Best MPG vehicle that can use a hitch hauler?

[pontoon]

I have a versa haul 55 hitch hauler and a KTM 200 EXC and a DR650. The hauler is about 100lbs and the bikes are 230/330lbs. So I need a class 3 hutch rated to about 500 lbs minimum. 

Anyone know what vehicle would give the best MPG and still handle the bikes?

I’m not completely against vans but I’m not sold on them either. 

4WD or AWD and some ground decent ground clearance is a plus. 

Edited October 28, 2018 by pontoon

[alibroth]

GMC Canyon gets, for me, better mpg than 27 highway it has on sticker. Hauls my bike 320lb fine

[pontoon]

22 hours ago, alibroth said:

GMC Canyon gets, for me, better mpg than 27 highway it has on sticker. Hauls my bike 320lb fine

Which engine do you have?

[pontoon]

It looks like the Toyota Highlander can actually handle it too... open to other ideas 

[alibroth]

3.6 V6

[john170950]

You want to move both bikes at once or just one or the other?

Pickup truck + ramp is easy, I use at fist gen GMC Canyon, 4 cyl 2.9L, great on gas with one bike.  You could probably fit two on there if you were careful.   Even with the long box, I don't think you could put one on the bed and one on the hitch hauler, have to leave the tail gate down to fit the bikes in the bed.

 

 

[pontoon]

Just one at a time. 

[john170950]

Would a truck work for you?  I would recommend one.

I've had my canyon for 9 years and used it for hauling all sorts of stuff, including skidoos, dirtbikes, fire wood, engine blocks, all sorts of junk + just daily driving.  Its 2WD and in the winter I have over 100 pounds of gravel bags in the back for better traction.  In that time I've used 4570 gallons of gas over 103865 miles, so 22.7mpg average. (I track it all in a spreadsheet with oil changes tire rotations etc..).  Any similar small or midsize truck with 4 cylinder engine will be about the same for fuel economy. 

 

[RawbW]

Any vehicle outfitted with Smokey yunicks high efficiency vapor carburetor.

[Ben500RR-S]

Cayenne Diesel.  23-26 mph when loaded up with both of those bikes-there is 700 lbs on the receiver, and 30 mpg hwy empty or loaded up with the family.  

The truck still scoots to 60 mph in 7 seconds-empty.  

[Fred Wendel]

A prius or tesla with a single axle trailer would be doable, any 4 banger (RAV4, Suzuki sidekick), etc with the trailer would be safer than that set up..

Edited November 15, 2018 by Fred Wendel

[FeliX 450]

 

This is my current setup. With 1 bike I average 25-27mpg. Depends where I am going. Cars rated towing capacity is 1500 lbs with 200lb tongue weight. Can easily haul 3 bikes and gear with a trailer. Mine is the 528i with 4 cyl twin turbo. The 535d can probably hit 30+ mpg. The 3 series has the same tow rating as 5 series and can be bought around 15k. 

Most cars nowadays can tow about 1000lbs. Even Prius I think has a towing capacity of a 1000. They even sell a tow hitch for it. 

https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Hitch/Toyota/Prius/2016/C11473.html?vehicleid=201659683 

[racermx66]

On November 27, 2018 at 2:57 AM, FeliX 450 said:

 

This is my current setup. With 1 bike I average 25-27mpg. Depends where I am going. Cars rated towing capacity is 1500 lbs with 200lb tongue weight. Can easily haul 3 bikes and gear with a trailer. Mine is the 528i with 4 cyl twin turbo. The 535d can probably hit 30+ mpg. The 3 series has the same tow rating as 5 series and can be bought around 15k. 

Most cars nowadays can tow about 1000lbs. Even Prius I think has a towing capacity of a 1000. They even sell a tow hitch for it. 

https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Hitch/Toyota/Prius/2016/C11473.html?vehicleid=201659683 

I like your set up. I've been leaning toward a Camry or Mazda 6 as my next car which both can get hitches for. With my small 4' x 6' utility trailer and one bike should be no problem.

[celler]

Currently I have 2 setups for hauling my bike.

Jeep Grand Cherokee Trail Hawk - It has the air suspension that self levels when I use my hitch hauler. It also drops to aero mode at speed. 24-25 mpg at 75 - 80 mph. It also will lift 4 inches for off road. I have the 3.6 six.  

Pull a small utility trailer with whatever car I have at the moment. Today it is a Volvo S60.  The best mileage I have seen consistently was with a Ford focus hatch where the bike would tuck behind the car. 34 MPG at 75MPH

[partsguy57]

Cayenne Diesel.  23-26 mph when loaded up with both of those bikes-there is 700 lbs on the receiver, and 30 mpg hwy empty or loaded up with the family.  
The truck still scoots to 60 mph in 7 seconds-empty.  

Have fun with that when that breaks off....don't know what year that cayenne is but I would bet you are over the tongue weight....

[abj]

I tow a 3 rail trailer with my '13 focus. I have an 06 titan I can use, but I choose the car more often because I get DOUBLE the gas mileage. I get between 28-34mpg average while towing. The Titan gets around 15. You just have to have big enough balls to not care what people think!

I'd guess the tongue weight is 40-100 lbs depending on how many bikes are loaded up- even with 3 bikes loaded, there is not much rear sag at all. Just last weekend I hauled 3 bikes and three riders with gear over 100 miles (each way) which got me my worst mileage yet... 27mpg.

WAY to many people think that cars can't pull anything without snapping in half and that you need a diesel dually to haul a small trailer. Can I feel it? Yes. Does it make the car handle poorly? No. Does it still cruse at 65-70 no problem? Yes, even at 7000ft.

Edited December 20, 2018 by abj

[FeliX 450]

6 hours ago, abj said:

I tow a 3 rail trailer with my '13 focus. I have an 06 titan I can use, but I choose the car more often because I get DOUBLE the gas mileage. I get between 28-34mpg average while towing. The Titan gets around 15. You just have to have big enough balls to not care what people think!

I'd guess the tongue weight is 40-100 lbs depending on how many bikes are loaded up- even with 3 bikes loaded, there is not much rear sag at all. Just last weekend I hauled 3 bikes and three riders with gear over 100 miles (each way) which got me my worst mileage yet... 27mpg.

WAY to many people think that cars can't pull anything without snapping in half and that you need a diesel dually to haul a small trailer. Can I feel it? Yes. Does it make the car handle poorly? No. Does it still cruse at 65-70 no problem? Yes, even at 7000ft.

Awesome setup. Glad I’m not the only one pulling a small trailer with a car. I actually get so many thumbs up and props on the road when hauling bike/bikes that I was actually surprised. Im from Europe and many people there use their cars to tow small stuff, even small camping trailers. So a couple bikes and small trailer is nothing. 

[nots0much]

Definitely not an Xterra. I get 14mpg lol

[adam728]

Another vote for a small rail trailer, or 4x8 trailer.

I have one of the 4x8 Harbor Freight trailers. It's been towed with a 1997 LeSabre, 1998 Astro, 2008 Mazda 3, 2012 GMC Terrain (4 cyl), and 2015 Town and Country. None care it's back there, even the 4 banger Mazda and Terrain. Might drop 2-3 mpg on those, the V6s don't care.

Much more vehicle options than a hitch hauler, as it's not nearly as stressful as hanging all that weight on the back. Pretty much any vehicle can easily tow 600 lbs of trailer/motorcycle. Much fewer can handle 300-450 lbs of hauler/motorcycle. My DR650 is 380 lbs ready to ride. That's a ton of iron to hang off the back of anything without substantial wheebase and a real frame. The Cayenne posted earlier is unbelievable. Would be way out of my comfort zone. I'm guessing afree body diagram would show the rear axle well overloaded.

[TheSnide]

Subaru Outback with 2.5l motor and a three rail trailer