I am looking for a van or SUV that can 1. fit 3 car seats, 2. have storage at the back and 3. be good for trailing heavy items (boat, etc). What do you recommend?
Any of the full sized SUV’s will do. I would look for slightly used as owners tend to dump them as soon as fuel prices rise making pricing attractive over new.
How much weight will you be towing? The Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey minivans have 3,500 pound towing capacities.
You probably want a full size SUV or larger. You get great cargo capacity with a Chevy Suburban and about the same gas mileage as the Yukon. The killer for minivans is that you want to tow a boat. You could get a full size van with RWD and a V8. That would work, too, and you might have better access to the kids than in a SUV.
They may have a 3500lb towing capacity…but I would NEVER tow anything that heavy with a FWD vehicle.
Depending on what’s being towed…MOST of the mid-size SUV’s can probably meet the towing needs. My 4runner is rated a Class III…5000lbs.
I have successfully towed a 3,500 pound trailer with a 2002 Toyota Sienna…even through the hills of Tennessee. It handled it just fine because it had a weight-distribution hitch and a sway control bar. As long as you use the right equipment there is no danger.