looking for a toad

We are happy with our Honda fit. It is automatic and you will be surprised at all the space inside. I'm sorry that the automatic 2015 will no longer be be towable. Our 2008 is still going strong and is totally trouble free. The instructions for RV towing are right in the owners manual. I think it is a good idea when you hook up the lights to put in a charge line to keep the battery charged up.

Thanks for the clarification on the Smart. That helps a lot. Although himself would still have a Suzuki or some such rather than a Smart.

tyaughton wrote:
I've seen a few Smart Cars being towed; they are "semi automatic" - you have to shift to change gears,
....

Incorrect.
A smart car is an "automated manual". It has a 5-speed manual transmission, but it does not have a clutch pedal. The computer does all of the shifting.

It can be driven in manual mode or in automatic mode - and one can switch between the modes on the fly, at any speed.

Automatic mode: You put the floor shifter in "D" and drive the car as if it has an automatic transmission.

Manual mode: With the floor shifter in "D" you pull the floor shifter to the left. There is a "+" and a "-" on the shift console. Push the floor shifter forward "+" to upshift and pull it back "-" to downshift. Pushing the floor shifter to the right "D" will put the car back into Automatic mode.

If the car is like mine and also has paddle shifters on the steering wheel you can ignore the floor shifter and switch between Automatic and Manual shifting using just the paddles. Left paddle is downshift, right paddle is upshift. Using either paddle will put the transmission in Manual mode. The indicator on the dashboard will change from "D" to 1/2/3/4/5 gear selection. Pressing and holding the right paddle until indicator on the dashboard changes to "D" (about 2.5 seconds) will put the car back in Automatic mode.

Note: even when in Manual mode you're not doing the shifting. You're telling the computer that you want to upshift/downshift - and the computer then does it for you.

My 2009 smart fortwo Passion has a curb weight of 1,806 lbs (US) and only requires a battery disconnect switch for flat towing.

Honda CRVS any year, Honda Element any year, Awd or 2wd. Honda FIT s up to 2015.
I have towed three Hondas. Excellent cars. Towed two Jeeps. Jeeps are fun but got poor mileage and tend to beat you up on rough roads and long trips. Depends how you plan to use your toad. Kinda fun exploring cow paths out west in a Jeep. Most sticks can be towed. Check with Remco.

badercubed wrote:
I have no input here except to confirm that Subarus cannot be flat towed, or any kind of towed. We were explicitly told when we got my wife`s Forester that they can only be flatbedded.

It is common knowledge that any Subaru with a manual transmission can be towed four wheels down. Subarus with automatic transmissions must have all wheels off the ground to be hauled.

We just upgraded Our Tow Car from a 1992 Geo Tracker Two Wheel Drive Standard Trans to a 2007 Honda CRV AWD Automatic.
The Old Tracker was a great little car that served Us well for Many Years!
The Honda is a giant step up Comfort wise !

Both Tow Well!

Rob

what ever you do, I would suggest NOT getting something that needs modification such as tranny pump or drive shaft disconnect to be able to tow it. check the owner's manual under recreational towing or towing behind a motorhome to get true facts.
bumpy

The 2014 may not be towable four-down, but people are towing 2012's 4-down and maybe 2013's. At some point Honda changed the transmission and the new ones are not towable. I think if you have a 5-speed trans you can tow, but a 6-speed you cannot. Note that Honda does not sanction this, but people are doing it successfully using the Honda pre-tow procedure from the earlier models (2005 Pilot and MDX) that were approved by Honda for towing. If the tranny breaks you are on your own. Honda will not be responsible.

Another possibility that works is towing a Chrysler minivan and installing a Remco transmission pump. Check it out here.

Ford Focus. Auto,easy to tow and good to drive.

Since you want an automatic and keep the cost reasonable, I'd suggest looking at used Honda CRVs and Saturns.