Traverse - Acadia - Enclave as a tow rig

I was skeptical. Needing an all wheel drive kid/tow rig I could have gone in many directions, all of which were spelled c o m p r o m I s e. That was 2011. Fast forward to 2015. 75,000 miles later with zero problems and several towing trips, and this mini truck is still just doing its thing. If you get a Lambda platform GM SUV from 2009-now with the tow package and you stay below the 5,200 capacity rating, this platform just flat out works as combination grocery getter / hooptie hauler.

We towed a 240sx on a converted flatbed two-axle travel trailer with a moderate amount of spares and such from the Bay Area to Salt Lake City and back with zero drama. Up and over Donner Pass and several other 7,000 foot spots in Nevada and the Traverse did it easily. Very rarely did we have to dip below 60mph even on the steepest pitches, and maintaining 75-80mph through rolling terrain was pretty easy, too. We saw 14.5mpg when averaging 75mph, 16.5mpg when you keep it near 60mph like you're supposed to in California. Brakes never felt overtaxed and there was virtually no sway, just a bit of vibration likely due to my old  snow tires on the Traverse.

Yeah, you're not going to tow a Belvidere in a 40' enclosed trailer with generator, hot tub, and bowling alley, but do you need all that crap for your E30, Civic, or Miata? Nope. The tow package on the Lambda chassis gives you a better radiator for coolant and trans. fluid, tow mode, factory hitch receiver and wiring for brake controller, and heavy duty alternator. I believe Chevy calls it the V92 package and without it the Lambda SUVs are only rated to tow 2,000 lbs.

So yeah, I'd love to have a crew cab diesel Chevy Silverado 2500 or cushy Yukon XL,  but the 3.6 V6 VVT direct injection has the goods despite being two cylinders short. And you can cart around six or seven folks on Lemons weekends at the track. Anyhow, hope this is helpful for folks that own these rigs or are in the market for a dual purpose vehicle that can enable their racing addiction without making their driveways overflow or need to keep their marriages intact and their checking accounts in shades of non-red.