Towing vehicle question

[nclex2011]

(Similar but different than my last question)
I really have had my eye on the new Kia Sportage as my next daily driver as my car is on it's last limb. The car is quite economical for for it's 2,000 pound tow capacity which with my calculations would leave me with approximately a 500lb safe zone as the capacity I want to tow would be around 1500lbs (18ft jon boat and luggage). The fuel economy of the vehicle is by far the most important component of this choice of vehicle.

Question #1
Being that I want to choose the front wheel drive version (since awd would be highly unnecessary for my needs), would this be a considerably safe launch? I realize the transportation itself isn't as much trouble as dealing with the actual boat ramp itself. The lakes are also no more than 20 mins from my house.

Question #2
Would a trailer with brakes be recommended for this setup? (2,000lb tow vehicle / 1,500lb gross towing weight).

Thanks

 

[sw33ttooth]

Re: Towing vehicle question

front wheel vs. rear wheel drive vs 4- wheel or awd only matters if your backing into mudd or sand if your ramps that you use are concrete dont worry about it. to me i wouldn't deal with brakes for 1500# i realize that is close to your max capacity but personally i wouldn't bother getting brakes one more thing to go wrong. since your only 20 minuites away it wont be hardly any wear differnce then driving normally. personally i wouldn't go with a kia because there cheap but i don't want to start a flame war, and if thats what you like then thats what you like.

 

[Brewman61]

Re: Towing vehicle question

Where front wheel drive can be a pain is when you have to climb up to get out of the launch area, and the ramp is wet, sandy, or otherwise slick. Pushing down on the rear bumper unloads the front end to an extent. Resulting in a traction issue.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Towing vehicle question

i've got a '99 sportage, as well as a '09 kia borrego. The little sportage drags around the boat decently, and i've never used 4x4 at the ramp. The borrego pulls the boat around without even noticing its back there, 7500 pound towing capacity.

But... The current sportage doesn't have any similarity to the old ones. Mine is body-on-frame, and rear wheel drive when not locked in 4x4 via a manual transfer case. (and manual Warn hubs) I think you will be fine though with FWD and paved ramps, you don't have that much weight behind you...

 

[NYBo]

Re: Towing vehicle question

Kia's quality has vastly improved since it was absorbed by Hyundai, so I wouldn't have any qualms on that account.

#1: You will be fine on many ramps with FWD, but we don't know anything about where you will be launching.
#2: The owner's manual of the Kia will give some advice on this topic. Trailer brakes are sometimes recommended for trailers that weigh more than 1000#, but this figure varies greatly from vehicle to vehicle. You also need to consider the terrain: lots of hills and you may want to add brakes for peace of mind.

 

[nclex2011]

Re: Towing vehicle question

Hey guys, thanks for the replies, all were informative. As for where I plan on launching: Lake Nockamixon which is a PA state park near Perkasie PA. http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/nockamixon.aspx The park itself, from what I see has pretty dry ramps with a low-mid grade. But I was still unsure because I'd hate to find out the wrong way after the purchase, especially due to the said phenomena of the rear weight boosting the front. But like you guys are saying, I'm pretty certain given the dryness of the ramp, and some patience, that shouldn't be a problem I'll deal with.

As for the brand... I'll admit, I'm not thrilled about it being a Kia either lol. The deciding factors are however: 100K mile warranty (even if it is crap, it's their crap to deal with for a while), the fuel economy, and the looks. Can't believe I just said the last part, but if you ignore the badge on the front, it's a surprisingly clean looking ride. I haven't really followed Kia's progress over the years, but I have followed Hyundai's mega quality turnover. That being said, this car is really the same vehicle as the Hyundai Tuscan, which isn't quite as good looking, but it's consumer reviews have been great. (Instills a little more faith in me)

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Towing vehicle question

As for the brand... I'll admit, I'm not thrilled about it being a Kia either lol. The deciding factors are however: 100K mile warranty (even if it is crap, it's their crap to deal with for a while), the fuel economy, and the looks. Can't believe I just said the last part, but if you ignore the badge on the front, it's a surprisingly clean looking ride. I haven't really followed Kia's progress over the years, but I have followed Hyundai's mega quality turnover. That being said, this car is really the same vehicle as the Hyundai Tuscan, which isn't quite as good looking, but it's consumer reviews have been great. (Instills a little more faith in me)

I really don't have any complaints about the '99 kia we have. It has NEVER been in the shop, and is past 100k miles. The only non-maintenance item I've ever had to touch were the vacuum locking hubs, which ironically were sourced from dodge. (Used on some dodge durangos) Problem with vacuum hubs is that they will eventually leak, and then your 4x4 goes bye-bye. But that is an old school kia, pre hyundai. It's loud, rides rough, bad mileage, but also built like a tank. (Find another mini ute that is full body-on-frame...) Technically, it has a Ford engine. (engine is built by mazda, which is partially/majority owned by Ford.)

The borrego... People are surprised kia even makes a vehicle that large, with a 7500# tow capacity, a v8, and almost 350hp. Fit and finish are excellent... The popular auto review magazines put it in the same class as a lexus or infiniti suv, for good reason.