Anyone using an Acura MDX for their open trailer track car towing? The MDX with its towing package has a tow rating of 5,000, which for me is, 1,400 for the trailer, 3,100 lbs for 911, with supplies, total ~4,500.

Other than Cayenne, what other mid to larger type size SUV's are you using for open towing of your track car? Because towing is only a few times a year for me (no very high elevation), I am not looking for heavy duty SUV.

 

sequoia or armada?

 

There are a ton of threads on this subject basically you cannot be comfortable towing 4500lbs with a 5000 lbs capacity. Keep in mind you need to allow for other articles in the tow vehicle; some load stability and how the vehicle behaves with that much weight on the rear end of it. For whatever reason tow ratings seem to error on the wrong side by auto makers. I would allow a lot more room than that to tow safely and without your knuckles in pain from griping the wheel during the tow.

 

Jeep grand Cherokee with the hem works great with my trailex trailer and isn't so big for daily driving.

 

A few things to consider with a tow vehicle with that sort of rating:

1. As mentioned, there is more than towing capacity. You should stay under the Gross weight rating, the max tongue weight and the max rating for each axle, even if you are under that max towing weight. From what I have seen, 4500 lbs against a rating of 5000 almost guarantees you will exceed one or more of those limits with a passenger, luggage, etc.

2. Many vehicles will tow just fine when all goes well. But you don' wear seatbelts/harness for those times when all goes according to plan. The fact is the lighter, shorter wheelbase vehicles are much easier to lose control of when things go badly. If you tow enough, sooner or later, you WILL be in one of those situations.

3. In regards to the MDX - It has a very bad reputation in regards to the transmission. Not sure if this is all model years or just some. If you are determined to use a small vehicle, the MDX may not be the best choice.

 

Too close to the limit, IMHO.

-Z-man.

 

I'll be the rogue here. My wife's two wheel drive 2009 Pilot pulls my 923S on an open Trailex with surge brakes with no problems, handled great. Last trip was 235 miles one-way, averaged 17 MPG @ 70 MPH. The tire rack on the trailer was fully loaded and the usual stuff was in the "boot". I was at the rated limit w/o doubt. I agree an add-on trans cooler is a must. Have a friend who frequently hauls his GT3 with the same model Trailex with an MDX with no issues. That said, for occasional use, i don't see a problem but, if I were trailering some distance a least once a month that would make a difference. I differ with those who say the ratings from the MFG's are wrong. To me, that makes no sense given the frequency of law suits. I think the exposure to the manufactures would far negate any advantages they might get from marketing an overstated rating.

 

I own an MDX and a chevy pickup....while I "could" tow with the MDX after much research I decided I'm better off buying a pickup to tow with...... MDX's that tow do have transmission problems and their short wheelbase makes towing under less than ideal situations quite scary....

Towing with my chevy is a breeze....sure its a 1/2 ton..but its 1000lbs heavier than my MDX and has over 3 feet more wheelbase..... its also rated for 9700lbs....nearly double the MDX...while my racer on an open trailer is maybe 5000lbs...you can barely tell its there.....I would imagine the 24' TPD weighing 8000lbs will be a bit more challenging..we shall see...

However if you are not towing far and not through hills....the MDX might be fine?

 

that is EXCELLENT mileage for towing....I get 12ish towing in my chevy @ 5000lbs

 

All interstate, no stop'n go, mostly flat . Set the cruise at 70 and sat back and cruised. I too was impressed with the mileage. As I said, frequent towing I would do something else, limited towing I don't have a problem - trans cooler is a must & they're cheap, owners manual is clear on the need for the additional cooler.

 

VW Touareg TDI. Rated at 7700 lbs. Wonderful daily driver. Pulls my 5000 lb open trailer/car just great.

 

Warning Will Robinson - Danger, Danger!

I briefly towed a my 944 Spec car on a open trailer with my father's Honda Pilot. It was... awful. Tracked like a drunken bloodhound, and that was after pumping up the rear tires to max inflation. Soft suspension & bushings, and a relatively short wheelbase made it a handful in any crosswind, and it was a kite with any passing semi. Also, there was no way to lock out top gear, only move all the way down to 3rd. I arrived at the track exhausted both times.

By way of comparison, my old VW Eurovan, and now Audi Q7 are *much* more stable tow platforms - have 10's of thousands of miles towing with them, and with the Q7, a 6K lb enclosed trailer.

I'd second the Toureg or Q7 recommendations. Even the VR6 is adequate for your use, though the TDI is very nice. A BMW X5 is slightly less capable, but adequate, and a nice DD as well.

 

Its pretty sad that its taken 13 posts for this forum to mention the Cayenne. I considered the MDX, Lexus RX, etc for weekend towing and daily baby hauling use. I chose a Cayenne S with air suspension because of its 7,500 lb. towing capacity, and overall better handling & feel. I tow about the same package as you, and it does the job brilliantly. I also have a V6 Toyota Tacoma that I occaisionally use for towing, and although it does the job, the Cayenne is SO much better.

 

Diesel Touareg FTW ... Extra points for the V10 TDI...great stump pulled.

 

"I briefly towed a my 944 Spec car on a open trailer with my father's Honda Pilot. It was... awful. Tracked like a drunken bloodhound, and that was after pumping up the rear tires to max inflation. Soft suspension & bushings, and a relatively short wheelbase made it a handful in any crosswind, and it was a kite with any passing semi. Also, there was no way to lock out top gear, only move all the way down to 3rd. I arrived at the track exhausted both times."

What year Pilot and what kind of trailer? Absolutely the opposite of my experience with an 09 Pilot and an open aluminum Trailex. I can cruise the Pilot at 70 and it stays in the "Economy" mode most of the time. I have a lot of miles pulling boats and horse trailers with p-ups and admit I was really pleased and surprised how well this package towed. I flat tow my 924 behind the Pilot for local trips and there wasn't much difference with the Trailex.