Mirage trailer hitch/receiver: Curt 11394 Class 1; Draw-Tite 24916

[MetroMPG]

Also, anything roof-mounted will KILL your mileage. (YES, I'm a MPG nerd. )

Better to put stuff inside if possible, or on the back if not.

[oldopelguy]

I've already ordered one and it should be here this week sometime. I have a couple of trailers that I pull behind motorcycles that it would have no issues pulling, particularly for things like filling gas cans for around the farm or picking up a car part or whatever that I don't want inside my clean new car.

[Donut]

^^please keep us posted about your experience with the trailer hitch.
It would also be great if you created a guide on how to mount this kind of adapter to the Mirage (if you want to, of course)

The website uhaul.com actually suggests rental trailers for the 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage.

http://www.uhaul.com/Tips/TowingTips.aspx

[Ares]

I've already ordered one and it should be here this week sometime. I have a couple of trailers that I pull behind motorcycles that it would have no issues pulling, particularly for things like filling gas cans for around the farm or picking up a car part or whatever that I don't want inside my clean new car.

Remember that the power to weight ratio of motorcycles are not even close to the power to weigh ratio of the mirage.

However, if you're hauling clothes and or light stuff, then I don't see it being a problem.

[Canoehead]

I expect power will be less of an issue than handling/braking. There is plenty of power to slowly accelerate a good load, but hitting a turn and hitting the brakes with a heavy trailer could be disaster! Even just straight braking on a good hill would be dicey - those tires aren't big, the car is light, and the brakes are not meant to handle it. Within reason, though, a small trailer makes sense. Certainly a Mirage would be better than a motorcycle for handling with a trailer - not as good as a Suburban, though.

I've pulled two and three canoes behind my Focus, and had two on the roof - the extra weight and drag of the trailer seems to equal the extra drag on the roof. Both are about the same, making my hwy L/100 go from about 6 to about 8.

I would like the Yakima rack-and-roll trailers for the Mirage - very light and slick. The trailer I have is heavy mild steel, homemade out of a Volkswagen axle and lots of welding.

[Jilbo]

That would be the useful part for me. I know we can get the roof rack, but I'd feel weird carrying bikes up high, don't feel like raising my center of gravity that much...

I've been carrying my bike up top for years, switched the racks to the mirage works perfect, looks a little goofy cause the bike is almost bigger than the car but IMHO still the best way. I mountain bike so my bike gets really muddy around winter, there is no way i am throwing it into my car after a ride through the hills to get home.

[aydu]

Using the hitch for a bike rack makes good sense.

Pulling a U-haul? I don't think I'd try that one.

Still would like to mount one of those little propellers on the back end - just for fun.

[Jilbo]

Also, anything roof-mounted will KILL your mileage. (YES, I'm a MPG nerd. )

Better to put stuff inside if possible, or on the back if not.

Surely your not saying this would kill my mileage???

[Ares]

That actually looks cute...

Still aint nothing compared to this:

[MetroMPG]

Surely your not saying this would kill my mileage???

Ha, yup! Will kill it dead!



Putting my mountain bike on roof racks absolutely destroyed my mileage in testing. Knocked it down 15 mpg (US) or 27% worse economy at 88 kph / 55 mph compared to having nothing on the roof (no racks) That's a 1.0L 3-cylinder 5-speed.