Hi Guys, I test drove an Outlander GT a few weeks ago and loved it, but forgot to check the sticker in the door for its payload capacity. Yahoo Autos has it rated as over 1400 lbs, but that is far too high to be believable (higher than all light trucks) so I was wondering if one of you can check for me. I haul my strongman equipment up to a local park a couple of times a week and want to make sure I don't blow out the suspension if I get this car. Thanks for your help!

 

For a GT (same as Canadian XLS)

GVWR 5181 lbs
Curb 3780 lbs
Trailer with brakes 3500 lbs
Trailer no brakes 1400 lbs
Tongue weight 350 lbs

The owner manual list load capacity as 1157 lbs
But 5181 - 3780 = 1401 lbs (minus the driver, fuel load etc...)

 

It's my understanding that manufacturers base the load capacity on all available optional equipment being installed on the vehicle. They do it that way so they don't have to figure the load capacity for each vehicle based on the many combinations of optional equipment.

Also, I'm pretty sure the 3780 lbs curb weight listed is based on no optional equipment installed. How much above the 3780 lbs your GT would weigh would depend upon optional equipment installed.

 

So I am confused, is it 1401 or 1157? Yahoo Auto claims 1401 but that just seems absurdly high compared to every single other CUV and SUV on the market. Also my understanding is that curb weight is calculated with gas and all fluids in the car, so they wouldn't have to be subtracted if you subtract the curb weight from the GVWR. I will probably be loading it pretty high, and want to make sure what can and can't be put in at the same time as I assume that overloading the car can not only wreck the suspension, but can put a lot of undue stress on everything else as each bump has to get absorbed through the car since there is no suspension left to absorb the shock.

 

It probably has to do with regulations per country.
For example, in Canada the Outlander is classified as an MPV. I'm sure an MPV has a maximum towing ceiling regardless of what it is actually capable of.

 

phillyguy. overloading is very dangerous not only for the stress on the suspension, but also because it can greatly increase your stopping distance and affect the handling in a negative way. As great a car as the Outlander is, and as much as I think you would be happy with it, if you really need a vehicle to haul more than 1157 lbs on a regular basis then I would look for a vehicle with a larger hauling capacity.

 

I can keep the load under 1157 (by a few hundred pounds) I just would have to plan with a little foresight what specifically I would bring to the park and use each day. I just want to make sure that 1157 is the proper maximum weight for cargo + passengers. Also I am curious if anyone else has loaded up their outlander close to this payload, what his or her experiences were, and also what you guys would consider to be an acceptable weight as a % of the max. Would, say, 800 lbs of total weight in the vehicle 3 or so times / week be acceptable or would even that over stress the car over time? Sorry I am not trying to be difficult here, just trying to really sort out what can and cannot be done safely and intelligently with this car. Thanks for all of the replies.

 

This past March relatives from Minnesota came to visit and the 4 of us drove from Phoenix to San Diego. The load capacity of my 08 ES is 827 pounds and with all the luggage, coolers, etc and my 250 lb brother-in-law we were close to that limit. The Outlander performed great and even with just the 4 cylinder had plenty of power. So if you stay within the load capacity you should be fine.

Regarding the 1157 lb capacity. I checked my 08 owner's manual and it shows the load capacity for the 3.0 liter 6 cylinder 7 passenger Outlander as 1157 lbs, so I think you can be confident that figure is correct.

 

The picture (Label Canadian XLS 2010)
See Attached

 

Thanks guys this has been great. Really appreciate all of your help! Now I just need to wait for the 12's to come out so I can try to haggle a better deal on the 11's. Outlander here I come!