How Much Can the Honda Hatchback Tow?

October 21st, 2022 by

Whether planning your next extended vacation with friends and family or working on some weekend projects around the house, having a car that can tow and haul what you need is essential. If you’re wondering how much Honda hatchbacks can tow, it depends on the model. Here’s everything you need to know.

Honda Hatchback Towing Capacities

Hatchbacks are a type of passenger car, distinct from the trunk-based sedan but similar in size and capability. Below is a detailed breakdown of the towing capabilities for Honda’s different hatchback cars. Check out if any of the models below might suit the towing jobs you plan to do.

Crosstour

The Crosstour, originally called Accord Crosstour, expands the Accord’s appeal as a taller, wider version for the crossover utility vehicle market. The Crosstour wagon has a hatchback-style rear door and is excellent for drivers who like utility, sportiness, and style. The Honda Crosstour can tow between 1,000 and 1,500 lbs, depending on your engine choice. The standard option is a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with a 1,000-lb tow rating, while the 1,500-lb tow rating comes from the available 3.5-liter V-6 engine.

Though serving as an appealing mix between SUV, sedan, and hatchback, the Crosstour was not produced after 2015. However, modern Honda SUVs , such as the newer editions of the CR-V, Passport, and HR-V have higher towing capacities, more room, and the latest features.

Civic

Looking at the Honda Civic, you’ll find ratings up to 1,000 lbs on recent editions, which remains consistent with past generations. Towing with a trailer that has its own brakes can lead to a slightly higher capacity. Towing slightly more than 1,000 lbs on a Civic using a braked trailer may be possible, but it’s important to follow gross vehicle weight limits for your make and model.

Overall, you can usually count on a Civic for light trailers and loads under 1,000 lbs, but be careful not to carry too much weight in the trunk or seats, so you don’t risk approaching an upper limit. You should always double-check with the owner’s manual for your specific model year to clarify whether your model is qualified for certain types of towing.

Civic Type R

The Type R is a track-performance version of the Civic, with a spoiler on the hatch and colorful, racing-inspired visual enhancements. Like the 2023 Civic, there’s a new, turbocharged 2.0-liter K20X1 four-cylinder engine, packing 315 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque with a power delivery ratio of 157.8 hp per liter. Neither vehicle is rated for towing, but given that the Civic Type R is just a souped-up Civic, you can stay within the Civic’s 1000-lb capacity limits and gross vehicle weight limits to pull a small trailer.

Fit

The Honda Fit is a subcompact car praised for its respectable performance and solid construction. The Fit has a braked towing capacity of 2,200 lbs and an unbraked towing capacity of 992 lbs, both from ratings outside the United States. However, Honda does not advise using the Fit for towing in the United States, and doing so will void the warranty on your car.

Insight

The 2022 Honda Insight’s maximum towing capacity isn’t listed for the United States or other locations, but most models have a gross vehicle weight rating of 3,500 lbs. Like the Honda Fit and CR-Z, Honda does not recommend using Insight for towing, and the manual notes that attempting to tow with the model voids the warranty.

Honda Trailer Hitch Receivers Explained

A trailer hitch is mandatory to tow anything with a vehicle. A proper trailer hitch system comprises several parts: a trailer ball, ball mount, hitch pin and lock, safety chains, and the wiring harness. Hitch receiver kits come in multiple sizes or classes, which use increasingly larger ball mounts, are suited to different vehicles, and are made to tow progressively heavier burdens.

Here’s an explanation of different hitch receivers you can add to most Honda vehicles. Always check your owner’s manual or other direct manufacturer information about your vehicle’s hitches and towing/weight ratings.

Class I

Class I hitch receivers use a 0.75-inch diameter ball mount and are normally associated with towing jobs up to 2,000 lbs, although sometimes it’s limited to 1,500 or 1,000. Keep in mind that vehicle ratings and restrictions come first. Sports cars, compact two-door vehicles, and small hatchbacks typically fit this type of receiver. The Honda Civic can use a Class I tow hitch, like most Honda sedans or hatchbacks.

Class II

Class II hitch receivers use the same size ball mount as Class I and have the same receiver mount width, but Class II provides a higher tongue weight rating (depending on the hitch) and up to 3,500 lbs of maximum towing capacity. This class is common for midsize cars and crossovers.

Class III

Beyond Class II, the maximum towing capacities and designs can vary, but Class III receivers usually use a 1-inch or 1.25-inch ball mount. With a Class III towing hitch receiver, you can find maximum towing capacities starting around 6,000 lbs for raw weight carrying and as high as 10,000 lbs for weight distributing.

Class IV

Suited for full-size or larger pickup trucks and SUVs, Class IV hitches range from 10,000 to 12,000 lbs of maximum towing capacity and use a 1-inch diameter ball mount.

Class V

Using 1-inch or larger ball mounts as well, Class V hitch receivers are reserved for heavy-duty or super-duty trucks and can have up to 20,000 lbs of maximum towing capacity. There are also front mounts and other nontraditional, super-duty receivers for commercial levels of towing power.

If you are looking for a vehicle with a solid towing capacity and other useful features, check out the Honda Ridgeline or Odyssey, which have up to 5,000 lbs or 3,500 lbs towing capacity, respectively. For all your automotive needs, remember Nucar Honda of Norwood in Norwood. Our staff will help you find the best new Honda for your towing requirements.