Re: Smallest vehicle to pull 18-19' boat?
Full disclosure: I am a car buff and a boat enthusiast. I also used to sell, so I am very aware of the market for these vehicles.
You have gotten some great advice. You also got some pretty shoddy advice. I won't point out who is right and wrong.
I am in much the same boat. I sold my 24 foot Bayliner, and recently sold my Suburban 2500. I am looking to go to a 19 or 20 foot bowrider, and have the whole thing weigh around 3500 lbs. I am also looking to purchase a family type vehicle thats SUV-ish, AWD, capable of towing, capable of hauling people, and something not too crazy in fuel usage, size, or expense.
A word on import vs. domestic: Buy what you want, but don't be foolish, and don't be blind. Hyundai and Ford/GM in particular have made SPECTACULAR strides lately, and don't take a back seat to ANYONE. Ford especially has an almost perfect lineup of appealing cars and trucks, and have made serious inroads in quality and residual value (a measure of percieved quality). Domestics have bigger depreciation - something that will work to your advantage if you buy used. Import truck vehicles are generally not as solid, nor as good, as domestics. Aside from a 4Runner, XTerra, or Pathfinder, I can't think of a single import truck I would have over a Domestic. This is coming from someone who currently has a VW in his garage, but also was a 2X Suburban owner.
A word on used vehicles: I am aware you prefer import. There is a kernal of truth to what you say about IN GENERAL they are better, more focused vehicles. However, that changes when you look at truck type vehicles, and especially at resale value. I would encourage you to benchmark prices for particular vehicles (a V6 RAV4, for example, with 25K on the clock), and compare those to a domestic truck. YOu may find yourself comparing a RAV4 to, say, a pristine Lincoln Aviator V8 with less miles - and thats a hard decision to make, value wise.
More to the point: I would not consider ANY used Honda, Toyota, or Nissan. THey just hold their value too well to make sense as a used car purchase. Pony up the cash and buy them new and you're golden.
Knowing what you are looking for, I would take a calculated risk and target vehicles with a 3500 lb tow capacity and up. I generally fall into the "more tow capacity is better" camp, but there is a BIG expense that comes with a more serious tow vehicle, and a lot of people aren't willing to pay it.
3500 lbs is usually enough to encompass most 18 - 20 foot bowriders, such as a Bayliner 195 Sport, Sea Ray 195 Sport, or a Larson 206 Senza. It won't cover the luxury boats like a Regal 2000 or a CObalt 200. That said, you will be on your limit tow-wise, so you won't want to go long-distance.
TO that end, here's your list:
Ford Escape (and any Ford SUV above that)/Mercury Mariner (serious used car bargain since they are shuttering Mercury)
Ford Explorer (the newer, the better, and stick to midline models - no leather, no AWD, 4WD only, no V8s)
new gen Chevy Equinox (I think these have a 3500 lb capacity in V6 AWD form)/GMC Terrain
Toyota RAV4 V6
Toyota 4Runner
Nissan XTerra
Nissan Pathfinder
Chevy TrailBlazer/GMC Envoy/Olds Bravada/Buick Rainier/Saab 9-7X
GMT 800s (that is, Chevy Tahoe/Suburban/GMC Yukon/Yukon XLs and all their pickup truck cousins of the 2001 - 2008 vintage)
Volvo XC90s (these might be able to tow - Volvos tend to have surprising tow ratings)
Volvo XC70 wagon (ditto)
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 4 door (3500 lb capacity with a tow package)
Ford Edge
Nissan Murano
Hyundai Santa Fe
Kia Borrego (Chevy Tahoe competitor that landed on the market with a HUGE thud...which means used car bargains galore!)
Kia Sorrento (surprising tow capacity on these)
I wouldn't consider ANY Chrysler product at this point (aside from the Wrangler). The market is too volatile, the residuals are too low, and they have serious quality problems on the Journey CUV.
All of this depends on your budget, so good luck.
