Best Cheap Car For Towing <1500 lbs?

[OldSparks]

Originally Posted By: Ramblejam
Originally Posted By: OldSparks
I had a 2005 Pontiac Vibe which the owner's manual said was rated to 1,500 lbs.

I towed everything from firewood to topsoil with it.


Automatic, or manual?


Manual. But I *believe* the automatic had the same rating.

 

[GreeCguy]

Originally Posted By: dparm
Anything except the very smallest and weakest of vehicles. Any midsize sedan or crossover would work just fine. 1500lbs is basically equivalent to filling a car with people and luggage, so braking/acceleration/cooling are of minimal concern, IMO.


Exactly. I weigh 210 pounds. So if I had four of me in the car, that's 840 pounds. If the four of me were going on a long trip and each of us carried 50 pounds of stuff, that's another 200 pounds, or 1040 pounds and "Wonder the Thunder Pig" would have no problem hauling four of me down the road.

Now, imagine four of me with stuff towing a trailer with 500 pounds of additional stuff. Still, no problem.

My hauler is a 1995 Oldsmobile (Wonder the Thunder Pig - so called because it doesn't have a muffler) with a trailer hitch which tows a 5 x 8 trailer.

As far as additional wear and tear on the vehicle, I change the oil every 3000 miles (regular dino oil) and the tranny fluid every 10,000.

If I need to haul something really big or a whole bunch of stuff in one move, U-Haul rents their trucks for 20 bucks a day in these parts.

 

[dparm]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
Uhaul will affix a hitch to anything.



The term "affix" is used loosely, from what I've read...

 

[Rolla07]

Originally Posted By: dparm
Originally Posted By: Miller88
Uhaul will affix a hitch to anything.



The term "affix" is used loosely, from what I've read...


Uhaul has gotten enough bad press for their moving trucks failing inspections..so that doesnt surprise me...

 

[JHZR2]

My 2004 saab is rated at 3500 lb. Makes full torque just off fast idle, and returns 34+ MPG on the highway.

With saab more or less gone, Ill bet you can get a deal on one around my vintage with some miles on it.

 

[eljefino]

snicker...

Apparently the 1980s s10 which shares powertrain stuff including brakes with the Camaro can tow 5k in certain configurations. If you consider the s10 blazer a "car", so, likely, could it.

Am having a hard time digging up tow ratings on the 3rd gen Camaro/firebird. My 89 owners manual reads 3500 lbs but I can't really believe that.

 

[supton]

Many things are rated for 1,500lb. But not all. My Camry is rated for 1,000lb. Not sure if its because of the manual transmission, or if all Camry's of this vintage are rated that way.

I found moving my utility trailer with my Jetta was no issue. But the 1,000lb camper I have was beyond it. I'm pretty sure it is 1,000lb, that is the stickered dry weight and it has very few options. Regardless, my car is rated for 1,330lb unbraked, 1,500lb braked, and like 3,300lb in Europe. I found it intolerable while backing up an incline with a twitchy trailer, and gave up. Maybe if I had a slushbox I'd still be trying it (probably not, VW slushboxes are only slightly more reliable than a Yugo). But I hated slipping the clutch the whole way.

YMMV. If you have a tractor of some sort on the property that can be used to move the trailer around, then probably anything will suffice.

 

[supton]

Originally Posted By: eljefino

Am having a hard time digging up tow ratings on the 3rd gen Camaro/firebird. My 89 owners manual reads 3500 lbs but I can't really believe that.



I sometimes wonder if those old ratings need to be derated for today. Or at least read with the understanding the rating was back in the days of 55mph max (much like how Euro ratings are likewise with 50-55mph max towing speeds). I wasn't driving back in the 80's much less earlier, but I wonder if it was accepted if not expected to be taking hills at 40-45mph back then. Unlike today where most will take hills at 70mph--and if it slows down then it's "underpowered".

 

[kkreit01]

I know the previous gen Fusions/Milans/MKZs were not rated to tow at all (per Owner's Manual). Several still did. I'm unsure of the newest generation?

 

[metalboy]

 

[CBR.worm]

The smart car might be a stretch.

My '97 maxima towed better than my '06 G35 - which I thought would be opposite.

The towing conditions play a big factor. A 1,000lb trailer shaped like a box will be hard to pull on the highway with a small car. A heavier low profile trailer with a low CG and less wind resistance will be easier.

I saw an Acura TL towing a small boat on I-95 the other day, I almost took a picture.

 

[zzyzzx]

As long as it's in a trailer, and preferably in a car with a manual transmission, I don't see this as an issue with most cars. A vintage Ford Escort would work just fine.