My family is at the point to get a new suv or something to pull our 17 foot boat.
Wondering if any of you have had a vue and pulled a boat? If so what do/did you think? Its in our price range, reports seem to be fine, but just wondering the pulling capacities.
Also did you have a all wheel drive or a front wheel drive? Can a person get away with just the front wheel drive and pulling or just roll with the all wheel drive.
Thanks for any input! 
I’m not sure, but I think that the Vue is equiped with the 3.5 liter motor and is rated to tow 3500. My experiences tell me that it would be on the light side to tow your boat. You have to decide how often you will be towing and also the distances and type of terain (hilly etc) you will be pulling in. I don’t think that you will need all wheel drive. Good luck!
Look at the Dodge Nitro to get 4500# towing. My son has one and loves it!!!!!!
The towing capacity for the 08 Vue is 3500#’s. Should be enough for a 17′ boat.
I looked long and hard, best value for the money with tow rating and fuel economy was a Toyota Rav4, the V6 puts down 270hp, 250#’s and day in day out we’re pulling off 22-23 mpg, daily driving, and we don’t drive it easy or slow for say, I’d say we drive pretty much average. We also opted for the 4wheel drive version, I think that a good choice. Over on a Rav4 forum, there has been some unhappy vue owners, that went to a Rav4. Seems people have been really unhappy about real world mileage and fit and finish. Personally I liek the Rav so much more than I ever thought I would, if I were going out to buy another car/truck, 80% I get another Rav to go with the one we got already, 20% I’d step to a Highlander.
Now all that being said, I truely believe I won’t have any problems pulling my 19′ fiberglass boat, seen quite a few reviews of people towing similar boat without complaint. I have yet to install the hitch and wiring on the Rav4, but it’s comming soon.
Toyota also makes a Highlander with the same drive train a bit bigger over all, and still pulls off good mileage, and it has a 5000# tow rating, seems to imply the Rav has the power to to upto 5000#, though I’m sure it’s rated 3500 for good reason, wheelbase and brakes and such.
04-07 Vue’s ran a Honda 3.5 V-6 with a 6 speed Asian Warner trans. 08 the Vue is all new. The older Vues had pallimar panels. Now they are back to metal for better fit and finish.
The Saturn Outlook has a towing cap of 4500#. More pricy though and the mileage will be lower than the Vue.
Quote:
Look at the Dodge Nitro to get 4500# towing. My son has one and loves it!!!!!!
They are great for towing, but got a gas hog rating from consumer reports.
Nitro EPA avg. 17 MPG, Saturn Vue 18 MPG. Nitro has a bigger engine, and more capacity.
big G 
Rav4 says EPA = 21, actual mileage reported by drivers 18.7
I want a Nitro either way! 
Preaching to the choir life, preachin’ to the choir… 
big G 
Quote:
My family is at the point to get a new suv or something to pull our 17 foot boat.
Wondering if any of you have had a vue and pulled a boat? If so what do/did you think? Its in our price range, reports seem to be fine, but just wondering the pulling capacities.
Also did you have a all wheel drive or a front wheel drive? Can a person get away with just the front wheel drive and pulling or just roll with the all wheel drive.
Thanks for any input!
I have a 2006 AWD VUE with the Honda V6 and pulled a 16.5 foot probably late 90’s Alunicraft Magnum that I borrowed from someone for about 2 months and since I live so close to Tonka the longest drives were the pick up and drop back off. It seemed to pull fine did notice on big hills the RPMS were pretty high to keep it at 65-70 but it seemed to pull fine. I would say it depends on how far you have to travel to and from the lakes you fish.
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