Time to replace the Saturn

[chester490]

Well, our old Saturn is about to wear out. What cars can be towed four wheels down, besides a jeep? Thanks.

[Crespro]

I am also planning to replace during the next year. Probably the GMC Terrain -- it is close to the Saturn Vue. I have been very pleased with our Vue.

[AprilWhine]

Here's a more comprehensive list of vehicles that can be flat towed:

Roadmaster Tow Brackets

If there is a baseplate made for a car, it can be flat towed. I tow a 2008 Mini Clubman that according to the Dinghy guide can't be flat towed but I have 6 years and 35,000 miles that says it can. 😉

Conversely, if there is no baseplate available, there is a reason. Had a 2011 BMW X5 that could only be towed on a trailer. No baseplates made for that model.

[Snomas]

We love the room in the new Explorer!!

[dverstra]

Bumpyroad wrote:

dverstra wrote:
We have a 2013 Honda CRV. It is a great Toad and an even better day car for me. Take a look at it to see if it fits your needs.

didn't Honda change the "towability" recommendation for some of these?
bumpy

According to the 2014 Towing guide that was referenced in this thread, the CRV is still on the list. The Honda FIT is not. Good point to always check the owners manual and discuss with dealer before purchasing.

[Bumpyroad]

dverstra wrote:
We have a 2013 Honda CRV. It is a great Toad and an even better day car for me. Take a look at it to see if it fits your needs.

didn't Honda change the "towability" recommendation for some of these?
bumpy

[dverstra]

We have a 2013 Honda CRV. It is a great Toad and an even better day car for me. Take a look at it to see if it fits your needs.

[Heisenberg]

I have a 2012 Chevrolet Equinox that was easy to equip and tow. I also have a Jeep Wrangler Sport. The Equinox is close to what you had in the Saturn. It gets great fuel mileage also. The Jeep does not get great fuel mileage but when we go west it is the best beast for the job.

[gotsmart]

Pangaea Ron wrote:
I have a friend that loves his Smart Car, unfortunately he has had less than desireable results from towing it. From memory, here is what happened. The electronic linkage to the transmission failed and damaged the transmission, which was replaced under warrantee. The dealer said that the vehicle was not designed to be towed 4 down for long distances? Soon after that the same issue developed again which damaged the transmission, and also the engine ($12,000). The dealer refused to repair it, but his insurance did take care of it, after several months of negotiation. I think that the insurance company recovered most of their loss from the dealer. He now tows the vehicle inside a utility trailer. All of the Smart Cars that we saw being towed in Europe were on trailers.

I've been flat towing my smart since 2011 with zero issues. I follow the flat towing instructions from the smart owners manual to the letter - including the installation of a battery disconnect switch as required on PDF page 194 in the owners manual. I created a checklist from the owners manual, and laminated it. I refer to it EVERY TIME I tow the car.

I have a manual disconnect switch because an "automatic battery disconnect" can't be used on a smart car. They've been found to feed power back into the smart car's electronics. The floor shift isn't connected to the transmission. It is connected to the computer and the computer is connected to the clutch actuator. If the car's electronics have no power then the clutch actuator can't shift the transmission out of Neutral. With the car in towing mode and the battery disconnected, I can (accidentally) knock the shifter out of Neutral - because the shifter isn't physically connected to the transmission.

I suspect your friend missed a step or two of the flat towing procedure.

[Bumpyroad]

Pangaea Ron wrote:

I have a friend that loves his Smart Car, unfortunately he has had less than desireable results from towing it. From memory, here is what happened. The electronic linkage to the transmission failed and damaged the transmission, which was replaced under warrantee. The dealer said that the vehicle was not designed to be towed 4 down for long distances? Soon after that the same issue developed again which damaged the transmission, and also the engine ($12,000). The dealer refused to repair it, but his insurance did take care of it, after several months of negotiation. I think that the insurance company recovered most of their loss from the dealer. He now tows the vehicle inside a utility trailer. All of the Smart Cars that we saw being towed in Europe were on trailers.

If it gives instructions/directions how to tow it 4 down in the owner's manual, you would have a case to bring against the mfr/dlr. If it doesn't address it and are merely going by some anonymous person on the web saying, "I towed mine 50,000 miles at 100 mph and all was fine", you deserve what you end up with. JMHO
bumpy

[Pangaea_Ron]

gotsmart wrote:
If a 2-seater with plenty of storage behind the seats will do, then I recommend a smart car. http://www.smartusa.com/
It has a 5-speed manual transmission but it does not have a clutch pedal. The car's computer does the shifting.

I have a friend that loves his Smart Car, unfortunately he has had less than desireable results from towing it. From memory, here is what happened. The electronic linkage to the transmission failed and damaged the transmission, which was replaced under warrantee. The dealer said that the vehicle was not designed to be towed 4 down for long distances? Soon after that the same issue developed again which damaged the transmission, and also the engine ($12,000). The dealer refused to repair it, but his insurance did take care of it, after several months of negotiation. I think that the insurance company recovered most of their loss from the dealer. He now tows the vehicle inside a utility trailer. All of the Smart Cars that we saw being towed in Europe were on trailers.

[gotsmart]

If a 2-seater with plenty of storage behind the seats will do, then I recommend a smart car. http://www.smartusa.com/
It has a 5-speed manual transmission but it does not have a clutch pedal. The car's computer does the shifting.

[chester490]

Thank you all so much. I am sorry I was not more specific about what I needed. I did not think it through before posting. I am interested in an automatic 2014. I believe you all supplied me with adequate info so I can make an informed decision. It is so wonderful to have all you kind people to help me.

[Pangaea_Ron]

Roy Robinson who sponsored that link is a great dealership, and I bought my last RV from them. A friend of mine also bought a Class A there at the same time and he was only just able to bring the MH home. Tragically he was then severely injured in a car accident and was eventually taken off life support and died. I called the dealership for his wife, and said that he would never be able to used the MH, and they offered to take it back. I drove it back to the dealership, which was one of the hardest things that I've ever done, and we all hugged with a few tears. They also sold their Class C trade-in, and sent her another check because they sold it for more than they anticipated. They did the right thing.

[EsoxLucius]

Or for ten years before that:
2004-2013 Dinghy Towing Guides