Suggest me a tow vehicle for under $30k

Underneath the skin the raider is a dakota. FYI.

I learned something new.

Which is cheaper, the dodge version or the Mitsu version?

I think the dodge might be cheaper but im not sure, i know fully loaded the mitsu is over $30k

Ewww…

Tacoma FTW

f150…my payments on lease = 250 month

i know you said nothing fullsize but its something to think about. I have a conversion van that works great for towing, has a very comfortable ride , and is awesome for road trips. i dunno if your into em at all but i love my van.

Seriously Walter, why not find a good used truck for under $10K? You are only going to RA and possibly one or two other tracks.

Why spend all that money?

P.S. Make sure your trailer has room for my bike when I come down there next. :tup:

Dodge Magnum. I was considering one for towing/DD but capacity is lower than what I need. I think 2000lbs is what it is rated for. A Trailblazer would work very well for what you are towing, I towed my jetski with one and you didn’t even know it was back there.

I towed the same rig with a '95 Saturn (no problem going, stopping distance was a bit long though) an '02 Sentra Spec V (no problem going or stopping) and the Trailblazer (“are you sure that jet ski is still back there?”)

Oh, and if you only plan to tow a couple of times per year, why not rent the tow vehicle? This the method I plan to use, because I can’t find a vehicle that isn’t a truck that has the capacity I need. I refuse to daily drive a truck, and I also refuse to give up precious garage or driveway space to a vehicle that may only get used a couple of times per year.

stay toyota/honda if your are gonnna buy new

shitty japanese cars (mitsushitsu, mazda, nissan) and domestics drop value a lot faster,

In terms of towing, if you’re just towing 800lbs (give or take) you can pretty much chose your vehical. If you plan on towing any cars though, I would recommened nothing smaller than a full size pickup. I’ve towed and SUV’s, it’s a series of compramises at best.

Why are half of you telling him to buy a giant truck or SUV, especially after he said he doesn’t want one of those. Buy whatever you want for a DD. Towing the bike is nothing, basically any thing you buy will be able to do it. You’re going to use it way more as the DD, so why not get something you like and does that part well :gotme:

a Buick lesabre will tow 1500…

Absolutely.

I think a new M5 or M6 would be able to tow that bike at about 170mph, no problem! Or, if you want something a little smaller, a C6 Z06 would be nifty. The M5/6 has a $3,000 gas guzzler tax but the C6 is not subject to it.

Seriously, you should get whatever you like for a DD and use it for the light towing you plan to do. Or are you a closet “big rig wanna be?” You could get one of those hideous Dodge Rams and ride up on the bumper of every car you come up one to show how manly you are. That’s what they make 'em for.

Well then in that case, he should just put a hitch on his current DD, a SC A6 :shrug:

I didn’t read all replies so if this has been mentioned I apoligize. My boss has an '02 K2500HD 6.0. It’s a damn nice truck. I’m an import guy but one thing GM can do right is build a truck. One w/ the 5.3 wouldn’t be terrible on gas and have plenty of power. Repair parts are dirt cheap and maintainence is almost non-existent.

I dunno if you’ve ever towed stuff for distances before but…

If you tow AT, or near, your vehical’s tow capacity you will not be happy, you will be constantly stressed while driving and generally it will not be an easy trip. Which is why I suggested even if he plans on just hauling ~1000lbs he take a look at a larger SUV or better yet a truck. Because towing with anything smaller will be a real test, ALL the time.

actually yes i have. i have probably about 8,000 miles experience of towing a 10,000lb 26’ enclosed trailer before. did it with a 1ton van with a small block. small block is way underpowered for it, but it was the only choice i had.

anyways…a bike with a trailer will be ~1000lbs. that is really not all that much though with a full sized car. unless you are doing alot of hills where you will be really taxing the brakes. i regularly tow ~1500lbs with my little S15 Jimmy and it doesnt even break a sweat with that.

By that statement you probably know what I mean about having the wrong stuff for towing.

i know exactly what you mean. lots of people tow things way too heavy for the vehicles capabilities. but in his case i believe he would be ok with a full size car or smaller SUV. anything over 1500-2000# i prefer to have a full frame not unibody vehicle though.

my situation was just lack of power. i still used a 1ton chassis, so i had the brakes and suspension to safely do it. small blocks dont like 10k loads through the rocky mountains despite what these new 1/2ton truck ratings say they can do.

This thread is still going? I thought I ended it a while ago.

A medium sized truck will do the job easily. Tacoma, Frontier, Colorado, Ridgeline (ghey), Ranger, Explorer, Trailblazer, Pilot, Xterra. All I believe are under $30k.

As far as cars, pretty much any mid-sized sedan with a 6 cylinder will work fine.