel with two seats bolted in the back

Good luck finding any of thsoe in good shape. Trucks of that vintage are mostly rusting away.
And, don't be fooled by the diesel ... these are NOT powerful engines. I'm not sure any of them really have the power to safely tow a car on a trailer.

 

[Viss1]

Re: truck/suv??? (vdubin4life03)

S10 Blazer. Came in 2 and 4 door versions. 4.3L V6 is a very reliable engine with plenty of torque. Relatively economical too.

 

[bhtooefr]

No, they're not powerful, with the exception of the turbodiesels. 50-70 hp.
But, they have absolute boatloads of torque. Take 'em to redline in each gear, and use the blinkers when necessary (wait, didn't they do that back in the old days when you couldn't go fast enough?), and you're good to go.
Anyway, the other option is, what car needs to be towed? I'm thinking of some diesel cars that could do the job quite well. Actually, a Mercedes 300D/TD/CD turbodiesel should be able to tow just about any compact car...

 

[RabbitsKin]

Re: (bhtooefr)

What about a Dakota or Durango? Mid '90s, don't know how cheap they are.

 

[RabbitsKin]

Re: (bhtooefr)

What about a Dakota or Durango? Mid '90s, don't know how cheap they are. If you can forgo the 4 seat requirement, any older truck with a V8 from the '80s or '90s would fit the bill. The best thing about these vehicles is they will always be useful for something. I bought an '86 Dodge four years ago to knock around in, and just ended up keeping it after the original need was gone. I find there is always something to tow, something to take to the dump, something long to bring home from Lowe's, etc. It also turned out to be the only vehicle in my fleet that has never let me down -- let's hear it for old technology!

 

[Sporin]

Re: (bhtooefr)

Even the Turbo diesels of that generation only offered 90-130± ft. lbs. of Torque. and in my opinion, that is not enough to tow a car on a trailer with any regularity.[i/]
Not trying to be argumentative, I swear.

I still feel like the most cost effective, reliable, easily available used tow rig is a mid 90's Chevy 1500.
Even the 4.3 V6 wil give you 160 hp, 237 ft-lbs. Tq. The 5.0 V8 gives you 175 hp, 275 ft-lbs. Tq. with max torque coming in a bit lower.
Of course, if you are only going to tow the thing once or twice a year then all this is moot.