Do any other sedans offer factory tow hitches in the US?

[EVnut]

When you launch a boat...

And... just to be clear... hitches are used more often for adventures that don't involve boat ramps. Plus, my boat fits behind the driver's seat of my compact car.

 

[EVnut]

that signal of confidence is important for consumers to consider.

Confidence and warrant support, for sure. The other OEMs put the "don't tow" language in the owner's manual as a cheap and easy CYA policy. You towed (or even appear to have maybe towed due to the installation of a hitch to carry bikes)? Destroyed transmission/overheated block/warped rotors are NOT covered.

 

[AB4EJ]

And... just to be clear... hitches are used more often for adventures that don't involve boat ramps. Plus, my boat fits behind the driver's seat of my compact car.

Right. The only reason I mentioned a boat was to counter this misperception that the back of your vehicle gets in the water when you launch a boat. It does not, unless you screw up and put the car in reverse instead of forward, or back up too far, or whatever.

In my own experience with tow hitches, most of the time I have been towing a pretty good sized boat, like a ski boat or pontoon boat. You must have a pretty small boat for it to fit in a compact car (kayak?)

 

[EVnut]

What fits behind the seat is a high-quality, two-person inflatable. Fits into a backpack and totals 30 pounds.

My life in my 20's and 30's:
Turbo charged cars
Motorcycles
Ski boats

My life in my 50's:
EVs
bicycles
kayaks

 

[EVnut]

unless you screw up and put the car in reverse instead of forward, or back up too far, or whatever.

And anybody who's spent any time near a boat ramp will have watched all of this with great amusement at one time or another. I can''t count the number of times I've seen the boat sink (bung not in) and the tow vehicle float (temporarily). Good times.

 

[tga]

And anybody who's spent any time near a boat ramp will have watched all of this with great amusement at one time or another. I can''t count the number of times I've seen the boat sink (bung not in) and the tow vehicle float (temporarily). Good times.

One of my goals in life is not to be the source of amusement at the local boat ramp. I've come close once or twice, but only worthy of a shake of the head, not laughter.

 

[EVnut]

One of my goals in life is not to be the source of amusement at the local boat ramp. I've come close once or twice, but only worthy of a shake of the head, not laughter.

A worthy goal... though it doesn't enrich my life any.

 

[Zoomit]

One of my goals in life is not to be the source of amusement at the local boat ramp. I've come close once or twice, but only worthy of a shake of the head, not laughter.

Seems like there's a role for autopilot here. After what's been done already, how hard would it be to use a rear facing camera and have the car assist in steering or guidance?

 

[EVnut]

Seems like there's a role for autopilot here. After what's been done already, how hard would it be to use a rear facing camera and have the car assist in steering or guidance?

Interesting concept for sure! Steering a trailer in reverse is not a skill that everybody has, and several workable solutions have been employed through the years to make it stupidly simple. This process could be quite elegant if done with autopilot. But make no mistake - the bit about dunking your whole tow vehicle into the lake is not about steering skill. But that can certainly add to my amusement.

 

[tga]

Seems like there's a role for autopilot here. After what's been done already, how hard would it be to use a rear facing camera and have the car assist in steering or guidance?

Ford offers "Pro Trailer Backup Assist" on the new F-150:

Backing up a trailer isn't my concern - I've been doing that since I learned to drive. It's things like forgetting to put the car in park, leaving the drain plug out, mis-aiming and hitting the fender, piling, etc with the boat.

 

[deonb]

Interesting concept for sure! Steering a trailer in reverse is not a skill that everybody has, and several workable solutions have been employed through the years to make it stupidly simple. This process could be quite elegant if done with autopilot.

Here is my reverse steering autopilot system - it works beautifully:

Wife in car, with mirrors folded up and basically driving with her eyes close, and I give steering & wheel input to her from the outside:

"Wheels left, wheels left, reverse, reverse, reverse, stop, wheels right, reverse", etc.

We have no problem parking or navigating a 35ft trailer within a 3 inch margin of error.

Where people commonly make a mistake with external guidance is telling the person in the vehicle where they are, as opposed to what to do. It also helps a lot if only 1 person makes decisions.