Towing question on Tribeca

[Elipse]

Brand new poster here. Hi Everyone....

 

Currently I have a 2008 Toyota 4 Runner with a V-8 (my 2nd 4 Runner) I am going to get a new vehicle this spring. I would LOVE to get a Tribeca -- BUT - I don't think it will handle pulling my 19 foot boat. My boat is a Larson (very well made and very heavy for a 19 footer)

 

My Toyota has a V-8 with a towing package. Towing is rated at 7300# and even it Struggles pulling my fully loaded boat up and down the hills.

 

The Subaru Tribeca of course is only available with a 6 cylinder. It is rated for towing at 2,000 pounds or 3500 pounds with the optional tranny cooler. Also I notice on the on line brochure they never even show the Tribeca towing ANYTHING. And the "optional" hitch looks pretty flimsy(in comparison to my 4 Runner).

 

The boat weighs about 2900 pounds but this is just the boat. When we are going to the lake for vacation there is probably another 300 - 500 pounds loaded into the boat.

 

I would like someone to tell me that the Tribeca would be just Great for boat towing -- but -- common sense tells me it just won't hack it....

 

I am also considering a Grand Cherokee and they are rated at 7,400 pounds.

 

So the Tribeca - is really not even close to apples to apples.

 

Any insights would be greatly appreciated.

[ShawnW]

I wouldn't do it. The 4-runner is closer. I think a Tacoma V6 4door with long bed would do a better job since it is longer. Or of course a Tundra.

 

It all depends on how often it will see towing duties and how often it won't. If its once to the lake and once back a year it might be fine but why risk it? The struggling up and down the hills might be worth it for the gas savings the rest of the year not having a huge engine and gas tank to fill.

 

Its still exceeding the rating and if you have to slam on the brakes or make an evasive maneuver of some kind its going to be very dangerous.

[Scott6776]

I can offer some direct experience towing with a Tribeca.

Our Tribeca has a factory installed hitch and tranny cooler. For trailer brakes we upgraded the 4pin connector to a 7pin at local trailer outfit.

We tow a small 14 FT camping trailer that weighs about 2200 lbs dry. After loading up we range between 2800-3200 lbs depending on cargo, filled water tanks etc.

Impressions:

Our Tribeca tows quite well under these conditions. Stable, enough power (not a V8 mind you). Comfortable ride.

Happiest at about 60 MPH.

MPG averages 10-12 while towing (worst 9, best 13).

But here is the issue, fuel tank is 16.9 Gal. This gives us about a 200 mile range while towing. Not good. This is not a deal breaker but is a significant annoyance and requires vigilance in watching fuel tank level.

Maybe owning a Subaru Tribeca is enough of a plus to warrant using it as a tow vehicle but I would not recommend it primarily due to fuel tank capacity unless fully loaded weight is at or below 2500 lbs and profile of trailer is very low to decrease wind resistance and therefore increase range.

That said... we LOVE our Tribeca in general. Great car.

Other people we know use a Honda Pilot or VW Toureg for SUV tow vehicle. My advice: get more towing capacity and range than you think you'll need. You'll probably end up needing it.

[nipper]

If you tow on a regular basis, you want to get over the trailer weight by 50% if possible if you are going to buy a car to replace another. This will cover the trailer, extra weight, and carbon units. An auto tranny should get a real tranny cooler for towing.

 

The tribeca can do it, you just need to to see what kind of terrain you are driving on, what the weight in the car is (people always forget to add that in the equation), and how often you are going to tow. Onve or twice a year, with heavy maint it should do fine. More then that look for something with more power.