Another vehicle selection thread

[oc357]

I am more of a lurker here as I have been taking in all the info I can, however it is now vehicle selection time:

This is my list of requirements:
Vehicle will be my daily driver
Vehicle must be shorter than 6'2" when completed - I park in a parking garage at work and it has a 6'2" height
Vehicle must fit two car seats one rear facing, one forward with room for the front seat to go all the way back
Vehicle must be able to tow a trailer, approx 5000lbs
4x4
Vehicle purchase budget - $15-18K

Nice to haves:
3rd Row - if an SUV
2wd/4wd transfer case - it seems full time 4wd eats up gas and tires from some reading I have done
I currently drive a 2WD 2005 Ram Quad Cab - I would like to keep the vehicle around this size as I have to drive in a city that seems to be designed for mini-coopers


Vehicles I have been considering:
Ford Excursion V-10 - test drove the diesel and the car seat fit fine and there seemed to be alot of room, the V-10 matches the budget.
Jeep Commander Hemi
Ford F-150 (2009-2010) - would stretch the budget for this one if certified
Nissan Titan
Nissan Frontier (not sure about car seat fit in this one, any personal experience is appreciated)

Vehicles eliminated:
Ram Mega Cab 4x4 - too tall
Grand Cherokee - if I get an SUV I want a third row


Vehicle Use:
Daily Driver - maybe 10-15 miles per day
Family Trips - 1200 miles one way when going back home
Family Camping trips - would like to go exploring the area (VA/WV/NC/TN) while I am on this side of the country. Probably with a ground tent, not sure what the trails look like in this area if I would need a lift, etc.
Shooting - I am looking at getting into 3 gun matches, so I would like something that I could throw a gun vault or something similar into.


If anyone has experiences with the vehicles above or has any suggestions, I would appreciate it.



Thanks

 

[3 DOGS]

Ford F150 crew cab. I have a 12 and the rear room is plenty for car seats and gear bags. Plus obviously you have the back end to fill up too. For your guns look at Tuffy products. I got the under the rear seat lock box and it has plenty of room for 3 guns.
The biggest issue will be the price - newer F150s are still getting a premium it seems. I would look into finding a fleet f150 - they usually still have a warranty but are less due to higher miles.
Just my thoughts

 

[Shocker]

Are you sure on the 6' 2" height is correct? Just about everything is over 6 ft tall. An Excursion is over 6 ' easy.

How about a Dodge Durango first gen? Much less than your budget so lots of room to build. They are relatively compact, might be short enough, good engines and doing a SAS is not too tough plus third row.

 

[oc357]

3 Dogs, thanks for your input, I looked at a friends 2010 F-150 Crew Cab and it was huge back there.

Shocker, I can open the sunroof on my 2WD Ram and touch the garage ceiling so I am sure it is between 6'2" and 6'4". I haven't looked at a first gen but just talked to a friend with a Gen 2 who really likes it and it falls within the budget, thanks for the input.

 

[Raul B]

Ford F150 crew cab. I have a 12 and the rear room is plenty for car seats and gear bags. Plus obviously you have the back end to fill up too. For your guns look at Tuffy products. I got the under the rear seat lock box and it has plenty of room for 3 guns.
The biggest issue will be the price - newer F150s are still getting a premium it seems. I would look into finding a fleet f150 - they usually still have a warranty but are less due to higher miles.
Just my thoughts

Have a picture of your lock box mounted? I'm looking to get one for my 2012

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[Shocker]

Wow! The 1994-2001 Ram 1500 2wd is about 72" tall and the next gen is about 75" tall. You ain't kiddin.

The 2nd gen Durango is 72" tall. The 1st gen is 73" tall. So either will be OK.

I would look for a 2000 or earlier 5.9 powered Durango. Manual shift transfer case and the 360 make it a good choice. Fuel economy is not so good, but a tough rig overall.

 

[east_tn_81]

I would say a f150 supercrew. You could even look at the 04-08 models lots of room in the back with the front seat all the way back. I had a 2006 supercrew and I was able to get two car seats back there no problem.

 

[X2Outdoors]

My vote f150 super crew. I have an 09 and it's been a great rig. Great for exploring,camping,fishing and the grand kids.i just got a snug top shell for it. 18-19 mpg on raid trips. My son has an 06,two girls two Labradors. He loves his also.


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[oc357]

So far the super crew is winning, I just have to go check out the difference in rear seat room between the the 04-08 and the 09-present models.

 

[udoxx]

Commander

I have an '09 Overland Commander. As it is with a two inch OME lift and 32in MTs it sits above 6'2". With a few breathing mods and tune I get 16 mpg hwy and about 13 mpg town. Tire wear is fine as I rotate religiously every 6k miles. It is my daily driver and works well as the family off road vehicle. With a lo speed tcase, front and rear LSD capable of full lock it is very capable. It is small enough to fit on trails where I may take my Wranglers but large enough for my family of five. I am not sure how the rear child seats will fit but there is space enough for my son who is 6'3". This vehicle is very limited in aftermarket parts I believe that may be one of the negatives.

 

[HighPlainsPhotographer]

I have an Excursion and kids. Nothing beats a large vehicle with three rows of seats for carting family around.

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