Thanks Joey, this is really helpful. I didn't go to that DIY event so it wasn't me that you spoke with but thanks for sharing your thoughts on the topic.

Aesthetically, I like the older (2011/2012) model Escalade and I'm a sucker for big engines, hence one of the reasons that I love my e92 M3. My car is right around 3,400 pounds so with an open trailer, I should be under 6,000 pounds. When I do get around to towing an enclosed trailer (no immediate plans to get one), I will probably exceed 6,000 pounds at which point neither the Escalade or the X5 would be sufficient. But that's a road I don't foresee myself having to cross or quite some time so for now, I jus need to be able to tow my car and an open trailer.

I also like the Mercedes GL550 (hope I don't get kicked out of the car club for saying this); beautiful truck with a towing capacity of 7,000 pounds. So this is another option I'm considering but I still have the rest of this year to do some more research. For the coming season, I'm going to rent from Enterprise Truck Rental Service. It's the cheapest and easiest short term solution and they have plenty of full size pickups that can do the job.