Towing small boat with Sportage or Tuscon

[MikDee]

Re: Towing small boat with Sportage or Tuscon

If your Sportage is AWD just like a Tucson, then you should have a factory stock 4:40 geared final ratio, it should be a piece of cake! But be careful of the brakes when towing, they will handle it, but go slow.

For further info, we have our own active forum, go here: http://tucsondrivers.com/

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: Towing small boat with Sportage or Tuscon

Suzuki sport utes are another good option. Whatever you choose, double-check the manufacturers towing recommendations/specs before you buy...salesmen will tell you anything. Make sure your rig won't exceed those recommendations/specs.

 

[109jb]

Re: Towing small boat with Sportage or Tuscon

Well I bought my 1st boat today. Its a 1986 Mark Twain MB 175 (17ft.) I/O 140 I plan on hauling it with my Sportage. We live 2 miles from the lake and all the ramps are very shallow. I just purchased a Class III hitch,ball,Wiring etc. This boats dry weight is 2300 lbs so with the trailer its pushing 2800 lbs. Also has no trailer brakes. Do you think I will have issues pulling it out of the water since its such a heavy boat? This is a temporary hauling vehicle unless it really surprises me with its towing abilities.

Your boat could possibly weigh much more than the published dry weight if it has any waterlogged foam. The only real way to know how much the trailer/boat combo weighs is to take it to a truck scale and have it weighed.

 

[CountryCruiser]

Re: Towing small boat with Sportage or Tuscon

It sounds like everyone here is pretty conservative and cautions when towing with small utes, but just remember to take the extra gear and fuel wieght (1 gallon = 6 lbs) into consideration. If your curious as to the actual wieght, just load it up like you were going out and take it to your local truck scales. Even my local county recycler has weighed mine for free.

 

[nitrosteve]

Re: Towing small boat with Sportage or Tuscon

Well towed my boat for the first time today 86 Mark Twain 175 I/O I was very impressed with my little Kia. I just ran it up to the gas station and then down the highway to see how it drove. I also hit the brakes really hard at 40mph to see how fast it would stop. I would say it stopped well from 40. I also took off in 4 lock and 1st gear to see how much grunt it had. Well its yet to be seen how well it will pull this beast up the ramp. It got up to speed on the highway very well I never took it over 3000 rpm. Ill let you guys now how it does on the ramp. Oh on a side note the Kia trailer wiring boot is great just plug and play same with the hitch.

 

[MikDee]

Re: Towing small boat with Sportage or Tuscon

Just as I thought steve, these cars are geared right, & have good brakes, You'll never have a problem going up a ramp with the weight of it, & AWD, it is pretty stout! I wouldn't pull a boat with a V6, or V8, but a 17 ftr with a 4cyl should be good.

 

[indy440]

Re: Towing small boat with Sportage or Tuscon

Have you looked at the Honda CRV? Its only rated for 1500lbs towing though it might do the job for you.

 

[nitrosteve]

Re: Towing small boat with Sportage or Tuscon

The Super Kia as my 7 year old now calls it. EASILY pulled my 175 Mark Twain out of the water almost effortlessly. I think the potential of this vehicle is way understated by the manufacture. I still take it very easy all the way to the lake and back its about 30 mile round trip and I average 19 mpg.

 

[MikDee]

Re: Towing small boat with Sportage or Tuscon

The Super Kia as my 7 year old now calls it. EASILY pulled my 175 Mark Twain out of the water almost effortlessly. I think the potential of this vehicle is way understated by the manufacture. I still take it very easy all the way to the lake and back its about 30 mile round trip and I average 19 mpg.

I was amazed by it myself, my 96' S-10 4.3V6 auto was shimmying in first gear going up the short mildly steep hill at the entrance to my community, and when I tried to back the boat up in my even less sloped driveway! The Tucson took it all in stride! That's when it was decided which vehicle was to tow the boat.

 

[pmat1]

Re: Towing small boat with Sportage or Tuscon

I find it kind of suprising that my '95 isuzu trooper with a 175hp 3.2L can pull 5k while a 240 hp ford escape can pull 3500.

 

[nitrosteve]

Re: Towing small boat with Sportage or Tuscon

Well I figured I would give a heads up on my Kia towing my boat. It did great even on a rocky ramp it just pulls it right out barely even have to give it gas. Its hard to believe how well this thing tows unless you ride in it. This winter I put all new brakes on it I figured since it has 90,000 miles on them it was time.

 

[northernmerc]

Re: Towing small boat with Sportage or Tuscon

Give me a Ford or GM any day. Both Ford and GM make excellent vehicles, in many cases better than the imports. They may cost a little more than Korean vehicles, but one usually gets that and more back at trade in time.

 

[clarkbre]

Re: Towing small boat with Sportage or Tuscon

Give me a Ford or GM any day. Both Ford and GM make excellent vehicles, in many cases better than the imports. They may cost a little more than Korean vehicles, but one usually gets that and more back at trade in time.

Very bold statement, I'd love to see some factual information on that. I'm sure a one ton Ford or GM can out tow a kia, however, most japaese imports are great cars and surpass american vehicles in reliability. Haven't heard of many cavaliers or taurases going 200k+ miles.

In any event, to the original poster, glad to hear everything is working out towing your boat with your Kia. I've got my Lund behind my Subaru and it's great to be able to get out on the water.

It's all about personal preference and finding a car fit your needs.

 

[TerryMSU]

Re: Towing small boat with Sportage or Tuscon

Update from original poster...

We decided that we could not afford a sport-ute and ended up sticking with the original tow vehicle (Dodge Caravan, 3.0L, 215K miles). For transportation, we got a Sonata with a V6. Love the vehicle, and might eventually use it as a tow vehicle. (Our boat and trailer is only about 1100 pounds.)

TerryMSU

 

[nitrosteve]

Re: Towing small boat with Sportage or Tuscon

Update from original poster...

We decided that we could not afford a sport-ute and ended up sticking with the original tow vehicle (Dodge Caravan, 3.0L, 215K miles). For transportation, we got a Sonata with a V6. Love the vehicle, and might eventually use it as a tow vehicle. (Our boat and trailer is only about 1100 pounds.)

TerryMSU

Ive heard good things about the sonata best of luck with it. Sorry to hijack your thread I just thought maybe you wanted to know how mine was doing.

 

[TerryMSU]

Re: Towing small boat with Sportage or Tuscon

Glad you added your input. It might help someone else with the same decision.

TerryMSU