4K Towing update after some serious towing with 2.0 XLT

[Ron Neal]

Finally did some serious towing over the weekend and here are my thoughts. I have the 2.0/4k, trailer was 16 ft car hauler, open center, 2 axles, brakes, empty weight approx 1200 lbs with 2500 lb sports car so loaded trailer weight was about 3700lbs. Drove 1300 miles round trip, mostly interstate and set cruise at speed limit so 90% of time it was 70mph and I averaged 18.5 mpg using pencil and paper.

Was amazed how well the truck towed this much weight. You knew the trailer was there and acceleration and braking was excellent but obviously trailer brakes helped and the trailer brake controller worked as advertised. No panic stops so no report there. No wind buffeting issues but it was an open trailer not a travel trailer. This little 2.0 turbo is a horse with more than enough power and torque for the 4k tow rating. I used tow/haul mode and no hunting or shifting of the gearbox when going up and down hills but generally speaking it was flat land. Still need to unload and get truck washed since we saw a lot of heavy rain over the weekend which was also not an issue.

Sponsored

 

[Jeffs72MGB]

Hi Ron,
That wouldn't happen to be your MGA that you towed? Just a fellow MG owner from The MG Experience.
Jeff

 

[801dute]

Good to hear. I'm pulling a 12' cargo trailer about 800 miles in a few weeks. Trailer should be about 3500-3900 lbs loaded. I'll be driving across much more rugged terrain, though.

 

[Ron Neal]

Hi Ron,
That wouldn't happen to be your MGA that you towed? Just a fellow MG owner from The MG Experience.
Jeff

Jeff
Pretty close guess but another MG.

 

[JimParker256]

Ooh - gotta see pictures of the MGA... I owned a '66 MG Midget and a '68 MGB in my younger days, and loved both cars. I always wanted a Triumph Spitfire, but the right deal never came along...

PS - my uncle started all this when he took me for a ride in his 195? MG-TD. Gorgeous car, and I'm still jonesing for one of those, as well!

 

[dalola]

Finally did some serious towing over the weekend and here are my thoughts. I have the 2.0/4k, trailer was 16 ft car hauler, open center, 2 axles, brakes, empty weight approx 1200 lbs with 2500 lb sports car so loaded trailer weight was about 3700lbs. Drove 1300 miles round trip, mostly interstate and set cruise at speed limit so 90% of time it was 70mph and I averaged 18.5 mpg using pencil and paper.
Was amazed how well the truck towed this much weight. You knew the trailer was there and acceleration and braking was excellent but obviously trailer brakes helped and the trailer brake controller worked as advertised. No panic stops so no report there. No wind buffeting issues but it was an open trailer not a travel trailer. This little 2.0 turbo is a horse with more than enough power and torque for the 4k tow rating. I used tow/haul mode and no hunting or shifting of the gearbox when going up and down hills but generally speaking it was flat land. Still need to unload and get truck washed since we saw a lot of heavy rain over the weekend which was also not an issue.

That is certainly outstanding FE for that scenario! Thanks for the report.

 

[unclerunkle]

Good to hear. I'm pulling a 12' cargo trailer about 800 miles in a few weeks. Trailer should be about 3500-3900 lbs loaded. I'll be driving across much more rugged terrain, though.

Let us know how it goes if you would please.

 

[Maverickent]

Hi Ron,
That wouldn't happen to be your MGA that you towed? Just a fellow MG owner from The MG Experience.
Jeff

B?

 

[OleFordGuy]

Awesome, thanks for the info/report

 

[GPSMan]

EB and HYBRID about equal MPG when towing.

 

[Earl313]

Wow what a demographic for this thread. British sports car lovers. Buying a compact truck
I too owned an Austin Healy Sprite in college. Followed by several Midgets. Now garage a BMW Z3
Waiting for EB, 4K LXT BAP with spray in bed .

 

[Radman73]

Wow what a demographic for this thread. British sports car lovers. Buying a compact truck
I too owned an Austin Healy Sprite in college. Followed by several Midgets. Now garage a BMW Z3
Waiting for EB, 4K LXT BAP with spray in bed .

And I have a Porsche Boxster as a play toy...

 

[Ron Neal]

After I bought the Maverick I had to downsize my trailer to fit the new towing parameters. Finding what I wanted was harder than finding a Maverick.

 

[JimParker256]

Wow what a demographic for this thread. British sports car lovers. Buying a compact truck
I too owned an Austin Healy Sprite in college. Followed by several Midgets. Now garage a BMW Z3
Waiting for EB, 4K LXT BAP with spray in bed .

When the Z3 first came out, I got all excited about getting one - and I was due for a car about that time... Then a co-worker got one, and took me to lunch in it. We had to open the top in order for me to get in - the door openings seemed VERY low (or the seats too high, one or the other). I simply could not contort by body to get my butt in the seat, unless I crawled in head-first, then turned and sat. (Would have looked very strange had anyone been watching...) While that sort-of worked to get in on the passenger side, but when I tried it on the driver's side, my legs just refused to bend backwards to fit under the wheel,, so it was a no-go... Man, I was disappointed. Tried again when they re-designed it a few years later - still couldn't get in/out without opening the top. Too bad - it seemed to be a really fun car in the spirit of the old British sports cars, minus the excitement of having Lucas electrical systems... "Lucas - the Prince of Darkness."

 

[Earl313]

I had terrible time getting in and out of the Honda 2000. I still have nightmares about the side draft carbs in the MG
Z3 has a great 3.0 engine. Too high of a clutch pedal for my liking… the rest of car is fine. Not made for long road trip for me

Sponsored