Have you ever thought of going on a long cross-country road trip on your motor home and bringing with you your vehicle to be flat towed? If that vehicle you're planning to bring is your Nissan Kicks, then this article is for you. We have scoured the internet and asked the experts if a Nissan Kicks can be flat towed. And this is what we found out.
If you have a manual transmission Nissan Kicks, you can tow it by simply putting the gears to neutral. But with the latest models of the Kicks (2022), you cannot as there are no available manual variants. The Kicks is a fairly new car released by Nissan in 2016. Nissan as a brand is not popular for people who do flat towing (dinghy towing), that's why you will not see many being pulled around, particularly this vehicle.
Continue reading as we discuss in detail the Nissan Kicks' towing features, other Nissan models that can be flat-towed, the easiest vehicle to tow behind a motorhome, and many more. We will also be suggesting to you other related articles that might pique your interest. So stay on and enjoy reading.
Flat towing a Nissan Kicks
To be able to flat tow a Nissan Kicks, you would have to choose a manual transmission. This is because of how automatic and CVT transmissions are designed differently.
With CVT and automatic transmissions, vehicles are only being lubricated while they are running. And with flat towing, you need to shut off your vehicle. If your transmission is not being lubricated as the car moves it will damage your transmission. This is due to metals clanging and rubbing against each other, which can wear them out pretty quickly.
With a malfunctioning transmission, major problems can occur while driving. Major shakes while cruising can be scary and very dangerous to passengers as these may cause an accident.
Another consequence of a failed transmission is the car not moving at all. This is because the transmission is responsible for the vehicle to be in the proper gear to move forward or backward.
Without any new models equipped with the manual transition for the 2022 model year, if you are on the lookout for a Nissan Kicks to be used as a vehicle for flat towing, your options would fall in the used car market.
Some automatic vehicles offer a feature that allows them to be flat towed as you can disconnect and connect the transmission while being towed. Chevrolet trucks are one great example of this feature. Sadly, for the Kicks, this feature is not available yet.
Towing Restrictions
There is a possible alternative way if you want to tow an automatic Nissan Kicks or any other automatic car for that matter. Using a trailer dolly will allow you to tow the Kicks without any problem, as long as it is a front-wheel-drive configuration.
Having a trailer dolly raises the front wheel or the drive wheel of the vehicle. This negates the transmission to be engaged as it is stimulated by the drive wheel. Your vehicle will be placed on the dolly while the back wheel is on the ground as it is being towed.
With this, you would need to consider the laws from different states if you will be towing using a tow dolly. There is some variation in different states regarding trailer cargo weight, but when your trailer cargo exceeds 1,500 lbs, you will be required to have trailer brake assistance. This is also an added safety for you, especially on those long decline roads that you will be passing through.
What other Nissan models can be flat towed?
Nissan is not like other car manufacturers (particularly American ones) that designs vehicles with flat towing in mind. This can be true for other Japanese car brands like Toyota, which also produces fewer vehicles capable of being flat towed.
There are Nissan models, however, like the 370Z Coupe, 370Z Roadster, Sentra S, and the Versa Sedan S that can be dinghy towed in their manual configurations.
Can the Nissan Kicks tow?
You can tow with the Nissan Kicks, but according to Nissan, it is not recommended to use this vehicle as a tower. This is because the Kicks is not designed to be a towing vehicle but a passenger car.
Even though the Kicks is marketed as an SUV, it is still a compact crossover. This means that they are smaller SUVs and therefore have smaller and lesser engine power. Extra loads for this type of engine can be very straining and may lead to major engine problems like overheating.
It's best to get a dedicated towing vehicle like a Nissan Titan XD that is rated to tow over 10,000 lbs, especially if you always find yourself needing to tow heavy objects like campers and trailers.
What is the easiest vehicle to tow behind a motorhome?
Jeep's Wrangler is hailed as the easiest and favorite for RVers to flat tow behind their motor homes. This is largely in part to the design of the Wrangler. It has options for manual transmission and a disconnecting transmission for automatic ones.
The Wrangler also does not require you a cap in speed limit and distance from the motor home while being towed, making it a very flexible and easy vehicle to be flat towed.
The off-road capabilities of the Wrangler also give you more options. The Wrangler allows you to traverse any type of terrain when going out to run errands or do adventure driving in places that your big mobile home can't go to.
Does flat towing damage the transmission of your vehicle?
Flat towing, when done correctly and on a vehicle capable of doing it will not damage your transmission. Some vehicles are meant to be flat towed. It is one of their best features and is used as a marketing tool to target persons in the RV niche.
It's good as long as you remember to never tow your Nissan Kicks backward. This will damage your vehicle's transmission even if it is manual as transmissions are not designed to be working in reverse for long periods.
It's of course a safe practice with any vehicle to read the owner's manual for you to know the prerequisites to be done to safely flat tow the vehicle. When towing, you should always make sure that your gears are neutral for manual, and park for automatic transmissions.
How long will a Nissan Kicks last?
Based on average use, you can expect at least 200,000 miles of driving out of your Nissan Kicks. This assumes that you drive the national average of 15,000 miles per year—you will have the Kicks at a minimum of 13 years, barring no major accidents and repairs that can shorten the lifespan of the vehicle. You can easily surpass these numbers with careful use and proper maintenance.
How reliable are Nissan engines?
In Repairpal's reliability ranking, Nissan vehicles have scored a very solid and impressive 4 out of 5 in reliability score. This gives the brand a ranking of 9 out of the 32 car brands that they have reviewed. A great prime example of this Nissan reliability and durability is a million-mile 2007 Nissan Frontier from Ringwood, Illinois.
But of course, for you to reach these types of numbers with your Nissan vehicle, some necessary actions have to be done. You must learn how to take care of your vehicle properly. Regular maintenance check-ups are imperative, especially if your car is already showing some symptoms of damage.
Being on top of things always gives you a great chance to reduce or eliminate malfunctioning parts. This will avoid further damages to your vehicle in the long run, and in turn make your vehicle reach the potential lifespan it should have.
How well does the Nissan Kicks hold up its value?
The Nissan Kicks has a depreciation of 51% after five years from the date of its purchase. Assuming a sticker price of $21,674, this would put the Kick's resell value at $10,518.
This estimation can be different in the real world. Factors like the mileage on the odometer, crash history (if any), repair history, legal history (if the car was used in a crime), and even cosmetic conditions all play a role in the overall value of the vehicle. This is why you should take care of your vehicle and use it properly if you intend to have it appraised.
In Closing
Having a manual Nissan Kicks can allow you to flat tow it. Nissan as a brand is not known for flat towing, and people who usually do dinghy towing do not use a Nissan to do this. You always have the option to use a more suitable car brand such as a Jeep Wrangler for this undertaking.
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