I have seen a few threads on towing. Starting a new one. Been getting by with an open trailer behind my Pontiac, but dreaming of an enclosed trailer. Nothing fancy. Just something to sleep in and I don't have to pack and unpack every time I go to the track. My desire is a tow car that can haul 5 adults and get 25 mpg on the freeway when not towing. But can get decent mileage and tow at least 3,000 to 3,500 lbs or more. Considering the Toyota Venza. Anyone have towing experience with these? I know the Outback would work, but don't like the styling. May consider it anyway. Any other suggestions? Would prefer to stay under $30k new or $20k used. But may do close to $30k for something that stirs the soul a little with low mileage. The venza and outback don't move the soul. they just work.
8-10ft trailer is usually +/- 1200lbs plus a couple bikes and gear = 2500. anything with a large v6 and good chasis should do especially if you get a trans cooler and good brakes. Or you could buy my sweet, sweet ass track van
The Escape (newer turbo or previous gen V6) might work. No matter what car you choose, you might want to spend the extra for a lighter weight aluminum trailer. Also consider that most of these tow vehicles will require trailer brakes on an enclosed trailer. Trailer brakes add weight to the trailer as well.
after towing 2 years with a 2004 3.0 ford escape (5x8 U-hauls) i decided to pull the oil pan for a check. oil changes every 3-5k miles, always with filter. there was so much grime / burnt oil residue in it, that i immediately decided to sell it. (it had 180k on the clock by then) my rule of thumb became: have 50% more tow capacity than you intend to tow. the escape was at its limit and you could see it.
Toyota Venza is a bit long in the tooth, and basically a Camry Wagon. I would personally get a Mazda CX9. A minivan may even be a better option.
towing is not listed here, but it might be a good read for you anyway: http://www.caranddriver.com/feature...-best-cars-trucks-crossovers-suvs-and-hybrids
If there was a car that could tow 3500lbs (well) and get 25 mpg the paddock would be overrun with them. My V70 is rated at 3500 (with trailer brakes) but anything more than a small open trailer with 2 bikes (well under 1500) is pretty scary.
Many European sedans will meet your requirements as long as you use the euro tow ratings. My wife has an e39 estate (525iT), it's rated for 3500 lbs or so in markets outside the US, gets almost 30 mpg on the highway and you could get 5 people in it. Given the horror stories I've read about transmission repair in those things, though, there is no way a hitch is getting anywhere near it (and coming from me that's saying something, I put hitches on just about everything and anything). A Sienna (or Odyssey) will tow up to 3500, get ~25 mpg and will carry the people. No clue what they cost or how well they tow at the upper range of their rating. I think the particular combination below might be a tad ambitious, and I certainly don't see a minivan stirring the soul of anyone.
My 2010 volkswagen golf tdi is rated at 3k outside of America and 2k here. I just installed a curt hitch and I'm dragging my bike, tool box and clothes from Georgia to SoCal. It does 55mpg on the highway cruising with no trailer, hoping to get 25-30mpg trailering. I'll report back next week when I'm on the road to let you know how it tows.
I think the big problem with cars/small crossovers is the fact the transmission won't stand up to the abuse on a regular basis. Assuming you have an auto that is. I don't doubt they can pull those type of loads safely. Also, I've never looked on a car, but most trucks actually have a frontal area rating for what you are towing somewhere burried in the manuel. A car may be able to tow the same weight just fine, without too much stress if it's an open trailer. But if it's an enclosed trailer, you may run into significantly more problems down the road.
The Oddys with the Ridgeline transmission would not be too bad, but the Accord based tranny models (below '07 I think) have a bad reputation for tearing the transmission up. I have a hitch on my '06 Oddy and it has more than enough motor to pull a enclosed trailer, but the rear end sags pretty roughly due to the soft rear springs, and I put a big ass tranny cooler with thermostat and change the trans fluid every third oil change. I towed with it in TX in 100+ temps and didn't feel the drivetrain was in any danger. The truth about the frontal area of an enclosed is right on though. My parents have a small toy hauler that doesn't weigh a great deal (less than 4000 lbs empty) and you notice that the thing is back there when you tow it with my brother's truck Nissan Titan or my old work truck (no longer have it ) with was a '12 Silverado. Both full size gas v8 trucks but trying to yank that big flat wall through the air is tough.
A Town and Country will too and they are blowing those things out now, Like $22k for the base package which is very well equipped, electronic sliding doors, tv, etc.
