r/boating • u/Gombajuice • 22d ago
What vehicle do you use to haul a 20ft boat that ISN'T a truck? $15k - $30k
Got my first boat, about 3k lbs with trailer. (Boat is 2,100 so assuming trailer is about half of that)
I need something to haul boat only OCCASIONALLY since it will be slipped, but I absolutely hate trucks. I like bells and whistles and good gas mileage.
Currently taking a peek at the Ford Maverick. I know it's a truck, but it's aimed at sedan lovers and I can get a $4k tow package. Also, the new Hyundai Santa Cruz looks interesting, but idk how I feel about buying a brand new car.
Thoughts?
UPDATE: Test drove a SEXY decked out 2018 Jeep Jerome with the 4,500 lb tow package, but it drove like shit. I tried a Grand Cherokee and it was SO NICE, but not the color I wanted. I want to narrow my search, but should I be concerned with reliability? I'm looking for something under 70k miles between 2014-2019
3
u/jdmackes 22d ago
We currently have a Ford escape, it's rated for 1500 lbs. Most escapes are, it's more difficult than you'd think to find the correct setup for 3500 lbs (in a used car that is). Most smaller SUVs use 4 cyl engines, and then the ones that don't don't have the two package a lot of times. I agree though, you'd want a medium SUV or a truck honestly.