By Pamela Rose
Eyeing off that boat? Thinking you might tow it down south for the summer? There are a few things you should consider before you hitch up that trailer. Towing a boat, or anything for that matter is a serious business that requires a bit of know-how. The Mazda CX-5 is perfectly capable of hauling most small to midsize towing loads, but when it comes to the family boat, you’re better off enlisting the help of a BT-50. Here’s why:
Mazda CX-5 towing capacity
When you’re hitching up any load to your car, you’ll want to be aware of the towing capacity. Essentially, it’s the amount of load your vehicle can pull. For example, the Mazda CX-5 has a 1,500kg towing capacity. It gets trickier when you realise that this doesn’t mean you can go and hook up a 1.5- ton boat to the back and expect things to go well.
Know your towing weights
- Kerb weight: the weight of an empty vehicle, with a full tank of fuel. The Mazda CX-5 comes in at 1,641kg.
- Gross vehicle mass (GVM): the entire weight of the vehicle, kerb weight plus passengers and equipment, fuel, etc. There is a legal limit on this set by the manufacturer.
- Tare weight: the weight of an empty vehicle but only containing 10 litres of fuel – no passengers or equipment.
- Aggregate trailer mass (ATM): the tare weight of the trailer plus the max load to be added.
- Gross trailer mass (GTM): the total weight of the fully-loaded trailer standing on its axle.
- Gross combined mass (GCM): the total weight of the towing vehicle plus the total trailer load. This shouldn’t be exceeded at any time.
What does this mean for my towing load?
Basically, you won’t be able to hitch up a 1,500kg load even though that’s the official figure. That’s because the more people, camping equipment, and luggage you cram into the towing vehicle, the less weight you’ll be able to tow. You’ll be reaching your GVM quicker. You’ll need to check on the manufacturer’s official figures on both the car and the trailer before you start making your calculations. At the end of the day, you’ll want to make sure you don’t go over your GVM.
So what about the boat?
It’s safe to say hauling the family boat will be off-limits in the Mazda CX-5. But don’t lose heart. Smaller fishing boats, smaller camper trailers, dirt bikes, or a jet-ski? Now you’re talking. And truth be told, the Mazda CX-5 is more at home with smaller loads. Not only is the ride better, but easing off on the payload will increase efficiency and overall handling.
Use the Mazda for its purpose
And let’s be honest, leaving the Mazda BT-50 to do the hard yards is totally what Mazda would’ve wanted. The Mazda CX-5 is designed to take the family away, but not slowly or uncomfortably. The Mazda CX-5 is intended to be that car that will get you anywhere without actually being a muscly 4WD or a BT-50.
