jb124 Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 I don't understand why a car with a v6 engine delivering 263 HP/249 Torque isn't rated for towing, not even Class I. Why is that? Is it because of the brakes? Frame? Transmission? If the Escape with a 3.0v6 or the 2.0T can be rated for up to 3500 lbs on a smaller frame, it seems to me the 3.5L Fusion should be rated for 3500 too, right? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackBetty Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 The tires on the Fusion aren't rated for towing, and the suspension would probably be overloaded. I'm sure it would be fine as far as power goes but your fusion would have a bit of sag. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyross Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Is it auto or manual? It could be a limitation of the transmission and other parts of the drivetrain. The Escape may have been designed to handle some extra weight/mass since it's a 'truck'. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FusionDiffusion Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Combination of everything. They probably can't make the radiators big enough to support the extra 25% or so of cooling required as a result of towing. The rear chassis is also not designed to be rigid enough to support the extra loads back there. Finally I think the weight limitations are tight enough as it is. If you put four moderately overweight adults in the car it will likely be overloaded. Having said that, unless you are in a very hot climate or going up and down mountains you can probably tow about 500 pounds safely. In other words, a very small trailer. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waldo Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Towing is about way more than just power. As noted above, it's brakes, cooling, and suspension loading as well as dynamic performance. The fact that the sport has more grip can actually make it more dangerous while towing if you need to make an emergency maneuver since the car will respond but the trailer won't. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyross Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 At the minimum, if the total weight of the car, you, and any trailer and it's cargo are within the GVWR, it could be OK. I think most manufacturers don't want to bother with calculating any form of GCWR for most cars these days. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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