Are automatic Freelanders any good as a tow car?

Or do I need one with a manual gearbox?

Really depends on what your towing

What engine is in it?

If its a camping trailer type then i would say its fine,

I used to tow a 6 berth caravan, with a Rover SD1 V8 auto, and that was fine,
But if my old Rover 75 was an auto with a 1800 k series, it would not of got of the driveway !!
(my 75 was a manuel, and only just managed to tow my 2 berth van)

Steve

i had the 1.8 petrol freelander, and wouldn;t recommend it to tow anything whether it was an auto or manual


hth

Ray

My mate has a Freelander which he deliberately disconnected the RWD from.

Reason being.
Apparently, the rear propshaft is geared differently to the front. Why, I know not.
The difference is taken up by the viscous coupling which consquently has a pretty hard life.

It eventually fails and bits of transmission get eaten.

Hence, before it ate itself, he made it 2WD.

I would like to point out that he lives in rural Scotland where getting snowed in is a distinct possibility.
(Tyndrum)

series 1 or series 2?

I know the series 2 diesels are very good and can be chipped to 200bhp

It's just for towing the kit around.

Haven't bought yet, just looking.

Might have to change my mind, pick something else.

What do you lot suggest?

normal estate car tbh, plenty of room for tackle and useful all year round.

im thinking a4 tdi for myself, but might stretch to a t5

[Edited on 19/8/11 by JoelP]

quote:

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Originally posted by designer
It's just for towing the kit around.

Haven't bought yet, just looking.

Might have to change my mind, pick something else.

What do you lot suggest?

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I'd say any modernish diesel estate will do the job - I tow the westfield with a Mazda 6 estate 2.0 diesel and its fantastic - easily cruises on the motorway at whatever you speed you want and acres of space in the back for tyres/tools etc - if you don't need the pulling power it is a far better option than any 4x4

ISTR Freelander auto had the JATCO 5 speed pre 2001 or so these boxes were very prone to the valve body cracking.

With all the JATCO 5 speed boxes fluid level and fluid condition is hyper critical it pays to get the box service by a specialist on or before the 60,000 mile mark.
.


Viscose couplings siezing up is fairly common -- seems worse on Ford era vehicles, in normal driving when turning a corner the front wheels have to turn a wider radius than the rears so the fronts have turn faster.

Just my personal opinion, but if you are going to go for a 4x4 why not go for a Disco? If you get the 300TDi 2.5L they pull like a train. Ours is auto but I have had lots of issues with the EDC (Electronic Diesel Control) so converted it to a non-EDC system but the manuals are not EDC as far as I know, unkess you go for the later models which are a real PITA apparently, bristling with electronics.

The thing I like about the Disco is that I can pull most things I need to, (even pulled our previous Disco on a trailer to VOSA ). But the thing is they are comfortable too, and we get mid 20's and better if we try so not that bad for 2.5 tons!

Anyway, that's my tuppence worth

As a general point - automatics are brilliant for towing

My automatic diesel Audi pulls a car transporter trailer fine. Most weight I've had on the back was 1200kg + trailer. Remember if you passed after mid-1997 you're limited to 3500kg train weight with the trailer being lighter than the tow car.

Chris

Personally I prefer a 4x4 to tow with, mainly due to its weight, but also you can load them up inside too. I towed with my mondeo estate, but with the huge overhange and extra weight on the tow hitch and the boot full, it dragged its arse along the floor. I fitted helper springs but still not great and ate inside edges of tyres. My mates 3 series touring is the same.

Freelander diesel is ok for towing, just change the viscous like you would a cambelt, it should be a service item. I sell recon vcu's for £200 (see our site bellengineering.co.uk and read up on the issues/things to look for) . If its gonna be an everyday car and a tow car the freelander is a decent choise. If its just a tow car still ok, but why not go for a slightly bigger one like the disco or shogun, or a pickup. Alternatively a flat bed transit, get rid of the trailer and put it towards the trannnsit, you can get a nice 11ft bed with tail lift for £2500

530D ace mpg i'm getting close to 50mpg on the trip to and from work driving like a nun, air self leveling rear suspension, boots smaller than you'd think but still a decent size towing a long 700kg car and trailer you forget it's there

I used my father in laws diesel freelander to tow my indy to SVA and didn't enjoy the experience at all.

The engine was fine and pulled well, but the bouncy suspension made unsettled the trailer a bit too much for my liking. I then got a tow bar fitted to my Volvo S60 D5 and that was much better - more power/torque and much more civilised in the ride quality department, which kept the trailer from bouncing around too much.

Am I write in thinking you had to get the V6 to get a Mk1 with an autobox?

I've got a TD4 Freelander and these are far better than the old Rover engined diesels - avoid the 1.8 petrol at all cost. You can chip the TD4 for towing and still get 35-40mpg with a decent low down boost in torque. It is actually the slowest car I have owned for years .............. but I love it!

[Edited on 19-8-11 by RazMan]