Best car for towing pop-up

An overworked 4cyl won't last long. A moderately worked V6 would be happier. Many minivans have low tow capacity. Research the particular model of Subaru you are interested in. There is a possible class action lawsuit in progress.


Subaru clicky

We have a Subaru 3.6L H6 and tow a teardrop trailer that is about 1600#. Yes I could tow with a 4 but the mountains out west would have been impossible. I do btw have a transmission cooler added.

I pulled our popup many miles with our minivans and a Ford Explorer. What really made the difference was when I picked up a WDH for little $ it really made a difference when pulling with the front wheel drive. Plenty of power with the V-6.

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f72/4-cylinder-vehicle-towing-power-and-millage-45890.html

Here is a thread about 4 cylinder vehicles used for towing. You might find it useful.

We pulled one for years with an old rear wheel drive Crown Vic, then we got an Explorer with a 6 cylinder and it worked just as well. I don't think a 4 cylinder would be that great when you got it loaded.

The new Mazda cx5 or the cx7 with the turbo would work well.

A 4 cylinder engine can handle a popup of a couple thousand lbs ok, but there's more to towing than that. You want adequate engine and transmission cooling, a transmission that isn't marginal, good brakes, a receiver attachment that is strong enough to not tear in actual use, and adequate rear suspension.

Some people tow popups of that size with a Subaru. They have a couple of models with 2700 lb tow rating, but only 200 lb allowed hitch weight. This will force you to be careful with how you load the popup with cargo so as not to exceed this limitation. But it can be done, and is done. If you tow a whole lot or tow with excessive speed (over 60 mph, but slower up grades), the life of the drive train components could be compromised.

I've been there and done that. I towed a 13' UHaul 'egg' travel trailer 2000 miles on a vacation back in the '80s, using a 1984 Dodge Omni 2.2L 4 cyl with stick shift. Under 100 hp, so we were driving 50 mph in 3rd gear much of the time. Did we have a fun time? Yes. Would I do that again? No.

You will be more satisfied in the long run if you have some excess capability in the tow vehicle, as opposed to running on the ragged edge. Some good vehicles to consider (assuming you are looking at new models) would be Ford Escape with 2L turbo, Jeep Cherokee V6, Hyundai Santa Fe V6, Honda Odyssey, Dodge Grand Caravan. As kvangil said, anything with a tow rating of 3500 lb or more should be good.

My Highlander hardly knows that my 1400 lb (dry) popup is behind it.

We towed our pop up with a 6 cylinder SUV (Ford Explorer). Worked great as a tower and as a daily driver.

Whatever you get, make sure it has a factory towing package..

There are plenty of vehicles with a 3500lb tow rating. Any of those should work.

I tow my TT with a toyota highlander with tow package, rated for 5,000 lbs. a nice vehicle on the road and plenty of power.
bumpy