Dinghy towing

I used to have a 2012 Jetta (5 speed manual gas) and the owners manual listed the car as able to tow 4 down if a manual transmission with no restrictions. However, my 2014 Passat user manual says no towing 4 down at all, regardless of transmission (IIRC my Passat 5 speed is the same transaxle as the Jetta 5 speed). So, why the owners manual is usually the final authority, in this case you may be better off trying to find owners who have towed this combo and ask about their experiences.