I'm tired of renting a truck to occasionally move furniture or lumber
and other items that are too big to fit in my car.

I don't want to buy a truck that I'd only use once every month or so.
I'd like to buy a small utility trailer and get a hidden hitch for my
Mazda 3. But would this shorten the life of the car?

Again I wouldn't be hauling a ton of bricks or anything. A couple
pieces of furniture or a few sheets of plywood or drywall from the
hardware store once a month or so.

Any thoughts?

Here are some of the specs on the car.

Engine
Type-L3X 2.3L DOHC
16-valve 4-cylinder with VVT and balance shafts (2)

Horsepower
160 @ 6500 rpm (PZEV = 153 @ 6500 rpm)

Torque
150 @ 4500 rpm (PZEV = 149 @ 4500 rpm)

Automatic transmission