^ That's similar to where I ended up, only my Dodge is an '05 2500 2WD Cummins. I needed to have something besides the RV to pull the car/trailer and was about to pull the trigger on a new Dodge 1500 Ecodiesel...then realized I was going to be dropping near $40k into a vehicle that was going to be used infrequently, at best...and a buddy happened to be selling his very clean Dodge for a very good price. Absolutely zero regrets, LOVE the truck and get right at 19mpg towing on the flats, 17mpg when some California elevation is thrown in.

I guess it comes down to what the long term plan is for you. For me, I wanted enough towing ceiling to go back to an enclosed trailer in the future and long haul mileage matters, so "diesel". If the use is more local and the truck also is going to be a daily, I think any of the options being given would function okay

 

I considered a the Ram Ecodiesel as well but needed to consolidate vehicles to one that could tow and be a DD. Bought a 2013 Touareg Diesel which is quiet, comfortable, and can tow the shit out of my 20ft enclosed trailer. Only wish it had self-leveling suspension in the back.

You can probably find one at a good price now due to the EPA's stupid emissions measurement regime (aka VW diesel debacle).

 

While towing is being discussed I thought I'd bring up the trailer question - We have a newish Hyundai Santa Fe (the 3-row version) that's rated for 5000lbs. U-Haul trailer is actually 2100 according to their site, and I know the S is 28-2900.

Are there any places that rent something a little bit less heavy to give us that peace of mind between the actual and max weight? Something like 1600lbs sounds really attractive. I'm not in a position to buy a trailer, but it would be nice to tow the car to events and be able to bring the family along. The Santa Fe is a much nicer highway ride than the S as well, but that goes without saying.

 

U-Haul is the only place I was ever able to find that rents car trailers. (I ended up buying a trailer, since renting is such a hassle. It's SO much more convenient, but then you have to have someplace to park/store it.) Also, typically the only car trailers that are going to be significantly under 2000lbs are lightweight aluminum ones. And even with that, once you add a few hundred pounds of "stuff" you're back over your 5000.