Tow capacities are plummeting on 2012 cars...

[Pete S]

As Bobby Dylan kept telling us: "The Times They Are A Changin'"

OK, there comes a time when people decide to go get that new car. When the warranty runs out, when the seats don't smell new anymore, or some similar thing. Now if you like towing little trailers with LITTLE cars you could be in for a shock if you are looking at the 2012 cars.

I have an old Toyota that I believe is rated for 1500# towing. The new model is rated for, get this, ZERO ZIP NADA. We also have a Ford Focus that we tow our teardrop with. I believe that one is also rated for 1500# but Ford says NO Towing with the new model. They also say No Towing with the Fusion at all.

If you want to tow with a new Ford, without risking breaking any laws or nullifying your warranty, you have to move up to a Taurus or Edge. This holds true no matter how tiny your trailer is! Ok, I used Ford and Toyota as examples but apparently all the manufacturers have put the nix on towing with their small cars.

I called Ford and after I finally pinned them down they came out and said that a hitch would violate the warranty (even though it isn't mentioned in the warranty book). I said "so what you are saying is if all I want to haul is my 130# sailboat on a 120# trailer in your product line I have to buy your biggest car or a CUV?" "Isn't that like buying a semi-tractor to haul a Scamp???" I'm sorry sir but...

I think the Camry is still rated for 1000#. The sad thing is that I'm not sure our TD is under 1000# when it is loaded.

This sucks!!!

[Wolfscout]

Easy fix is keep the maintenance and up keep up on your owned vehicles and it's all moot.
They can have their new cars if they think so much of them.
My S-10 is a 1986 model - a $50 purchase I made back in 1998.
I've used it for a tractor, a TOV and many other things most wouldn't do with larger size trucks or cars. It's all in your maintenance.

[mikeschn]

I suspect it's mostly because we are in such a litigious society.

You can probably research the vehicles you are interested in, on the European websites to get a flavor for the real towing capacities.

Then of course, you'll have to decide if you are willing to void all your warranties, and risk getting into trouble for towing...

For ideas on what you can tow with what, check out the towing capacities on VW's, or even Subarus.

Mike...

P.S. Andrew, can you help us out here?

[parnold]

My 2011 Impreza is rated to tow zero lbs by Subaru. You have to buy a Forester if you want to tow. The excuse or explanation is the frame. The Forester uses same engine and trans.

I have my hitch for my Impreza ready to install. If I have any serious problems, I'll remove the hitch before bringing in for service.

Edit: Found this on the Australian Subaru web site..
Impreza RX Hatch Towing Specification

Towing Manual Automatic
With trailer brakes 1200kg 1200kg
Without trailer brakes 650kg 650kg

The RX Hatch (all Impreza's actually) have a 2.0 liter engine in Australia. In the USA they are 2.5 liter.

I suspect what Mike says about liability is true.

[Shadow Catcher]

One of the difficulties in having a takeoff system is going to be electrical wiring, particularly if you have brakes.
But then I don't buy Subaru's with less than about 100,000 miles, just broken in.

[Pete S]

I haven't looked at the VW or Suburu lines because the MPGs are comparatively low. If I remember right some are in line with small pickups. Defeats the purpose of getting a small car...

Are the car manufacturers really liable for crashes? I'm guessing not but maybe they are feeling the pressure from insurance companies who are. My gut tells me this has more to do with reducing the number of warranty claims for drive train issues, savings they are unlikely to pass on to consumers.

As long as I have the teardrop loaded correctly (tongue weight) it trails like it isn't even back there behind the compact car. 40 mph or 80 mph it is rock solid. I'd like a 6 cylinder for a little more punch on the hills. If I could find something little that was rated to tow and still got reasonably good gas mileage I'd be mighty happy.

I hear you guys loud and clear about keeping an older car for towing but when sweetie says she wants a new car I'm not sure it is in my best interest to suggest "rusty but trusty".

[Gary and Cheri]

I suspect it's mostly because we are in such a litigious society.

I believe Mike is right.

My 2009 VW Jetta TDI is rated at 1000 lbs. towing in the United States and 3000 lbs if towing in Europe.

So either Mike is right or a European lbs weighs 1/3 of what it weighs here. Though it could also be things like their air has less resistance or the gravity is not as strong on that side of our planet.

Gary

[parnold]

While my Subaru only gets 26mpg, that shouldn't deteriorate too much while towing. My Hynudai that got 30mpg, dropped to less than 24mpg while towing.

Some consideration from the manufacturers may also be related to warranties on the vehicles. A vehicle is less likely to break down if you say never tow with it. When they are shaving ounces here and there for mileage, you know darn well some suit in corporate said "Hey, let's ban towing with model X, and make them buy Model Z if they want to tow."

[vanwyk4257]

The other thing that people should bear in mind when comparing US-spec models to euro or other overseas models is that in all likelihood a model sold here that has zero tow rating will not likely have a transmission cooler etcetera that an overseas model might be equipped with.

I'm going to see how my 2010 forester does with my trailer, but I'm already researching the possibility of adding an additional auxiliary trans cooler and temp gauge to better be able to monitor it.

I'm also having a class III hitch installed shortly that exceeds the towing capacity on the vehicle. I'm not going to exceed the tow rating on the vehicle with anything I would pull, but I like overkill when it comes to stuff like this. My trailer should come in around 1450-1500 lbs if I did my estimating correctly.

[parnold]

+1 on installing a trans cooler!!

I would never suggest towing with an automatic without installing a trans cooler.

[Gary and Cheri]

As parnold has indicated this may also be a warranty concern for the manufacturers.

My VW is a six speed manual and rarely when towing do I use gear 6. That gear is just too high, made for econcomy and not towing. New cars are starting to come out with 7 and 8 speed transmissions. To use many of these gears towing would result in stress on the engine that was designed for economy and not hauling weight.

I keep wondering how long Hyundai can keep their 100,000 mile warranty when everyone else is down around 36,000 miles.

Gary

[parnold]

I traded my Hyundai in with 105,000. It had to have two repairs during that time, one under warranty, one not. Total cost of uncovered repair was 260.00. Nothing else but oil, filters, and I put in a set of plugs when it didn't need them, just because I felt like it.

[kinto]

luckily for me i didn't cut my plywood in california!




(sorry, i know that was a hacky joke...)


kent

[parnold]

Kinto:

Half of what I sell, can't be sold in Cali!

[vanwyk4257]

+1 on installing a trans cooler!!

I would never suggest towing with an automatic without installing a trans cooler.

From what I understand the 2010 Subaru Forester has a built-in cooler but it's the integrated type in the radiator, which isn't that effective IMO.

I've reading up on the fozzie forums right now to decide what installation I like best so I can get this done. I'll probably wait to do it until next spring anyway since the only time I'll really tow the trailer yet this year is in mid-November when the air temps are typically quite cool already up here anyway.