In a bit of a dilemma. Time to ditch the Jeep as it's getting a bit expensive on repairs (not to mention diesel). I need an automatic diesel towcar that'll drag 1500 Kg of caravan across France and across rally fields. As our income is now fixed it'll have to last a goodly time.
I know the Kia Sorento was last year's towcar of the year and is still a class winner but I'm attracted to the Santa Fe, it's £1k cheaper and the 5 year warranty is good news. I'm not put off by the foot activated parking brake either as I've had Citroen XMs in the past. HJ's car-by-car breakdown is helpful but the Caravan Club Tow Car of the Year mentions the Santa Fe parking brake not holding on a 17% hill and some "instability" towing.
Then there's the question of old Sorento versus new Sorento. Arrgh!
Anyone got any contributions to the debate please?
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Terry
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Buy an old Discovery and keep the balance as a slush fund.
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We have owned a Sorento manual diesel for the past 18 months, and regularly use it to tow a 2 horse box in addition to being my partner's everyday car. The Sorento was chosen after much research and many test drives of the competition, and has proved ideally suited to its task.
The Sorento and Santa Fe are fundamentally different vehicles.
The Sorento is basically a truck, ie it has a separate chassis to which the body is bolted and a low-ratio gearbox. This gives a high towing capacity (2800 Kg), good ground clearance and Land Rover rivalling off-road ability. The downsides are that the Sorento is relatively truck like to drive, (although better than a Disco T5) and has a bouncy ride. Ours returns 31 mpg avg, but expect an auto to be 10% thirstier. I would highly recommend one to anyone who needs a proper towing vehicle, but doesn't have £30k to spend on a new shape Discovery.
The Santa Fe is a car, ie it is of monocoque construction, has no seperate chassis or low-ratio box. It will have a lower towing capacity than the Sorento, but it may be adequate for your needs. I have not driven a santa fe, but would expect a more car-like experience than the Sorento, with a better ride.
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What about a Ssangyong Rexton for 15k?
tinyurl.com/ykf3yo
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Wouldn't recommend a Ssangyong, the build quality is terrible compared to other far-eastern makes, and they often have electrical faults.
Around here the farmers who used to buy Daihatsu Fourtacks are now buying Kia Sorrentos. I regularly see them towing horse-boxes etc. The Sorrento would definitely be my choice, especially if you're keeping it for a few years.
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Terracan if you want a decent 4X4, Santa Fe if you want a micky mouse one, both with 5 year warranty.
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We considered a Terracan. They are very cheap, will do the towing job well, and the 5 year warranty is a huge plus point for a hard-working vehicle.
Unfortunately, when we test drove one we found it to be agricultural, ugly, thirsty and very dated when compared with the much more modern and equally capable Sorento.
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I've used a Terracan. I didn't like it very much. I agree with what bradgate said and would add that they are quite awful when seriously off-road.
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As a Terracan owner for the past 15 months and some 25000 miles I can probably give some feedback on the Terra'
Plus points
Size - big enough for two young children (15 months & 4 months old - so a large double buggy!)
Performance - On the road it is very quick for such a big vehicle from around 40mph upto 80/90mph
Economy - generally returning 27-29mpg on my 25 mile each way commute to the office (at speeds of ahem 70mph constant...)
Warranty - my vehicle has had a couple of problems - but each one has being fixed by the warranty, despite having it serviced at a local greasy independent garage.
Running costs - £125 service at aforementioned independent garage, major service at 40K only cost £275, with a cambelt change at 60K probably costing the same. Tyres are about £80/corner.
Goes over speed humps at 30-40 without realising they are there
Comfort - for a big car it is supremely comfortable
Cost to purchase - £15K at 12months old
Hyundai - excellent customer service whilst the car is in for warranty work - they hired a Zafira for me.
Downsides
Size - doesn't always fit in a parking space
Image - probably the biggest problem - my colleagues rib me constantly for driving a Hyundai
Performance upto 40mph - obviously its a big vehicle!
Overall I would recommend one - they are doing a nice 'limited edition' model with leather seats, dvd player and privacy glass.
Any questions, fire away!
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Drive Your Way - If anything can, TerraCan
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We considered a Terracan. They are very cheap, will do the towing job well, and the 5 year warranty is a huge plus point for a hard-working vehicle. Unfortunately, when we test drove one we found it to be agricultural, ugly, thirsty and very dated when compared with the much more modern and equally capable Sorento.
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Aren't they the same car underneath? Basically the old style Shogun/Pajero.
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The Kia Sorrento won Towcar Of The Year but if you read the write-ups each year in the Caravan Club Magazine it's done without a lot of science - I wouldn't spend my money on their opinions.
Auto Express rated the Sorrento as distinctly inferior to the Santa Fe, but the Sorrento is heavier.
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Thanks to everyone for their contributions.
I can report that yesterday I ordered a pre-facelift Sorento XE (not worried about cachet, just want a reliable towcar), at £2000 off list price. It was the discount, plus the attitude of the Hyundai dealer, that decided it for me.
It appears that there are no automatic diesel Santa Fes available for test-driving, indeed he didn't offer even a manual diesel to try. That and his views on how smart it would look with "privacy glass"!
Thanks again
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Terry
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Glad to be of service!
Hope you are as pleased with yours as we have been with ours.
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