When you think of a towing vehicle there are typical vehicles that come to mind – the Chevrolet Silverado, or Colorado, GMC Sierra or Canyon, and yes, there are the Ford F-series and RAM pickups too. The point is, when you think big and strong, you think of a truck.
As it turns out (and as you probably know) cars can tow too, and some cars even do it well. In a recently compiled top ten list of “Unexpectedly Awesome Tow Vehicles” done by Jalopnik, the Cadillac Fleetwood and Buick Roadmaster Estate both received honorable mentions. A tidbit many of you may not know of is that both vehicles are capable of towing 7,000 pounds. To put that into perspective – the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 has a towing capacity ranging from 5,500 to 9,400 pounds. Not bad for some old-school family cars, huh?
We should mention that while the Fleetwood‘s “heavy duty” parts allow it to have this towing capacity from the factory, the Roadmaster requires some slight modifications to tug along roughly 3 tons.
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One thing to keep in mind is that trailer weight ratings for modern vehicles such as the Colorado and Silverado are based on SAE J2807, and are much more conservative than those in effect when those grand old wagons and sedans were built. I doubt a Roadmaster could tow a 7,000 pound trailer up the Davis Dam grade on a 90 degree day without cooking something. Modern trucks can do that, with the A/C going full blast the whole way up.
I can't believe people trash the Nissan Cube and Juke but give this roadmaster a walk. Just saw one on the road the other day. Could it BE any UGLIER? It's like a stretch AMC Pacer.
We love our Roadmaster. Check out this pic of another Roadmaster hauling http://dennishouse.tv/2010/10/04/reason-727-to-own-a-buick-roadmaster/
I would definitely rather have one of those Buick Roadmaster Wagons over a CUV, at least in a station wagon you aren't pretending that you are in a truck.
Encore, 500X, and HRV aren't pretending to be trucks. They're simply taller hatchbacks.
That Roadmaster isn't pretending to be a boat. IT IS ONE.
Like the Olds Custom Cruiser the Buick is rated for 5,000 pounds not 7,000. With that being said I have pulled my 7,200 pound 30 foot ultra-light camper for short distances with my Custom Cruiser and didn't have any problems. I wouldn't go much farther than 60-70 miles on relatively flat terrain. I doubt the stock 700R4 would like being pushed much more than that. My Suburban does a lot better job pulling but it doesn't get 24-25mpg like the wagons do.
I don't think I've ever read any articles from Jalopnik but after seeing that article it looks like a hokey website.
Your assessment is correct. Jalopnik is a joke as far as "car blogs" go. It was decent when it was still independent. Once it was bought by Gawker...the end.
FYI, the tranny in the Roadmaster is/was a 4L60e
I wish I would've known this a few years ago when we took our family vacation in this vehicle. We would've rented a bigger trailer!