I tow a lot, weekly usually…the during the summer months with my car and truck and those of others. I tow mostly boats for our club and work trailers but occasionally something bigger behind a dump truck; nothing really heavy but I still try to stay at least 20 to 30 percent below the recomended tow weight…even more ( up to 40 to 50 percent) if we have to travel very far. So, for a truck rated at 6500 lbs, I would keep the weight around 4000 or less to travel much distance. If I had to tow over 6000 lbs, it would be with something in the 8 to 10 k range.
So, if your car is rated for 1000 lbs, keep the actual total weight below 800 and you minimize the wear and maximize your safety. Just because a vehicle is rated for a certain weight, does not mean you shouldtow that weight given it’s age, tires or condition. It has less to do with the act of towing and more to do with the weight involved. Theoretically, you can tow with ANY car as long as it’s something they can handle. 7 or 800 pounds is little more then the maximum carrying weight of your car.