I need a new tow car

[aerosam]

Guys,

with mine nearly finished, and with it being made solely for track use, I have to get a car to tow it on it's transporter that will be capable of doing it long distance. The plan is to use it on track days all over the country through the summer.

My original plan was to trade in the wifes car (citroen Xsara) for a large diesel pickup, mitsubishi L200, nissan navara or the like, and for her to have mine (Citroen C5 diesel). Unfortunately her car now needs a big job done and i'd rather trade it in now rather than spend the money. Problem is I haven't yet saved enough dough to buy a pickup.

So I could either buy her something small again and keep my C5, and risk ruining it by towing long distance. Or spend money I haven't got and get a better towing vehicle.

Any suggestions or bright ideas most welcome!

Sam.

[rpjg1975]

The only thing i would say is that on past experience that size diesel pickup will drink fuel and u will probably be crippled if u drive a long distance as i've never found them that comfortable. Would also most likely be pretty steep on road tax etc. Don't quote me on it but that's what i have found with new shape L200 and hilux trucks. I'd be more inclined to go for something like the tdci mondeo estates (can be picked up surprisingly cheaply) or something like that. More than enough grunt to tow your roadster and a damn sight better on fuel, comfort and road tax too:)

Russ

[CaptainCrash1971]

Hi Sam
you don't say which model C5 you have, but according to whattowcar.com states that a standard C5 2.0 HDi towing a 1000 kg trailer would be a perfect match, read the report

Important for safe towing is the weight ratio between Car and Caravan. The weight ratio (loaded caravan / kerbweight tow car) for the Citroen and is 67%. The match between car and caravan is perfect.

The towing performances of this Citroen with your trailer are perfect (performance index = 103).

You may expect excellent performances from this outfit. On flat roads it's easy to come along, in which case top gear is applicable in all cases.

On motorway inclines you will be able not only to come along, but be the first at the top. On steep roads you have more than sufficient power to keep going. On hill starts there will be more than enough power to get going, provided the wheels have traction.

I reckon just keep the citroen and use it, tow bars are cheap enough and easy to fit, the car will easily handle towing a trailer. We used to tow a 1200 kg caravan the full length of the country with a pug 306 estate 2.0 HDi, and the only problem we ever had was on the motorway we used to get a bit of a sway on. With the extra weight of the citroen, along with the lower centre of gravity of the trailer this wouldn't be a problem for you.
Even with a 1.6 HDi it comes back as a perfect match, so I say keep it.
Hope this helps
Alan

[MikeB]

I should be selling my 98 audi a4 tdi estate next month.
It still pulls really well and I'll be letting it go really cheap, it done lots of miles but the engine is sweet.
Has a tow bar onlyused twice
Might get you through a few months until you saved up for something better.

M

[aerosam]

I should be selling my 98 audi a4 tdi estate next month.
It still pulls really well and I'll be letting it go really cheap, it done lots of miles but the engine is sweet.
Has a tow bar onlyused twice
Might get you through a few months until you saved up for something better.

M

Wow guys some really great responses there - thanks!

Captain, it is a 2.0Hdi 110bhp model. Already has a nice witter removable towbar fitted. I never thought it would be so well suited for towing, a real eye opener.

Mike, I am considering an Audi diesel as my sister uses one to tow a horse box regularly. I'm going to have a good look round for something, but thanks for your offer.

rpjg, I really like the look of those big pickups. I'd always assumed that they would be pretty good on fuel, being designed primarilly as commercial vehicles. Glad to be wrong about that and find out now rather than later.

Great advice guys, so i think the verdict at this point is a pickup not the best answer, but the C5 will do fine if I don't get something else.

Brilliant, thanks again!

[AshG]

my 1600kg signum cdti tow's the roadster so well that you dont know its behind. the c5 is about the same size so i suspect it will also tow well.

[Tilly819]

^^^^^^^^^^^^

ash come on thats not a fair comparison lol, if you could hold the signum still and drive, it would change the earths rotational axis lol

tilly

[Davey]

The C5 is probably one of the best towcars you could have, even if it is made by Shitroen:p . It should have no problem pulling your roadster on a trailer. People get very hung up on BHP figures but to give you some perspective my camper is a 7 metre 4.2 tonne GVW Iveco with a 2.8 litre turbo diesel giving 100BHP and it will tow my 4.5 metre 1500KG trailer at 60MPH all day long (well except for uphill of course) and still gives 23MPG while doing it.

D.

[rpjg1975]

Wow guys some really great responses there - thanks!

Captain, it is a 2.0Hdi 110bhp model. Already has a nice witter removable towbar fitted. I never thought it would be so well suited for towing, a real eye opener.

Mike, I am considering an Audi diesel as my sister uses one to tow a horse box regularly. I'm going to have a good look round for something, but thanks for your offer.

rpjg, I really like the look of those big pickups. I'd always assumed that they would be pretty good on fuel, being designed primarilly as commercial vehicles. Glad to be wrong about that and find out now rather than later.

Great advice guys, so i think the verdict at this point is a pickup not the best answer, but the C5 will do fine if I don't get something else.

Brilliant, thanks again!

I've always liked them too but having driven a few different makes and models i've never found them that comfy, probably because they are aimed at more commercial areas. They do what they are designed to do pretty well but there seem to be quite a few drawbacks. If u aren't towing u will probably find the back end skips and can lock wheels when braking hard (the boss carries some heavy fence weights in the rear tub to counteract this!) His is an auto and he just about manages 25mpg. Possibly a bit better on a run but it's never gonna be frugal :)
The road tax is definitely crippling and any tolls will rip u off too as it will be classed as commercial (as another of my boss's found travelling over the severn bridge everyday in his big fancy mitzi warrior which was his only family car!)

Plenty of opinions and options for u anyway :D

Russ

[aerosam]

Well this thread has certainly given me a lot of food for thought.

We are going to go car shopping tomorrow morning, have a browse around and see what we can get with what can afford.

It's either going to be another medium sized car for her, and I keep the C5, or something for me, and the wife has the C5, either way, we're keeping it and her Xsara estate (the reason this all came about) is getting traded in.

well, it is my turn for a new car :D

[JakeH]

like someone else said i would recommend a focus or mondeo 2.0tdi (dura torque) my dad has been using a hatchback version as a van for the last year and well... its brilliant, can get 4 people, with loads of tools and gear and it pulls just as well as 1 person and nothing else in the car!

brilliant engines those dura torques, should easily pull the roadster and can be used as an every-day car too.

[monsterob]

My old mans due to sell his saab 9-5 estate 2.3 se (turbo)leather witter towbar etc etc pm for more details if youd like them.

[Davey]

If you go down the Ford route with a 2.0 TDCI (dura torque) motor bware of the dreaded dual mass flywheel. The bloody things break up and first symptom is starting problems. you replace the starter only to find three weeks later its failing again cos its full of iron filings from the DMF breaking up.

D.

[aerosam]

My old mans due to sell his saab 9-5 estate 2.3 se (turbo)leather witter towbar etc etc pm for more details if youd like them.

Nice, but I'm after a diesel. Thanks anyway Rob.

[aerosam]

If you go down the Ford route with a 2.0 TDCI (dura torque) motor bware of the dreaded dual mass flywheel. The bloody things break up and first symptom is starting problems. you replace the starter only to find three weeks later its failing again cos its full of iron filings from the DMF breaking up.

D.

A good mate of mine has this exact trouble with his mondeo, has been quoted £500 - £750 to repair it.

Car shopping on hold for the time being. My mother in law was rushed into hospital on Friday night. The wife couldn't raise her on the phone and went to check on her, found her fitting (she's an epileptic) and blue. She had been stuck on the floor for about 5 hours.

Back home recovering now, but car shopping has taken a back seat (forgive the pun) till she is ok. This was her first episode for about 30 years.

[TheArf]

Sorry to hear about the mother-in-law hope she recovers soon, just to add my views to the towcar debate, I have a nissan terrano that I pull a caravan with and use as my daily runner back and too to work. I regularly get 32 to the gallon wheather towing or not. It is the 2.7turbo diesel and you just dont feel anything behind you, bought it last year for £1500 and it is great really comfortable whatever distance you do (avoid the petrol version it drinks fuel)

[davylock]

I'll second "ARF" about Terranos, mine since new in 2003 is a 2.7TDS SWB and they are way underated. The 2.7TD engine is bulletproof, gives 32 MPG no problem, will pull anything and is a fantastic performer in winter & snow, Recommended, Dave.

[Davey]

But driving a Terrano is like driving a four seater Massey Ferguson:D . to be fair the Terrano/Maverick is not a bad tool but I'd not want to do a long journey in one. the same can be said for most 4X4s IMHO unless they have independent suspension. One of the best 4X4s I have driven for driver comfort is the Nissan Xtrail, brilliantly comfortable car and handlkes like a car rather than a farm implement.

D.

[TheArf]

but the x-trail doesn't have a low ratio gear and as I tow either a caravan or a 6mtr dive rib the x-trail doesn't cut it. And as for comfort swmbo wont travel far unless its comfortable and this summer we are off to Devon from North Wales so it must have some comfort

[davylock]

Davey,
I must admit the X trail and Pathfinder are a better, more modern proposition, but expensive. Mine took me 3200mls to Spain and back with no problems, certainly a lot faster than an old Grey Fergie!. It's nothing like a tractor and people comment how smooth the engine is. Anyway, I'm a big fan, everybody has their own favourite make, even Skoda won Towcar of the Year with the Octavia, Dave.

[Davey]

Fair comment fellas:D but as Aerosam needs a general purpose towcar to pull a lightweight trailer (I'm guessing around 250KGs) with a lightweight sportscar on it (I reckon around 550-600KGs max) with a likely total trailer mass of 850-900KGs his existing C5 diesel is going to be more than up to the job and will probably return a fair bit more than 32MPG into the bargain.

D.

[AshG]

the signum does 55mpg normally if i drive it gentle and drops to around 45mpg with the trailer and roadster on the back. acceleration doesnt seem to be an issue even up steep hills. the best thing is its silky smooth to drive and quieter than the 5 series i used to hack about in for work

[aerosam]

Wow loads of discussion on this, great stuff too.

Must admit I'd never have thought of a Terrano, might have a little look as 4 wheel drive was one reason I was originally looking at the big pickups.

I'm keeping the C5 whatever, I get about 43mpg out of it which isn't bad for a large car thats 8 years old and done 90k miles.

[twinturbo]

I should be selling my 98 audi a4 tdi estate next month.
It still pulls really well and I'll be letting it go really cheap, it done lots of miles but the engine is sweet.
Has a tow bar onlyused twice
Might get you through a few months until you saved up for something better.

M


May be interested in that .

[rpjg1975]

Thinking on the 4wd/non 4wd issue, i had a subaru legacy a while back which someone bought from me to tow a caravan with. Was obviously 4wd but had normal 'car' tyre prices and tax bands. Only thing was it would only get mid 30's to early 40's in mpg. Would also be a possibility when u start looking again. Mine only cost me £1400:)

Best wishes to the family and hope all is better soon
Russ

[aerosam]

Well, I got a new car last night.

Went to leomister car auctions, going for a 2004 Terrano that looked good on the website, and to make a quick sale on the wife's Citroen. The Terrano looked really good in the flesh too. Unfortunately, it went slightly over my self imposed budget of £2.5k and I had to let it go.

So instead I bought....

deep breath...


A 2003 Alfa Romeo 156 2.0JTS!

And it's effing gorgeous!

best of all, I bought it for £725, the wifes Xsara sold at the same auction for £575, so it only really cost me £150!!!!

[HandyAndy]

Sounds like you are a happy buyer :D

I don,t know what the Alfa is like but if its sorted your tow car out for £150 then thats a great result :) .

Are you taking your car to Stoneleigh ? Hope to see it one day :cool:

cheers
andy

[aerosam]

Kept the C5 for towing, the wife is having it, the Alfa is just something nice to drive for me.

I don't think I'll have the car at Stoneleigh, it's a long way to tow it to not really be able to use it.

[AshG]

stoneleigh isnt a public highway. once its off the trailer you can drive it round the show ground without drawing any attention.

[aerosam]

True, but i bulit it to thrash it round race tracks, not potter around the camping ground at 5mph at 3am like some owners did at Stoneleigh last year.

Neither is it a real looker, due to the dimensions of the engine it's taller and longer than your average locost. I never meant for it to be an immaculate showpiece. I don't think I'd be cofortable putting it on static display. I'd much rather people saw it doing what it's intended for - going really, really fast.

I appreciate that people are interested in seeing it though, thanks.