Sabre Ftd weight/tow/suv

[Nickking2785]

Wondering if anyone knows the total weight of sabre ftd w/ 150.
Dont need exact weight but ballpark. I see the hull is approx 1215 but don't know with trailer and all the accessories.
Thinking about buying a smaller SUV that has a tow capacity of 3500lbs. (Kia Sorento) and I currently own a 2008 sabre ftd and trying to convince myself that it will tow just fine. My trailer is dual axel and typically launch at pretty good launches.
Do you think the mid size SUV is good enough to tow a sabre ftd? Let me know why you think

[Cajunhunter67]

I'm not sure how a front wheel drive suv would do at the ramp. Weight on the rear will tend to remove some weight off the front end.
Maybe some one will chime in that has personal experience.

[OldTimer57]

Think you are looking at the wrong vehicle. The towed weight will certainly be over 3,000 pounds. You are going to be on the ragged edge for the Kia, which is never a good idea. The transmission is not heavy-duty and it is not going to like working that hard. I assume you are looking at the V-6 model? The base i4 has no chance, and I would not try the i4 turbo either. the V-6 will pull it, but it is going to struggle on the highway if you are anywhere around hills or worse. And as mentioned, if you get on a wet ramp, a FWD is not going to pull the boat out of the water, and even a semi-dry ramp won't be easy if it is somewhat steep. If you are set on this vehicle, I'd certainly spring for one with the AWD option to have a chance of getting the boat up the ramp. I've seen several FWD vehicles fail miserably at Lay, even having 2-3 people sitting on the hood. The towed weight of that boat will be pretty close to the gross vehicle weight of the Kia. Motor has reasonable horsepower but it is down on torque and likes high RPM. I'd likely move up a size to something like a Ford Explorer or such. You don't want the tail wagging the dog here.

[rnorman35]

I would not consider a Kia Sorento to be a mid size SUV. Like stated above, I would go with an Explorer or a Trailblazer.

[Clove]

My wife has a Nissan Murano v6 I pull my pantera classic with dual poles loaded With fuel random trailer with a 200hp Mercury just fine. Actually it doesn't act like it knows it is back there. Just as my 3/4 truck does. I have a steep ramp or two around here also.

[OldTimer57]

You are a brave man. That vehicle has a 1500 pound towing capacity. Get ready to buy a transmission reasonably soon.

Just because something WILL tow a boat does not mean it SHOULD tow a boat.

[TDobb]

The Murano has a CVT trans in it doesn't it? I would never trust towing something with a vehicle that runs a CVT. I also agree on stepping up from the Kia Sorrento to something a little more substantial. The Sabre is a pretty light bass boat but it will still take some torque and traction to pull it out of the water. It's not a canoe.

[OldTimer57]

If it is a CVT, that will turn the belt to mush and it won't take a lot of time. Towing 2x the limit will become quite expensive and warranty will probably not cover it. And they can tell the tow load was that much over the specified limit.

[n2ratfishin]

I pulled an 08 Sabre FTD with a 175 ProXS before I traded for the Cougar 225 Opti with our 2010 AWD 4-Runner. There was a little difference pulling the Cougar, but not as much as you may think. The Sabre FTD DC all loaded up has to be pushing 3500 pounds sitting on a tandem trailer.

No problem pulling them with the AWD Runner. You knew they were back there! Trailer brakes are a must! Tow rating on that one is 5000 pounds. No issues getting out of any ramp with a center locking differential. No way would I want to pull a Sabre FTD out of one of our steep ramps with FWD. I see RWD vehicles struggle sometimes.

[OldTimer57]

I pull a single-axle pantera classic with my 4.0 V-6 Toyota Tacoma. Never had a problem on any ramp. Ross Barnett, the 400 ramp on lay lake, etc. NOT 4WD either. But the issue in this case is the tow vehicle's lifetime. That Murano is going to be an expensive problem sooner rather than later. You can always lock out O/D with a real transmission, to save the O/D friction band. In a CVT you will always have slippage, which translates to lots of heat, particularly towing up any hill...

The 4Runner has the same motor and transmission as my Tacoma. Really stout. I am at about 138,000 miles with zero problems other than tires, brakes, plugs and filters.

[RazorCat]

I have a 2007 Sabre FTD with a tandem trailer. While it pulls easily, I would never consider pulling it behind my wife's Murano. The CVT transmission is great, but not meant for towing. I wouldn't consider towing with most (what they call) mid-sized SUVs. The list would be short, but some would work. Getting up the ramp, and stopping power would be my main concerns.

[kirkster321]

Certain jeep grand cherokee limited models will tow 5400 lbs, some even more. My 2002 tows my Pantera 2 just fine and no problems off the ramp.

[jc1992]

If looking for the SUV I would highly recommend the Explorer. I have a 2014 model with the V6 FWD and it pulls all my boats like it’s no problem. On the steep ramps it does spin a little but that’s due to I don’t have much of a tire on the car. If that’s bigger than what your looking for, than maybe a mid size truck would be better suited

[drainplug]

I tow a 2009 Sabre with a 2009 Pilot, pulls fine...but I would not tow with the "new" size Pilot, and for sure not a Sorento