Towing Small Boat With Mazda 3

[bassmanET]

Looking for some input, wife's car had to be replaced which had trailer hitch. New car is a lease & didn't wanna pay $1,000 for trailer hitch. So, my car is a 07 Mazda 3 & boat is a crawdad on a small utility trailer maybe combined weight of 350-400 lbs. Mazda owner's manual says 0 towing cap. But, you can find class I trailer hitches which installs easy. What are you thoughts on towing a small boat like mine with Mazda 3? 

[Amarley]

My wife had one. That car sits so low to the ground, I don't know if it would be safe to try to rig something up. 300-400 lbs tow weight is not a big deal, until you're going up or down a steep hill. 

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

This person towing a boat

http://www.greenhulk.net/forums/showthread.php?t=60165&page=49

 

[B@ssCrzy]

My guess is you will be fine.  If you have a lot of hills it may be a little tough on it. My thought is that you would not think twice about having two of your friends that weigh 200 lbs each riding in your car. So what would the difference be if that weight is on a trailer being towed behind you.  If you completely load the car down with gear and people and are driving 10 hours I would have some concerns, but just going an hour or two away with a buddy in the car should be fine.  Just my opinion though.  If you do notice the tranny shifting in and out of overdrive when at speed just make sure you drive it out of overdrive. 

[tntitans21399]

400lbs is like two people sitting in back. Do you go out a lot and travel far? I does take off slowly so you don't put a lot of strain on the transmission and slow down slowly because even a small trailer can push a car. Trucks and suv are designed to tow so thwy have stronger braking and bigger pads. You can do it with your car but take it easier so your car doesn't get a lot of wear and tear from the towing.

[Comfortably Numb]

No prob at all. You will need the raised ball though.

[Ratherbfishing]

You better be sure it doesn't violate the lease agreement-unless you want to OWN the vehicle.

[rippin-lips]

I towed my crawdad and small trailer with a Nissan sentra. I did that for about a year before I sold the car. My mom still drives the car everyday and hasn't had a problem with it.

[200racing]

b-i-l tows a harbor freight trailer for a kayak with his all the time. no big deal. 

 

tongue load is the issue with car suspension. his wife loaded it down with project stuff the other day. it was squatting hard. had to redistribute the load to get the tongue neutral to slight lift so as not bottom the suspension.

[Neonsnow78]

i load my 2012 Mazda 3 up with my 14ft Old tow on the roof, also have a small HF trailer for the crawdad i just picked up. i bought a hitch and trailer taillight kit from Etrailer. best prices and easy install.

[Ring King]

A friend has a Mazda 3 and tows his Harley Sportster 1200 all over the South with it on a small utility trailer.  He has never had any issues.  As had been said though you need to mind your braking.  Begin braking early, don't hit excessive speeds, and don't tow in overdrive if you have any kinds of hills.  People have towed all sorts of things with small Subaru's and 4 cylinders for years!