Mazda 3 Towing Capability?

[chonna]

Just wondering if anyone has a mazda 3 (or similar car) and if they do any towing with it??

The mrs wants to get rid of the our '08 xtrail and wants to go to a smaller car. We were thinking of buying a mazda 3, however, i want it to be able to tow my 4.2m stessco should the need arise.

It wont be normally towed by mazda, i have a commodore ute for that, just a couple of times a year if the need arises.

cheers for the feedback

[neal82]

500kg unbraked 900kg braked. just do a search on carpoint or a website like that for specs and it should be able to tell you more specific for differnt build years and models.

neal

[chonna]

neal82 wrote:

500kg unbraked 900kg braked. just do a search on carpoint or a website like that for specs and it should be able to tell you more specific for differnt build years and models.

neal

cheers neal.

I have been researching towing capacities over the past week. I have found that the average for this style of car is around 500kg unbraked.

What im chasing is personal experience to see how they tow in real life. i.e. some cars have large towing capacities but tow like cr@p and vice versa

Im thinkin that my stessco would be getting up around the 500kg mark, and it sits on an unbraked trailer, so not sure if it will tow without any hassle

[ellicat]

Front wheel drive vehicles can be very average performers pulling boats out on a slippery or steep ramp. A pressed ally boat under 5 metres would not be near 500kg even with the motor unless you had it well loaded up with kriso's

[chonna]

cheers ellicat. what do you think a tinnie with a 30hp would weight roughly??

i think the hull is approx 200kg, motor 50kg, and trailer roughly 150kg??? so about 400kg plus gear......would be 450kg or thereabouts

[Malcolm]

I think its more about the weight on the tow bar from the trailer lifting up the front of the car and then losing traction

You could set up the trailer so there is next to weight on the tow bar and I can't imagine it being a problem

[mangrove jack]

you won't have any dramas with that, especially if it's only every now and then, seen bigger boats on front wheel 2ltr cars get out of the ramp ok, i used to tow a 4.5 meter stessl with an old camry and it did it easy

[shortie]

i would only tow a skate board with a car like that.

[webbfunk]

I have a Mazda 3 2007 model, manufacturers booklet says up to 900kg. I paid extra to get the towbar put in and they said don't try over 900kg.

I only have a 3.75 with a 15hp, and it is no dramas. I reckon you would be fine.

[ellicat]

chonna wrote:

cheers ellicat. what do you think a tinnie with a 30hp would weight roughly??

i think the hull is approx 200kg, motor 50kg, and trailer roughly 150kg??? so about 400kg plus gear......would be 450kg or thereabouts

What size ?

I think you are way over-estimating the weight of hull and trailer. More likely 100kg and 50kg. I am Mr puniverse and can lift/carry my trailer :laugh:

[Davo_Dinkum]

i cant see why there would be any drama towing a tinny with that car .

i thinking like ellicat u are working out the weight to high .

4.2 m = 13.77 feet ,thats not a big tinny .

30 hp motor its not that heavy .

most trailers for small tinny weights bugger all ,unless the old home made job.

my 12 foot tinny i can lift by myself ,the trailer i can lift by myself ,the 15 hp motor i can lift by my self .its is awkward to lift 1 person ,2 people lift the tinny or trailer real easy .

so your tinny only a foot 1/2 longer ,trailer would be about the same .30 hp motor would be a little heavier than a 15.

1 or 2 people are not going to lift things that weight over 100 kg ,so the boat and trailer would be around the 100 kg each.

if u have a floor and seats etc add a little more weight to the tinny.

i would guess at around 250 to 300 kg for the whole lot .

with a front wheel drive car i would be careful on really really steep boat ramps and ones that have mud ,slime ,sludge on them .