I'm wanting to buy my first real boat in a year range, give or take. I'm thinking 18 ft.

 

Before that I want to have the tow vehicle lined up. I currently drive a mid size sedan. I am thinking of trading this to a suv, so that it can meet my daily needs and weekend needs.

 

What are the some of the great SUV for towing? Is mid size SUV, like Explore or 4 Runner good enough?

 

Other option would be to buy a truck like F-150 for towing purpose only. But this sounds too expensive as I don't have other needs for truck.

For what it's worth, being able to stop the vehicle and trailer is the most important consideration in the process of towing a boat, or any other load for that matter.  Just about any SUV can pull a boat.  It might struggle, but it can pull it.  How well can it stop it when you need to get hard on the binders to avoid an accident?

Trailblazers have a nice Torquey straight six and some Envoys have V8s. A true truck frame, and 4wd.

Other options are Tahoes, Yukons, Expeditions. The bigger Full Size would be better IMO.

I just got a SuperCrew F150. Has room for my family of 5, Tonneau cover to keep gear dry. But still can haul my Lowe well.

I am on my third 4 runner & have used them for towing a 18' boat & my current boat a 20' .  Totally adequate for towing.

Nissan Pathfinders (referring to the previous model, not the new "car like" version) comes in v6 and v8 models. Same frame as the Titan truck. Good for pulling and stopping.

im pulling my fiberglass boat with a 2002 Xterra, 4x4, V6 3.3 lts. so far, i have no trouble either pulling nor stopping, provided i drive carefully and keep enough space between me and the car in front... my boat is small and relatively lightweight though, im not sure how it would handle with a bigger boat... the xterra is rated for 5000 lbs so i think should be able to pull most of the bassboats out there, but as they metioned, pulling is not a problem, stopping is most important...

I have pulled 19 1/2' glass boats with  Dodge Durango, Ford Explorer, Olds Bravado, and Jeep cherokee without problems but they all had V8's and the boats had breaks. I now pull my 19' tin without breaks with a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee with a six. no problem at all. you don't need a monster truck to pull an 18' boat.

An f150 super crew would suit all your needs here. Plenty of towing capability and room for your family

If you're thinking about getting an explorer make sure to get one with a V8, the V6 I had did not handle towing very well.