Hello all.
I am looking at replacing my 5 yr old Seat Alhambra with either new SUV (possibly the new Peugeot 4007 or Citroen C Crosser) or, alternatively getting a 2-3 yr old quality SUV such as the Tourag or XC90. I tow a caravan and need a fairly heavy tow car. If I went for the new Pug or Citroen I would need to get a loan of about £5k
The Volvo/ VW at 2-3 yrs old would mean no loan and thats probably the route I will go and i will go for 2.5l diesel but of the 2 which is better?!!
Many thanks for your help.
NRF
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Motorpoint currently has a phenomenal deal on new pre-facelift Touareg 3.0V6 TDIs. More then £10k off. And a better engine than the XC90's. www.motorpoint.co.uk
odd that they don't list it on their website....
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A friends Toureg Diesel had to have a new engine at 11k, "porous block" lead to coolant loss.
Also check tyres - they seem to get chewed-up pretty quickly
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Today, I parked my Touran next door to a Tourag. The Tourag is much higher, much longer, and much wider, and hence I assume much heavier. The Touran has the same front interior space, the same rear leg room, and the same boot space.
Just an observation,
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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My understanding is that the Tourag is a good tow-car and the XC90 isn't - but I haven't driven either.
Having spent the weekend with a Toyota Landcruiser, though, I'd suggest as long a test drive as you can manage before you buy. The Toyota would tow just about anything you want, but for a big vehicle there's little useful space inside, and it really did lumber along the road. Not something I'd want to drive the 50 weeks of the year I didn't have a caravan hitched to the back!
A smaller 4 wheel drive towcar such as a Subaru Forester, Audi Quattro or Passat 4-motion might well do the job for you at lower cost and with more comfort, especially when not towing.
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you do see alot of people using the full size 4x4s for towing. Is the main advantage with them the sheer weight of them? Or do caravan buyers suffer from the same "I want a substantial, chunky looking car that looks the part cos I do butch things like tow stuff" as other drivers do who buy full size 4x4s with otherwise fairly limited on road performance (at least compared to the same engines being put in something that weighs 50% less and is another 4 inches closer to the ground).
Or is it that now its relatively hard to find a big conventional car with a decently large engine that is not "poshed up" and has a German badge on it with Germanic price tag to go with it...When my parents had a caravan in the early 80s the usual tow cars were Granadas, Volvo 240s and Peugeot 504 saloon/estates and the odd thinking person with a CX.
If I were you I'd look at a conventional estate with a limited slip diff or 4x4 option and enjoy a more involving satisfying drive for the 95% of your driving done solo.
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The toerag's 2.5 diesel is a feeble, inefficient, old fashioned unit. Audi gave me an A4 avant blighted with the 180 variant of this unit and I had *their* fuel economy as low as 24mpg thrashing it within an inch of it's life in a vain attempt to get it to actually move.
I dread to think what the Touareg is like fitted with it. V10 diesel is more like it.
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Or is it that now its relatively hard to find a big conventional car with a decently large engine that is not "poshed up" and has a German badge on it with Germanic price tag to go with it...When my parents had a caravan in the early 80s the usual tow cars were Granadas Volvo 240s and Peugeot 504 saloon/estates
Unfortunately carvans are much neavier - no. of factors - safety, more insulation, full sized cookers/fridges etc etc
3 ltr car no longer suitable for biggest caravans - it has to be a mud plugger
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quoted post removed-PU
So do caravans have to pass crash tests too?
You also see that a lot of people now have a big caravan rather than making do with something smaller so go for the big 4x4 to complete the full "max out" look.
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Cost of big caravan + big 4x4 = lots of holidays + normal car?
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Cost of big caravan + big 4x4 = lots of holidays + normal car?
Dry wit much appreciated !
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