Got Me a Trailer Hitch!

"JAREAL" (jareal)
06/13/2016 at 16:03 • Filed to: None

Well it’s not for a trailer, it’s for a bike rack, I like how it looks too. It was also only $240 which was surprisingly cheap and it only took an hour to install so that was nice. Rated to 2000 lbs gross trailer weight! Although I don’t think my Subaru could pull that much very well.

DISCUSSION (17)

duurtlang > JAREAL
06/13/2016 at 16:14

We didn’t get that generation of Impreza here (Subaru is a tiny niche brand here) nor do I know anything about that engine, but the XV with the NA 2.0 engine with 150 hp is rated to tow 1600 kg (3500 lbs), or 1200 kg with the CVT (2600 lbs). In Europe that is.

Future next gen S2000 owner > duurtlang
06/13/2016 at 16:15

Different speeds are the primary reason for different tow ratings between the continents. There is a pretty solid writeup explaining it all around here somewhere....

Future next gen S2000 owner > JAREAL
06/13/2016 at 16:16

If you go slow and keep your tongue weight to a minimum, you would be surprised at what you can tow.

Ash78, voting early and often > duurtlang
06/13/2016 at 16:17

Subaru is a tiny niche brand here, too. I think they're around 2% market share, but I read once that if you eliminated the 3-4 states where they sell in crazy numbers, it’s more like 0.5% market share everywhere else. But if I got park the car to hike or climb, it's suddenly 30%-50%. The most lifestyle-driven brand I can think of.

duurtlang > Future next gen S2000 owner
06/13/2016 at 16:18

I know. Different speed limits for vehicles towing trailers and different ways of loading/designing trailers (tongue weight). Still, the car can easily and safely tow 2000 lbs as long as you take certain precautions in mind, as described by that article you mentioned.

duurtlang > Ash78, voting early and often
06/13/2016 at 16:20

0.5% is still a lot more than what they’ve got here. In 2010-2015 they never broke 0.2%.

Ash78, voting early and often > duurtlang
06/13/2016 at 16:25

Wow....if you want your mind blown, VW and Subaru are usually in close competition for the same market segments, and the same 2%-3% market share. It's hard for Americans to believe VW (all brands) hover at around 40%-50% in most of Europe.

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > JAREAL
06/13/2016 at 16:30

Why did you choose this setup over a trunk-mounted style bike rack?

Boxer_4 > duurtlang
06/13/2016 at 16:31

It’s the same engine (possible ignoring emission equipment and tuning differences) in Europe as in the US. The XV with the 2.0 is rated for 1,500 lbs regardless of transmission in the US.

Technically, the Impreza with the same engine isn’t officially rated for towing in the US. I would guess it would have similar capabilities to the XV. Probably a little bit less, since I believe the XV has a slightly upgraded cooling system.

ColoradoTaco > duurtlang
06/13/2016 at 16:32

The XV is just a lifted Impreza, same engine. Probably enough to tow a teardrop camper or jetski.

duurtlang > Ash78, voting early and often
06/13/2016 at 16:58

Let’s see. 2015, the Netherlands: VW 12.5%, Audi 3.8%, Skoda 3.3%, SEAT 1.9% = 21.9%. That’s over 120 VW products for every Subaru (0.18%).

Some more WOW from a US perspective:

Peugeot: 11.0% (this is excluding Citroën at 4.5%)
Renault: 7.8% (excluding Dacia/Nissan)
Ford: 5.6%
Toyota: 5.3%
Tesla: 0.42%
Honda: 0 .29%

Yes, Tesla outsells Honda and Subaru individually (and Jeep, and Infiniti, and Chevrolet)

facw > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
06/13/2016 at 17:02

Trunk mounted bike racks suck. They are much cheaper, but they are annoying to install (easy to scratch paint if you aren’t careful), and generally don’t do a good job of keeping bikes from swinging (possibly into the car). They are also easier for bikes to be stolen off of. The hitch style ones are definitely the best way to transport a bike if you can’t (or don’t want to) have it in your car. Roof mounted ones are similarly secure (and pricey), but loading/unloading can be awkward.

TheRealBicycleBuck > JAREAL
06/13/2016 at 17:38

My Mom had a stock hitch installed on her Outback when she bought it. The dang thing doesn't sit flush or in front the bumper, so she's always cracking her shin on it. It might be worth it to pay to have a different hitch installed.

JAREAL > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
06/13/2016 at 20:40

It’s so much easier to use a hitch once it’s installed, all you do is screw in the rack, put your bike, on and go. Also I can use the hitch for other purposes down the rode. And what facw said

JAREAL > facw
06/13/2016 at 20:42

Yea I didn't get a roof rack not really because loading it is awkward, more because I am the type of person that would forget my bikes up there and ram into the garage

JAREAL > TheRealBicycleBuck
06/13/2016 at 20:43

The hitch doesn’t protrude out at all, so hitting my shin on it shouldn’t be a problem

JAREAL > Future next gen S2000 owner
06/13/2016 at 20:45

Yea I’ve heard of people pulling boats with Fiestas but I really don’t know anything about towing, the tongue weight is 200lbs whatever that means