CX-9 towing boat?

Hi guys new here hoping for someone to chime in with some insight. So I’ve had a 2018 CX-9 Touring the last 3 years and I’m seriously considering leasing or purchasing a new 2021 AWD CX-9 GT. I absolutely love everything about the vehicle. Looks, reliability, safety, it truly has been a great car. The dilemma I’m in is my wife and I are seriously considering getting a small 19ft boat in the near future. I know the tow rating is listed at 3500 pounds and the boat I’m looking at is around 3100 pounds dry weight. I found some info on the forum that the CX-9 tow rating is somewhat skewed in the US since the exact same vehicle has a higher listed tow rating (I believe 4400 pounds) in Europe and Australia. Also the trailer for the boat does include trailer brakes. All that being said I’ve been looking at the new Nissan Pathfinder which has a 6000 pound tow rating. I will say it’s a nice car but I still prefer the CX-9 for it’s looks and handling on the road. It’s just more refined. I live in South Florida and will be towing the boat primarily just 10 miles. Am I pushing my luck with the CX-9 or should I just switch to the Pathfinder? Anyone out there in a similar situation and towing a 3100 pound boat? Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
 
What will be the actual weight of the loaded boat (fuel, batteries, anything else) and the trailer? In Florida the law requires trailer brakes, including breakaway brakes, on any trailer over 3000#.
 
I would say for the attached boat/trailer alone with fuel and gear it will be right around the 3500 pound rating. Also, the boat/trailer I’m looking at does come installed with trailer brakes already from the dealership which is a big plus. I also found that the GCWR for the AWD CX-9 is around 8300 pounds which is well above my family of 3 with gear. My heart is telling me that I’m ok but I also feel that having a vehicle with a 5000 or 6000 pound tow rating like the Pathfinder might also be a better decision.

Also, I forgot to mention in the original post that the lease payments for both vehicles are substantially different. With the Mazda I’m looking at a 36 month 36,000 mile lease at $429 a month which is a very good offer for my area considering the current environment. The Nissan Pathfinders on the other hand are being up charged well above the similarly priced AWD CX-9 GT. The one dealership I spoke with about matching the Mazda offer said because it’s a “new” vehicle they don’t have any incentives and the payments will be closer to around $600. I told the salesman both vehicles are almost identically priced at MSRP and he said sorry that’s just the price. I laughed at the guy and walked out. This is another reason I’m leaning towards another CX-9 to say the least.
 
Try shopping around for lease offers from other lenders. Ask your bank and also do a search. You don't need to use the dealership.
https://www.carsdirect.com/auto-loans/top-rated-car-leasing-companies

Part of the lease cost is the expected depreciation of the 3 year old vehicle. Evidently they expect the Nissan to be worth much less than the Mazda at that time. Or, they're just gouging their customers. Try a different Nissan dealer. The lease payments are made up of the car's cost (negotiate the price before you tell them you'll lease), the expected value of the car at the end of the lease, and the money factor, the interest rate, of the lessor's money you'll have tied up, also subject to negotiation. Any way they can gouge the customer means a bigger kickback to the dealership.

There are lots of articles on how to negotiate an auto lease deal. Here's just one:
https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/how-to-negotiate-a-car-lease/
 
I appreciate the help. I’ve tried pretty much all 5 Nissan dealerships in my area and they’re all the same. Almost all car dealerships in South Florida have lost their minds with price gouging and pricing the vehicles several thousands above MSRP. Just to give you an example one dealership had a Pathfinder listed at $52,000 when the MSRP is $46,000. I have excellent credit too so that’s not the issue. I’ve decided I’m just going to move forward with another CX-9. Who knows maybe when the CX-9 gets redesigned in the next couple of years it will have the inline 6 powertrain we keep hearing about and I’ll be solid for my next lease.
 
To answer your question regarding towing capacities in the US vs UK/AUS, it comes down to speed, licensing, and prioritization of vehicle/trailer dynamics. The US doesn’t have any special licenses to tow up to 26,000 lbs. The US also doesn’t have real speed restrictions on trailers, so the SAE rules about trailer weight are based on a 10% tongue weight limit in order to preserve the sway dynamics up to 71MPH (as in, they don’t want the tail to be wagging the dog). The trailer weight is then going to be based on the maximum Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) of the rear axle. I’m not sure exactly how they got to 3500 lbs on the CX-9, but I am sure the engineers did what they were supposed to.

Back to the overseas markets. At least in the UK, any trailer over 1600 lbs requires an additional endorsement on your license, and an additional endorsement is needed once you reach somewhere around the same 26,000 lbs. The UK also limits the max speed while trailering at around 60 MPH on freeways and even slower elsewhere. What that allows them to do is decrease the tongue weight to 4-7% and therefore increase the total trailer weight.

In short, overseas markets have higher licensed drivers and slower speeds than the US which allows for lower tongue weights that still maintain proper driving dynamics. I am in no way endorsing towing higher than the rated weight in the US, BUT you could probably do it for that 10 miles as long as you didn’t go above 60 MPH, used a weight distributing hitch to remove some of the weight from the rear axle, and used a trailer brake controller. Also keep in mind the US towing ratings are reduced when going up hills steeper than route 68 near Davis Dam in Nevada (3,500 feet in 11.4 miles) and in temperatures warmer than that same area. That is the “proving grounds” for the SAE J2807 towing specs.

On to your Pathfinder vs CX-9 question. I would steer clear of the first model year of the new Pathfinder. Nissan isn’t what they used to be and there are bound to be problems and reliability issues. Obviously all of us are somewhat biased here due to this being a CX-9 forum, but I don’t think the Pathfinder is a good looking vehicle either. Hopefully Mazda can keep the looks and driving dynamics of the CX-9 while offering better towing capacities and a little more interior room in the next generation.
 
oz, why not buy the 2018 off the lease? As you point out, new car prices are high now. The 2018 will tow the same as a 2021. A year after the next revision of the CX-9 you can reconsider your driving needs.

"I would steer clear of the first model year" Pioneers get arrows in their backs.
 
PT, I seriously considered just buying out my lease but the only thing that was keeping me from doing that was that it was not AWD. I would truly hate to be in a situation where I have slippage on the ramp and my car wants to go in for a drink.

MGM, thank you for the great and educational information. I completely agree about getting a weight distribution hitch if I’m going to be near the max tow limit and the 350 tongue weight.

I ended up just turning in my 2WD Touring and leasing an AWD Snowflake white GT with crossbars. I got a great deal I couldn’t pass up considering the current market. So glad I decided to go this route too, the GT is absolutely beautiful. While I’m still researching boats now atleast I have a true roof rack system I can throw my kayaks on. Ultimately what I’m going to do is get the Curt class 3 hitch and wiring harness installed and keep researching boats. I’ll just have to cut back my expectations a bit. Instead of going with a 20 or 21 footer I might just go a little smaller with a 17 or 19 footer. I’ve already found a few that are really nice that are under 3000 pounds fully geared with the trailer. Not too mention since I’ll be storing it at my house in the side yard it might be a little easier to maneuver. I appreciate the help gentlemen.
 
I wouldn't touch a Nissan with a 10 ft pole after seeing that they put CVTs in everything.
CVTs can't handle abuse.

As far as towing with the CX-9, see my thread here:

I have several trailers that I tow on occasion with the CX-9.
 
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