- #1 of 34
-
Yaris, Fit, Scion xA towing?
by kawliga
-
Jul 09, 2006 (3:25 pm)
-
|
|
I commute 90 miles one way to work and would like a small car that I can trust. I also need to tow a small trailer only a few miles each year. Total weight of less than 700 lbs. Do any of these sub-compacts allow any towing or is this impractical?
|
- #2 of 34
-
Re: Yaris, Fit, Scion xA towing? [kawliga]
by lucynethel
-
Jul 09, 2006 (5:35 pm)
-
|
|
Replying to: kawliga (Jul 09, 2006 3:25 pm)
Best of luck towing anything! My wife & I have a combined weight that exceeds the car's GVRW by 3 pounds!
Mike
|
- #3 of 34
-
Re: Yaris, Fit, Scion xA towing? [kawliga]
by Mr_Shiftright HOST
-
Jul 09, 2006 (6:00 pm)
-
|
|
Replying to: kawliga (Jul 09, 2006 3:25 pm)
No towing allowed with the xA, and the Yaris has the same drivetrain, so I'd guess no-go on that one, too. Don't know about the Fit but it doesn't look good for towing on paper...or on pavement for that matter 
|
- #4 of 34
-
Re: Yaris, Fit, Scion xA towing? [Mr_Shiftright]
by byaris
-
Sep 07, 2006 (4:57 am)
-
|
|
Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Jul 09, 2006 6:00 pm)
I just purchased a Yaris 3-door hatch. The manual says Toyota doesn't recommend towing with it in the U.S. The next page says, "Towing - Canada Only", and says you can tow up to 700 pounds with a Toyota-approved hitch. I'm thinking there's nothing different about the cars purchased in Canada vs. those in the U.S., and I believe that gravity and the physical laws are probably similar in both countries.  So what's the difference? I emailed a Canadian dealer yesterday concerning availability of a hitch there. Hopefully I'll get a response.
I won't even go into how it hard (or impossible) it is to get options and parts for my Yaris here in Vermont, when the Canadian border is only 50 miles away. Major manipulation by Toyota/Scion and probably Big Oil / Big Car to boot. And I thought this was a free country!
I saw some online references to Yaris trailer wiring harnesses, and some about hitches for the sedan, but nothing yet on the hatch. But why would they mention it in my manual if it wasn't available?
|
- #5 of 34
-
wulybugr
by wulybugr
-
Sep 07, 2006 (5:07 pm)
-
|
Go to Google and search "honda fit accessories"
found a couple websites offering trailer hitches for the fit. All have 1 and 1/4" receivers- price range about $125,
and is a bolt on hitch. I think tow rating is 1000#
|
- #6 of 34
-
Re: Yaris, Fit, Scion xA towing? [byaris]
by Mr_Shiftright HOST
-
Sep 09, 2006 (9:27 am)
-
|
|
Replying to: byaris (Sep 07, 2006 4:57 am)
That IS interesting. I crawled under the xA and it doesn't look like it would be very easy to mount a hitch unless it bolts up way back there. There doesn't seem to be anything to support a hitch very well.
I've loaded my xA on a steep hill with cargo (a lot) and then launched it uphill and it struggles. I'd venture to say that with 750 lbs or so behind an xA or Yaris, if you aren't on the straight and level, you're going to be buying clutches. I could SMELL my clutch last time. Not good--but in all fairness, fairly radical hill.
|
- #8 of 34
-
Re: Yaris, Fit, Scion xA towing? [kawliga]
by hillgrass
-
Oct 19, 2006 (4:10 am)
-
|
|
Replying to: kawliga (Jul 09, 2006 3:25 pm)
I own a '93 ford festiva with 60-70 hp with a manual 5 spd tranny. Your Yaris weighs a bit more but also has 106 hp. I went to Uhaul a couple years ago and asked them if they offered a hitch for a festiva. They looked at me like I had four heads and laughed. Then they looked it up on the computer and voila! there was a custom hitch for my car. Cost about $350. I popped it on, bought a small utility trailer (about 300 lbs empty, 4x8 bed, with or w/o stake body), loaded my 300+ lb honda helix scooter up, piled myself, my girlfriend, my dog, a few bags, and we did a round trip to New England from Baltimore. About 1,000 miles all told. Went up through Pennsylvania and some Upstate NY. Lots of hills. Had to wind it out now and then to keep the RPM's up. Just downshifted when necessary and kept an eye on the tach (you can choose a cheap tach guage from the auto parts store since I believe the Yaris 3-door doesn't come with one). I downshifted to 4th and even 3rd on occasion (keeping it at a minimum 55). These little cars are much tougher than you think. My manual also says no towing. Go to Uhaul and see what they offer. If nothing, just wait awhile. They will come out with a custom hitch. They want every car on the market to be able to tow their trailers so they can rent$ to you. Oh, yes, I once towed 1,200 lbs of stones plus the 300 lb trailer itself about 10 miles to my girlfriend's mother's house (though admittedly I took it pretty easy on that one!). Good luck.
|
- #9 of 34
-
Re: Yaris, Fit, Scion xA towing? [hillgrass]
by bobw3
-
Oct 19, 2006 (6:40 am)
-
|
|
Replying to: hillgrass (Oct 19, 2006 4:10 am)
If you ever lived in Europe or Asia you'd see tiny vehicles towing all sorts of things. In America it just looks funny because of all the big vehicles we have.
|
- #10 of 34
-
Wulybugr
by wulybugr
-
Oct 19, 2006 (5:09 pm)
-
|
There are hitches on the market now for the Fit. Try a google search. I found two sites but cannot remember them.
Also try "Honda Fit accessories"
My Fit is so low I would not want a hitch, even thoughit would be nice. A hitch would scrape on too many things
|
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
Hatchbacks 
