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Old 11-29-2013, 09:28 PM   #81
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Unfortunately CR is an opinion magazine and has proven to be so in many more areas than just vehicles..
Try CS on a product which you really know something about, and you'll see their bias and incompetence quickly come into focus.
I mostly agree with you about CR, but the exception IMO is where they send out surveys to subscribers, and use the survey results to show the real-life-experience reliability of the vehicles. Those motor vehicle tables in the back of their annual book are the tallied opinions of the readers, not the opinion of the CR editors and staff. While not completely scientific, I think there are enough respondents among the subscribers to get a decent picture of things.
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Old 11-29-2013, 11:25 PM   #82
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I'll agree with Jared J I compare CR about the same as toilet paper. . A truck should ride like a truck and be able to haul stuff. IMHO When I lived in Ga my buddy got a Crossfire convertible we took it on a test drive, then I got my Wrangler and went on test drive he even though it rode better. He traded it for a Dodge diesel pickup
Most new vehicle models have "bugs" that are fixed after second or third model year.
I know that a WJ (Grand Cherokee) is different than a KJ (Liberty) and a XJ "real" Cherokee I own 2... The reason that its not my TV I'd need a 20 inch plus drop tow bar. and it has over 250000 miles on it. The other one in storage in Ga.
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Old 11-30-2013, 06:35 PM   #83
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Originally Posted by Mike Magee View Post
I mostly agree with you about CR, but the exception IMO is where they send out surveys to subscribers, and use the survey results to show the real-life-experience reliability of the vehicles. Those motor vehicle tables in the back of their annual book are the tallied opinions of the readers, not the opinion of the CR editors and staff. While not completely scientific, I think there are enough respondents among the subscribers to get a decent picture of things.
You pointed out the flaw..." they send out surveys to subscribers".
People who know the product don't subscribe. (for obvious reasons)
And that process is refined over time.
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Old 11-30-2013, 09:43 PM   #84
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Originally Posted by floyd View Post
You pointed out the flaw..." they send out surveys to subscribers".
People who know the product don't subscribe. (for obvious reasons)
And that process is refined over time.
Lol
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Old 12-02-2013, 03:15 AM   #85
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Here's what I know. The jeep Cherokee is better for towing than the Escape. The jeep engine is a new design and has a good reputation. It is stronger for towing than the Escape. The escape eco means it is turbo and I would only buy it if I did a lot of highway driving. Turbo's more expensive to fix and you have to cool them down by driving slower when you get to your destination or else it will not last many years. Keeping oil at max level in a turbo is critical. It's your choice but I prefer non diesel and non turbo. The only thing I would do to any suitable TW is add an external tranny cooler. It will save tranny by keeping temp lower.
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Old 12-05-2013, 01:09 PM   #86
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Here's what I know. The jeep Cherokee is better for towing than the Escape. The jeep engine is a new design and has a good reputation. It is stronger for towing than the Escape. The escape eco means it is turbo and I would only buy it if I did a lot of highway driving. Turbo's more expensive to fix and you have to cool them down by driving slower when you get to your destination or else it will not last many years. Keeping oil at max level in a turbo is critical. It's your choice but I prefer non diesel and non turbo. The only thing I would do to any suitable TW is add an external tranny cooler. It will save tranny by keeping temp lower.
See post #27 it bears reiteration at this point.
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Old 12-05-2013, 01:42 PM   #87
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For serious towing I want body-on-frame construction, rear wheel drive. No others need apply.

CR is a provincial outfit. They don't understand that the criteria for Yonkers NY is enormously different from other climates. They believe all SUVs must have 4WD so that they can drive in the snow. There are millions of people in this country who have never seen snow.
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Old 12-05-2013, 07:10 PM   #88
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And that is why the companies offer a plethora of models... to please the plethora of individual tastes. My son wants nothing but rear drive and stick shift, and he doesn't even tow anything!
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Old 12-05-2013, 07:59 PM   #89
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We briefly looked at the Ford Escape , but not having the same towing capacity as the Jeep Liberty was an issue for us . We tow mostly in the mountains , we like having the 500/5000 even for our Escape 15 . We also learned that there is a steering issue the company has not solved . We seriously considered the new Jeep Cherokee , but were concerned with the poor and intermittent gas peddle (slow computer ) response and learned from our mechanic that this is an issue with Chryslers they have just not yet caught up to the other auto makers on that . Our Liberty is 2002 ,so getting on ,but has low km -142000 , is in very good condition and mechanically sound , so guess we are waiting for something perfect ....... just our thoughts with those vehicles .....
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Old 12-07-2013, 09:05 AM   #90
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exactly

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Originally Posted by floyd View Post
See post #27 it bears reiteration at this point.

The quote in #27 is almost perfect, I cannot say anything else exact to repeat. Small cubic engines are not for much towing. Even if it has the capacity from the manufacture it will suffer in the long run.
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Old 12-07-2013, 09:14 AM   #91
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And here it is again
I have always been leery of smaller engines using bolt on components to increase their output. The 2.0 L is 60% smaller that the 3.2L engine and it was built for efficiency only, it allows Ford to meet industry wide MPG numbers. Towing adds a lot more strain to the engine, receiver, drivetrain, suspension, and the entire car. That is why the tow ratings for the smaller engine is some much smaller than the bigger v-6. The little engine is not made for towing large items. It may be able to do it, but over time the strain will impact the setup.
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Old 12-07-2013, 09:41 AM   #92
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About 15 years ago I asked Mr T. at Can Am about reliability of their car set ups compared to the trucks. He said that towing can affect reliability on any vehicle but he has noticed the trucks overall have more repair issues, and the cost of the repairs, were more than the cars.

My experience has proved him right. Our V6 Nissan Van had hundreds of hours of towing on it and was running fine at 465,000klm's. Our V6 Infiniti car is now 11 years old and has 230,000klm's on it, with a couple hundred hours of towing the TT and the drive train problems..... only one wheel bearing. Note it also had a tie rod replaced at 210,000 klms. To date engine and tranny work fine with no issues.
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Old 12-07-2013, 10:12 AM   #93
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The quote in #27 is almost perfect, I cannot say anything else exact to repeat. Small cubic engines are not for much towing. Even if it has the capacity from the manufacture it will suffer in the long run.
Everything put together, sooner or later falls apart.

You could tow a freight train with an eggbeater motor if you gear it right.
It's the gearing and chassis which must meet the task.
In this case the Casita 17 is a reach (long term) for either vehicle in question,but I don't see engine longevity as an issue when comparing these two. Both are under 200 CID. Both are essentially car engines.
An adult driver, who knows the limits of his equipment, should get good service out of either.

Do you know of a gasoline engine which could outlast the old 300CID Ford 6CYL in towing service?
(Tiny compared to it's contemporaries) It's use in light trucks is legendary.
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Old 12-07-2013, 02:47 PM   #94
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Generalizations.

Quote:
Originally Posted by RETIRED View Post
The quote in #27 is almost perfect, I cannot say anything else exact to repeat. Small cubic engines are not for much towing. Even if it has the capacity from the manufacture it will suffer in the long run.
Mitchel,

We have one of those "small cubic inch engines" in our 2004 Honda CRV now with 205,000 miles. or some 330,000 km for our Canadian friends. We tow 7-8 months a year covering all of North America north of Mexico. We have been on the road for 13 years and towing for 7.

Our 2.4 Liter engine has performed very well, gets great mileage, has the original clutch and has only had a thermostat and a fan replaced.

Our small engine tows very well and has been very reliable.
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Old 02-27-2014, 07:14 AM   #95
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2013 Ford Escape 2.0 4WD Tow package 3500# no problems. Fiberglass RV - ONEFORD's Album: 2013 ford Escape Travel Lite I17
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Old 03-10-2014, 10:42 AM   #96
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I'm doing research to see what trailor and vehicle that I would like. I saw that you have a 2004 Honda CRV pulling a 1991 Scamp 16. Is your CRV a 4 cylinder? That surprised me in a good way. Do you travel for long periods of time?
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Old 08-30-2016, 09:32 PM   #97
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Jeep Cherokee Experience

I hope others are still looking for information on these tow vehicles.

Company vehicles where I work are Jeeps so I drive GC and Liberty fairly often. When the Cherokee came out in 2014 I drove one. I liked the Cherokee more than the Liberty or the GC and I bought a TrailHawk. I liked the size, the way it handled and the comfort. During two years I owned the Cherokee I never experienced any of the problems reported by others on Jeep forums. It was a fantastic vehicle.

I was planning to buy a Casita but I wanted to make sure the Jeep could handle it. It did. I was able to borrow a 17' Casita from a friend and take it camping for a few days. I felt comfortable with the vehicle and it's ability to tow a 17' Casita. This was a test of both the Cherokee and the Casita and they both passed with high marks.

After two years, I traded the 2014 Cherokee for a 2016. I liked everything about the 2014 but I wanted more features. I ordered the 2016 in order to get all the gadgets I wanted. It is another TrailHawk and includes extra cooling for the transmission, a different gear ratio for towing, heavy duty suspension and skid plates (for off roading), and increased towing capacity over the 2014.

I have also ordered a Casita. My pickup date is in December and I am looking forward to many years traveling about.

For a small trailer like the Casita, I think the Cherokee is a great tv.

Side note: my Cherokee is not an AWD vehicle. During normal driving, it is a FWD vehicle. When shifted into 4WD, the rear wheels are engaged. The first Jeep was taken off-roading and is very capable. The next time I go to Windrock, I'll go with the new Casita!
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Old 10-22-2019, 08:23 AM   #98
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The 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee PCM are much more easier to find and way cheaper than the ford escpaes...you need keys! so that is a plus for the cherokee
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