Which SUV

[Mark Bernard]

Sweet!

Learn somthing new everyday! lol

[Gumby647]

My van is a Ford E250, the longer one. I can fiit two fullsize bikes, a pit bike, a bicycle and all the gear that two guys need to go racing. It will crusie at 80mph and still get 15-16mpg. I do wish I had a diesel though.

I had never heard of the Sprinters blowing over. I was thinking of buying one of those when my car is paid off. I like the taller interior and they are supposed to get real good mileage.

[clutch]

My 250 is a 5 speed and tows better than the previous GM Automatic I had.  

[251am]

 M3 for sure. That's one hell of a circumstance to be in.  If you must have an SUV go for an Expedition w/ 7.3 Turbo Diesel. With Ford's new 6 ltr. diesel coming out lots of trade ins should be around. If money is not an issue pick up a new F250 or 350 SuperCrew pickup w/ the 6 ltr diesel. Before you buy check Consumer Reports on the towing capacities- one manufacturer got nailed for overquoting their vehicles towing #s. We run a F250 with the 7.3 TD and 0 problems so far at 105k. So, what are you leaning towards, the M or the S?      

[bweber]

I'm very impressed with the towing capability of my 2002 Chevy Tahoe with the 5.3L gas engine.  It has a tow/haul mode and pulls much better and has more power than the 1997 Chevy Tahoe I traded in to get the new Tahoe.  I pulled my 7x12 encloded trailer to Daytona and all the regional races and could simply set the cruise on 75 and it would maintain that speed, even through the mountains!

[wizard]

ford excursion V10 plenty of power plenty of room oh yea and plenty of gas in it

[K3 Chris Onwiler]

I bought it at Thomas Dodge of Orland Park.  Mark B.

Hey!  I thought you Kegells boys were all from Milwaukee.  Thomas Dodge is in my neck of the woods!

[Mark Bernard]

Hey!  I thought you Kegells boys were all from Milwaukee.  Thomas Dodge is in my neck of the woods!

See what you get for thinking again! lol Kegel's is in Rockford Il. Karl's brother use to own Milwaukee HD sstore but he sold out this past year and retired.I actually live about 2 minuits from the Clock Tower Inn. (20 min. from BHF) Orland Park is about an hour and 15 min. from me. They just happened to have what I was looking for in stock. I saved $9800 on a 2003 2WD SLT. Couldnt beat the deal with a large stick!

[TZDeSioux]

holy moly... didn't expect everyone to chime in like this. Lots of good information here. Mark B, thanks for the offer but I think I'll be staying away from any SUV. Maybe a used van is ideal since my whole race package is so small and light. Then I could as Kevin said put the "don't come a knockin if the van is a rockin" sticker on it. Mike, holy moly... that was an essay on tow vehicles. I learned quite a bit.

Now.. as far as M3 or S4. S4 is a sedan. I like 4 doors. The new M3 only comes in a coupe or convertible style if I'm correct. M3 has a 333 horsepower 3.2 liter straight 6 whereas the S4 has a 340 horsepower 4.2 liter V8. The M3 starts at $46,500. The S4 starts at $46.340. After options, the M3 will cost significantly more. I'm leaning toward the S4 due to the V8 and four doors but can't let go of the M3 because I've wanted one since high school. Decisions Decisions. Anyone want to buy a 2000 Mercedes ML430 with 55k miles?  :P

[Sundial]

I really like my Avalanche.  I've got the Z66 w/ 5.3L V8.  I can fit a bunch of stuff in the back under the hard tonneau cover, pull a 16' trailer, and carry four passengers.  I've also removed the tonneau cover, loaded the bike and gear into the bed for a quick track day trip.

If you need additional hauling capacity (mine is a 1500) you can get the 2500.

Drives great, leather interior, and is the Swiss Army Knife of SUVs.

Dave

[tigerblade]

The M3 starts at $46,500. The S4 starts at $46.340. After options, the M3 will cost significantly more. I'm leaning toward the S4 due to the V8 and four doors but can't let go of the M3 because I've wanted one since high school. Decisions Decisions. Anyone want to buy a 2000 Mercedes ML430 with 55k miles?  :P

What do you do for a living?  Crack dealer?   :o

[StuartV666]

All of the "Big 3's" Diesel trucks are 3/4 or 1 ton and come with good transmissions and drivetrains built to tow well, with the GM Alison transmission being the best. The new Ford 6.0 Diesel engine is questionable and it would be better to find an early '03 or previous 7.3 Diesel engine if looking at Ford. The new Ford 6.0 and GM Duramax Diesels are very quite for Diesels, but at the cost of some power to the rear wheels in real world applications. The Dodge Diesel is know for good power, but is definately the LOUDEST. The Ford 7.3 Turbo-Diesel is a very widely accepted good package.

I think it would be more correct to say "the new Ford 6.0 Diesel engine WAS questionable...". Ford has finally released a PCM flash update that, by all accounts, really does fix the minor problems a number of people were having - namely, rough idle smoking on startup and low takeoff power (below 1800 RPMs).

I have had my 6.0 PSD since last January and have 25K miles on it now. The thing rocks! It replaced my previous '00 F250 SuperDuty that had the 6.8L V10. In comparison, the 6.0 is quieter on the highway (yes, really!), faster, quicker, and better fuel mileage. It's more horsepower than the V10 (or any of the competition's diesels) and way more torque.

And Ford's new TorqShift transmission is a thing of beauty. Of course, everybody will have their own opinions, but all the ones I've seen are that the new Ford auto tranny is better than the Chevy/GMC Allison. There have been some minor quirks with the engine (this is coming from a guy who's had ALL the problems that have been being talked about), but through it all, the new tranny has been stellar.

I'm not sure why you'd say that the Ford and GM are quiet at the cost of some power to the rear wheels. Both are more powerful than the Dodge and the Ford, at least, has more torque. I believe the Ford has proven, in magazine reviews, to rule the roost when it comes to towing heavy loads, too. And it dang sure beats the snot out of the old 7.3.

And last, but not least, it should be noted for the non-turbo-diesel afficionados that any of these (the Dodge, Chevy or Ford) are VASTLY more amenable to "hotrodding" than any gas motors. A SuperChips chip for the Ford 6.8L V10 (gas) engine will add 25 HP and 50 ft-lbs of torque. I know. I had one in mine. And that was at the expense of worse mileage around town and having to run 93 octane gas.

The Ford 6.0 PSD (PowerStroke Diesel) for example, can, with the addition of a "chip" that costs anywhere from $500 to $900, add 120 HP and 250 ft-lbs of torque AND get better fuel mileage (1 - 2 mpg). Mine will soon have a Quadzilla adjustable module and be putting down over 400 HP to the rear wheels and something like 800 ft-lbs of torque. Guys with this module are running their F250 SuperDutys from 0 - 60 MPH in 7.0 seconds. You can't touch that with a gasser. The Ford SVT Lightning *might* run that, but the SuperDuty will leave it for dead if you hook them both up to a load.

Anyways...

SuperDuck,

Get yo'sef a diesel pickup (I highly recommend the F250 or F350 with a 6.0 PSD) or an E350 van with the 6.0 PSD. I'd get the van myself if it weren't that Ford doesn't offer a van with a diesel and 4-wheel drive. I gotta have 4wd. A diesel van with 4wd would be the best of all worlds. You can fit bikes in it without hauling a trailer. You can unload and sleep in it. And you can still tow a BIG trailer with it, if you want to.

- Stu