I am planning on buying a midsize pickup truck, and I want to be able to tow my Evo. It is going to be my DD, and replace both my current DD (midsize SUV) and my tow vehicle (bigger, older SUV).

Evo IX MR so about 3500 pounds with some spares and tools thrown in.

I am having trouble finding weights listed on trailer websites, but I am guessing around 2000 pound for an open trailer that is safe to carry a 3500 car?

So that is 5500 pounds total between the trailer and the Evo.



What is the minimum tow rating that I should be looking at?

I will be towing the Evo 5-6 times a year on a 400 mile round trip, including at least 150 miles of traffic. I have heard that you should never tow more than 75% of your tow rating, which would mean I need a 7300+ pound tow rating. Is this accurate? I know it can technically tow more, but is the 75% rule accurate for what it is actually safe to tow? If I get a Tacoma (for example) with a 6500 pound rating and a 236 hp / 266 torque V6, is it going to be struggling in traffic and going over the hills?

 

A V6 tacoma will be very sluggish towing an evo I can tell you that right now. Working a smaller engine harder will result in much worse gas mileage than working a bigger engine less. I would should shop for a newer v8 1/2 ton or even try to source a used diesel. I personally have liked the Titan's myself, my former boss had one and it could tow a car with ease and still break mid to high teens going over the pass.

 

My buddies Tacoma didn't do to bad driving a Inclosed trailer with a Evo in it for 140 miles

 

Sluggish... hmmm... sounds like I need to get the TRD blower if I get a Tacoma


Anyone else have experience towing cars with a midsize truck?

 

Which model tacoma? Newer 4.0, or older 3.4? I towed horse trailers with my dodge dakota, but it was a 5.9L V8. I towed a truck with my 3.4 tacoma once, and would never recommend it. It did fine with a motorcycle trailer behind it though, although it didn't like going over 70 and struggled up hills. I don't know if I'd want to tow a car long distance with a tacoma, be it old or new model. The gas mileage isn't going to be any better than a larger truck at that point. My 4runner tows great with the 4.7L V8, and I get around 22 mpg on the hwy without anything behind it.

 

Is there any advantage in using a 4wd for towing?

I am buying new, since it is going to be my DD, and probably get the big engine in whatever I get. The Taco was just an example.

And I want a pickup, not another SUV, because I hate having to deal with borrowing my bro's trailer every weekend for the motorcycles. Plus it would be useful for work. I have a Bronco that I use for towing and stuff now, but I want to be able to get down to just 2 cars for now (including the Evo)

 

had a ford ranger v6..and used it when we moved.. it was very slow and gulped down gas when it was towing... get a v8 ford f-150

 

IMO, if you're buying new, just grab a new Ford. Inexpensive, and being the most common truck in all the land, there will be no shortage of cheap parts/aftermarket towing accessories. An F-150 would be well capable of fulfilling your needs.

You could probably still find a brand new 08 for cheap.

 

a turbodiesel jeep liberty

http://www.edmunds.com/used/2005/jee...218/specs.html

 

While I have no experience towing anything with trucks or needing to know their towing ratings, I did test drive a Tacoma, Titan, Frontier, and F150 when looking around at cars two summers ago. I can say that the Tacoma, Titan, and F150 all drove about the same, and were surprisingly reasonable to drive (didn't feel like huge trucks) but the Tacoma felt like it was the size of the Titan and the F150 (or rather, the Titan and the F150 felt like the size of the Tacoma). A Frontier probably wouldn't do it for you, but that thing drove great for a truck.

Also, like others have said, it's better to stress a big engine less rather than a small engine more for gas mileage. Look for the top gear video of the e92 M3 vs the Prius in gas mileage. They ran the Prius full speed around the track for 10 laps, and the M3 just had to keep up (what like... 1/8th speed). The Prius got 17 mpg, the M3 got 19. Same sort of thing would happen with pushing a Tacoma to tow more, rather than having an F150 tow less.

Read: he doesn't want an SUV, only a truck!

 

I like Fords, my Bronco has 120k+ miles and still runs strong, my bro has had a 250k and a 150k mile explorer and now a 120k expedition, our Ford work van has been more reliable than the Chevys or Toyotas. I can even get a decent hook up on Fords.

But ... F150 supercab won't fit in the parallel spots near my office. I have parked our Chevy 2500 regular cab in the spaces, and it sticks out past the end. It also won't fit in my garage. Hence the search for a midsize truck. And the Ranger is not quite up to the task.

I am not too concerned about fuel economy, my current dd gets 12-14 average and drinks premium. Anything would be an improvement lol.

And I can't use the work trucks to tow because they are so full of tools that they are almost at the bump stops





It looks like nothing is really going to be perfect, so I am just going to go test drive the Taco and the Dakota.



UT Evo, what are you getting if you sell the 911?

 

Ah, bummer then that that's what is limiting you. I never drove a Dakota (and again, don't know specs on towing at all) but I had a friend who had one and loved it to death. If they're any better now then they're probably great, his was like an '02 I think, it was a few years back and it was a few years old when he got it.

If I am able to sell it for a good enough amount (market for Porsches in Utah is **** right now...) or trade it in then I will be getting either an '08-'09 STi or an '09 WRX. And real quick before anyone says anything: personally I like the wagon look over the Evo X's looks (a lot, actually, I've always loved hatchback-type looks, but not to say the X is ugly either) and an '06 Evo IX in great shape will be 2 years closer to being out of warranty (and behind on technology) than an '08 STi... Plus... Mitsu and their warranties... I drove a X GSR and X MR and an '09 WRX and I liked the WRX over the two Xs, a friend is letting me drive his '08 STi on Saturday and we'll see how I like it, but if it is any better than the WRX I'll be more hooked than I already am. Trying to get into a newer warrantied car without owing too much more on the new car, doubt it'll happen any time soon, but I'm perfectly content with my the 911. Just: in college full time + part-time job + ten year old 911 as only car = possibility of problems... It was a bad decision to buy it in the first place, but oh well.

You had to ask

 

911s are fun, but I prefer my IX because it would cost less to fix lol

To me the new Sti still looks like a shoe, but it is probably a fun car so GL

 

Exactly, major repairs will be a PITA, all the minor things and normal maintenance have actually been less than or equal to an equal job on the Evo... I love the IXs, but with them being '06s and not having the conviencence of a hatch... Well...

And they do look a lot like a shoe Especially from the right angle on the side... But, so do most hatchback cars (and hatchback sized wagons, like the STi), a Civic hatch has been my long time low-priced dream dedicated track car

More luck to you on your search as well!

 

I checked out the Chevy website, and it appears that their Build It feature for the Silverado is broken. I tried putting in several different configurations and none would allow the trailer package, and one had all the engines blocked out. I guess it is an extreme tuner version lol, just a roller with no motor.

I never really understood the hatch thing, because the foot print of the trunk is not any bigger than the sedans (sometimes smaller) and the angled glass means you can't really stack stuff in most anyways But to each his own