If you wanted a 4x4 then have a look at how this copes with some swerving. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gyc4Dmgbew Having tried this manoeuvre it really is impressive what the car can recover, such as trailer sliding at 45 degrees...
When I fitted the towbar to the X5, I paid the extra few quid for the proper electric kit. That plugs straight into the car`s loom and enables that anti-swerve part of the ECU. It`s a very welcome addition, even though I haven`t needed it yet.
We bought a classic Rangey with a Mazda 3.5 td. Classic tax and insurance , exempt from test, and with the rear seats flipped could carry as much as my Inca van. And carry it across a field. Towing the loaded trailer.
Interesting read , i mate of mine pulled me up and mine and said he thought i may be over the max tow weight So to avoid a police conversations at the side of the road i have found the scrapyard near me can will let me use the weighbridge for a 10 to check trailer weight and car weight loaded My car does 1645 , but but i suspect my trailer is a lot heavier than it looks I am a bit concerned as mine does not have a cable breakaway system , anyone know what the rules are for this ?
Not sure on the rules for the `cable breakaway` system but I have rarely seen those who have it actually use it correctly !
You MUST have a breakaway cable. This is a no brainer. When I was small my old mans race car overtook the tow car on the trailer.................Such stories are never forgotten. This was the bad old days of real DIY Jon
Mitsubishi Shogun 3.2 DiD :-) Five of us have them, a little heavy on the juice but it never breaks down....
The 3.2's are a bit better, i usually get 19.5-20.5mpg while towing. Inbound journey usually at a faster pace than outbound :-)
Mines quite good on towing MPG i get 28-32 , thats a 2.5 TDI A6 I5 , mostly motorway When towing a Mk1 to a circuit in Wales we reckoned we got better MPG towing it that driving it there , which was a surprise , i am only doing 60mph most of the time
I love towing with my T5, hardly feel the trailer is there and the visuality is awesome! I have still got my Passat V6 4motion for sale if anyone is interested in a cheap tow car lol. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Anyone considering a '20d BMW should look up the N47 engine timing chain issues. Repair involves engine removal and crankshaft replacement.
I use a 35d E70 X5 and it tows amazingly well. Better than the RRS I used previously, the X5 just doesn't struggle at all and you can't feel the trailer gnawing away at the rear end like I've felt with other vehicles. Used to tow c. 1600kg whilst carrying c. 300kg of track guff. Gets 24/25mpg whilst towing.
I use my Nissan navara pickup goes like stink comfy enough and you can chuck a ton of stuff in the back as well Cheapish road tax and very tax efficient for self employed people lol
By way of an update, I ended up with a Hyundai Terracan (a what?! lol) for a number of reasons. The folks run one abroad and I know it well, having driven it off-road and across Europe a couple of times. It's a simple machine with everything like a car just a bit bigger, it was cheap, has a 4-pot 2.9D which gives a checked 28-34mpg when going easy, has selectable 4WD and low range - RWD when on road, and is very comfy. I did my research at the time and it can tow a good weight with no rear axle overloading worries. Downsides are that it ain't pretty, the tax is pricey, driving is a sleepy experience although handling is Ok for a big 4x4, and it has zero charisma but I like the anonymity and dependability. Can service it myself too. First time for a 4x4 for me, I used to hate them. But it was great over the winter with a bit of flooding to push through and the potholes don't bother it. Has slowed me down too, which is boring but I'm getting used to it. It should do a great job of dragging the Golf all over the place, including some euro tracks.
Latest family toy: Dual use : Seat Altea 4 Freetrack : 168bhp 2.0 16V Diesel 4wd that looks like a family car and drives like one too. Should be a good towcar Jon
Cant beat an Audi Allroad for towing. Generally known as the best car this side of a Range Rover. Also ideal with the air suspension as it self levels and keeps everything in line. So tow ball weights are always spot on. Mine is a 2.7TT 320bhp and still gets 32mpg on the motorway when not towing. Diesel versions also available! Pic With 120kgs in the boot and 970kgs race car on board with tyre rack full and spares, trailer at 1100kgs. Total towing load of 2225kgs. Max allowed towing load on Allroad 2300kgs. Notice it sits perfectly level trailer and car. Tows like a dream.
Now that is what you call a "spot on tow car" for any self declared VAG obsessed person Sent from my Lenovo TAB 2 A8-50F using Tapatalk
I would say a 5 series is spot on for daily / tow car duties. 3 series is a bit small and doesnt have the self levelling suspension of the 5 touring. Ive had 2 E class estates and I'm about to change to a 530D touring or the butt ugly GT in the next couple of months. I actually think the big estate cars are a bit safer than a 4x4 cause they are much easier to stop in the wet, especially if you've got knobbly tyres. Owned a defender 110 which saw me go through a hedge and into the field with the trailer and rally car. 4x4s are great for pulling but no use for stopping. another 2 rubbish towcars were my A4 quattro and Octavia VRS. Both were on the bump stops when loaded, the octavia was so bad it couldnt get out the yard!
