That's a temptation I wouldn't have been able to resist! I have a lightweight (160 lbs / 73 kg) trailer that I sometimes use for light duty work. The car with the hitch is also not rated for towing... however, it's well past the warranty, so there's no disincentive for in me doing that.
I knew a car guy, and asked him about a Civic's towing ability - he said it had plenty of power, the issue was only the structure of the frame in the rear, and with more weight the braking/handling.
I think a "rack-and-roll" trailer from Yakima would be easily towable with light loads like bikes or canoes/kayaks. I've wondered if the trailer in the slipstream would be more efficient than a roof rack load, but on my car, they are about the same.
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View my fuel log 2014 Mirage SE 1.2 manual: 45.0 mpg (US) ... 19.1 km/L ... 5.2 L/100 km ... 54.1 mpg (Imp)