Hey all,

Wasn't sure where to put this, but wanted to ask if anyone trailers their MINI. Race use, custom car use, whatever reason, I'm looking to buy an SUV to haul the MINI in when I don't want to put the 500+ miles on the car each time I take it to or from a race or a show.

Facts so far:
MINI Cooper S stock weight ~ 2700lbs
Trailer weight = ???
Additional parts, tools, misc. = 300lbs

So I figure I'm at 3,000lbs without the weight of a full car, open trailer. I was looking at a great SUV to buy that a BMW-competitor is checking on for me (yeah, a stupid Mercedes....), but the tow capacity of the one I am interested in is only 5,000lbs! That leaves a maximum of 2,000 lbs on the trailer, without any 'margin of error.' Believe me, I will need some 'breathing room' as I have never driven a truck with a trailer before.

Another comparable SUV I was looking at tows 7,500lbs. Obviously, the smart answer is to say 'get the one with better tow numbers,' but unfortunately, the second one has a substantially higher price tag - go figure.

Suggestions? Recommendations? ANY ideas on this subject????

 

There are plenty of tow vehicles out there that will provide the required capacity without breaking the bank. First, here are the considerations:


1) The trailer will weigh somewhere from 2,200lbs to 2,500 lbs depending on manufacturer.

2) You should plan on a safety margin with your towing capacities. Hence, thinking somewhere as a MINIMUM of 7,500lbs is about right

3) You will need a class 3 tow hitch

4) You should have your new tow vehicle equipped with the electric brake module.

5) Your trailer should be double axle

OK, now for the vehicle, 2x4's generally tow more than 4x4's. If you buy an automatic, look for one with overdrive on the transmission that can be disengaged. Sometimes when towing a vehicle will constantly shift between middle and top gears with the overdrive on.

For myself I am currently using a 1998 Toyota 4Runner. I have towed a 3,700lb Jaguar from Austin TX to NYC with no real problems, but that was on the limit. I'm better with the MINI.

 

For towing, you can't beat a truck. If you want extra storage, get a truck bed cab. Most tucks nowadays come pre-wired for 7 pin trailer plugs and all you have to add is the electric brake controller. Chevy has what they call "Tow/Haul" mode on some of there trucks. This will hold the lower gears longer and disables the overdrive. This is very helpfull when you climbing up the side of a mountain .

 

I just finished towing my MCS cross country with my 2001 4x4 Chevy Tahoe. Towing capacity with the added tow kit and suspension is around 8500 lbs. Although I used a single axle dolly, both the Tahoe and the MCS were loaded to the hilt. I would also agree that a dual axle with breaks would be the preferred method to tow but it is not the only solution.

 

Buy a Touareg.

If you're looking at BMWs and Mercedes, a Touareg V6 should price out less than both.

IIRC, they have a towing capacity of over 7K pounds, regardless of the engine (V6, V8 or V10).

 

Eww.... that's just wrong.... i thought we were all supposed to HELP each other out on this messageboard??

Just kidding, I have thought about it, and believe me, going to M-B was bad enough, I doubt I will sell out THAT bad and become THAT much of a hypocrit to buy a VW....

yeah yeah, the Porsche Cayenne S (okay, the secret is out!) is the vehicle that tows up to 7,500 lbs and is the SAME THING as the VW, but I require three things in an SUV purchase:

1. It must be able to tow (obviously, see title of thread).
2. It must be able to go off-road. Something I have never had too much experience in is driving off pavement. I'm too young to never get a chance to experience that, because all I've ever owned are sporty / sport coupes that would never see anything but tarmac.
3. Lastly, it must be sporty. By sporty I mean I better be able to get in either the SUV or the MINI and have a similar amount of fun in either one - yeah, pretty hard bargin, I realize.

So there you have it. My internal dilemma when buying an SUV. I hate the way I reason through buying a new car - if you think this was bad, imagine me a year and a half ago when deciding on buying the MINI or the EVO III or the WRX STi or the VW R32 or the.... oh hell, nevermind, that one has already been solved....

 

I guess I'm missing some of the backstory concerning your loyalty (or disloyalty) to certain brands. :smile:

IMO, the V8 Touareg is a fantastic value. Anyone willing to pay thousands more for the Porsche is being sucked in by the nameplate.

The Porsche doesn't do anything that much better than the VW to justify paying a premium for it. I have had an opportunity to drive the Touareg at length and it's very impressive. You owe it to yourself to drive one before you make a decision to buy anything else.

 

Get the new 4Runner with the V8. Not sporty, but it's comfortable and can tow (rated at 7300). It can definitely go off road. German SUVs are nice, but for towing? I dunno, I've never seen it done before.

And of course, there's always the Hummer.

 

WOW!!! You guys are high end folks.

When I tow, I just use my ole 92 Chevy X-cab with the tried and true 350!! As long as I can get hooked to it, the Chevy somehow seems to be able to drag it along.

 

After driving across country for years in a Miata the MINI feels as big as a SUV. Why tow it...use it up! A MINI is not a car to be coddled...it is meant to be used and enjoyed. A few rock chips on the front end will be ignored by the rest of the MINI family and you will have more fun getting to the events. You can even use your MINI as the tow car if you need to take tires or other stuff with you (MINI Fini.) In a year or two there might even be a 4 wheel drive version of the MINI to take care of that off road desire.

 

Amen!!!!!!!!!

 

No, I'm just young enough to be able to get myself into a whole lotta debt before I have to settle down with the Mrs.! hah...

We're being really smart about this, my girlfriend and I. We are both in our early twenties and have the ability to make enough money to afford our luxuries - nice cars, nice house, nice clothes, etc. We're not spoiled, unless we spoil ourselves (which I most definitely did by getting DVD-NAVI in the MINI - I can't buy a new car without it now!!!! damnit!)

As for the VW - I most definitely will look into it before settling on the Porsche. My girlfriend owned a VW a few years back and vowed to never drive another one, and I believe the Cayenne is as much UNLIKE the Tourag as the Lexus LX470 is LIKE the Toyota Landcrusier - here's my empirical evidence:

After Porsche had become successful with the release of the Cayenne S and Turbo models, they wanted to expand on the market and offer the V6 model. Unfortunately, VW already had a V6 model SUV, and wouldn't allow them to offer one. Strangely enough, there is a V6 model Cayenne (base model) out today, because Porsche went around VW's back and offered one anyways and never told executives at VW, thus causing some tension between the two companies. If you REALLY want me to dig up this article, I read it in AutoWeek at least 6 months back....

The Porsche is built for handling and performance, whereas I believe the VW is built for towing and getting dirty. Don't get me wrong, my goal to bring the Cayenne into the dealership covered in mud from top to bottom when I go to get an oil change will surely happen, but the VW is much less refined for that ability. I have been told the VW's interior is just as nice if not better than the Porsche, which would surprise the heck outta me, so I'll have to judge that myself. I highly doubt the VW would offer as much ON-TRACK prowess as the Porsche does, and I highly doubt one could make the same justification as a Cayenne Turbo owner once said when AutoWeek was reviewing the SUV:

 

Hey, if you are going to buy an SUV, why not get one of MINI's cousins, a Land Rover!