LeoC2 Posted December 18, 2019 Report Share Posted December 18, 2019 Hi folks, I'm new to the forum so HOWDY! I'm actively in the market for an MKX and will probably decide on one by mid January, I'm leaning towards a Black Label. There are so many 2016/2017 coming off lease there is a lot to choose from. So, my questions on towing: I produce and run car shows April through November here on Long Island. I have a 5x10 trailer weighing about 1800 or so pounds when loaded. Presently I tow it with my 1997 Lincoln Mark VIII of all things! - Is there a difference between the 2.7 and 3.7 engines when it comes to towing? Is one preferable over the other? - And since most I've seen do not already have tow packages can anyone recommend a good and proper tow receiver and is there a cover in the rear that will hide it when not in use? Thanks, Leo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeoC2 Posted December 18, 2019 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2019 Oh and one more question... Does it make any difference if FWD or AWD for towing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeoC2 Posted December 20, 2019 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2019 Wow... nobody? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted December 20, 2019 Report Share Posted December 20, 2019 I don’t tow very much but AWD gives you much better traction in slippery conditions when towing. But if your car worked fine then a FWD Nautilus/MKX would do fine. The 2.7L is a superior engine but the 3.7L is perfectly adequate. You can add an aftermarket hitch and wiring - not too difficult - but it will sit below the bumper. I have the hidden hitch version which I don’t think they offer now and all you can see is the receiver itself and it looks fine to me. Some have installed the factory hitch with bumper cover but it’s way more expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean_p_lynch Posted December 20, 2019 Report Share Posted December 20, 2019 I would actually recommend the 3.7 over the 2.7 for towing. If you look at the toque curves for both engines, they are very similar. . Looking at the horsepower curves, you can see how the 2.7l turbo gets up to a higher horsepower very quickly, which is great for when you are not towing and want to pass quickly, but you don't care about HP here. The difference between 303 and 335 HP isn't as important as other things. The 2.7l is more 'pointy', while the 3.7 l is 'flatter'. The 3.7 l gets near the top and stays near the top for a wide range of RPM. I have links below to show this. Why am I recommending the 3.7l over the 2.7l? Two main reasons, and both have to do with heat. 1) Running a turbo creates a whole bunch of extra heat. The turbo needs to use the car's engine coolant to keep itself from overheating. towing adds a great deal of effort, so your engine and transmission are already producing extra heat, ad in a turbo and you are really cooking everything in the engine compartment. 2) The 3.7l is larger than the 2.7l. This means it has more surface area, and so it has more ability to radiate away excess heat. Add that to the lack of a turbo, and you should get the idea. I didn't think the MKZ/Zephyr offered a towing package, like the MKX/Nautilus does. The MKX package include a hitch, wiring and anti-sway software for the drive system. It does not include a heavy duty radiator, or a transmission cooling radiator. You'll have to get an after market towing package. The MKZ is on the same CD4 frame as the MKX/Nautilus/Edge, so there should be options out there. I don't know of any that have covers when not in use. I believe the navigator and aviator towing package have additional cooling features. I'm not sure I would recommend adding an after market transmission cooler to a '16 or '17 MKX. The computer systems are so complex on cars now, unless the mechanic could re-program your system to understand the changes, I would avoid that. When towing, think 'slow and steady' wins the race. You want to reduce strain of your drive train and avoid overheating. Just drive sensibly and keep an eye on the temperature gauge. https://www.automobile-catalog.com/curve/2018/2227025/lincoln_mkx_3_7l_v6.html https://www.automobile-catalog.com/curve/2018/2227055/lincoln_mkx_2_7l_ecoboost_v6.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted December 20, 2019 Report Share Posted December 20, 2019 I’m not sure about the turbo having extra heat while towing. The advantage of the turbo is that it has more torque at lower RPM so you don’t have to rev it as high. My F150 3.5LEB carried 2K lbs of mulch and barely broke 2K rpm even going uphill. Ecoboosts are designed to handle towing. sean_p_lynch 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeoC2 Posted December 21, 2019 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2019 Thanks guys for the info. Well it seems like there are multiple opinions out there as is usually the case on auto forums. I should have added that I don't really tow great distances, usually less than 10 miles and only about 10 times during the season. It's by no means a lot but it is important. There are so many coming off lease I'm sure I'll find the right one for my needs. sean_p_lynch 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MKXMark Posted December 23, 2019 Report Share Posted December 23, 2019 Here an aftermarket hitch on our 2017. It's only used for a bike rack. sean_p_lynch 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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