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new tow car recommendations!
daniel mason - 9/5/14 at 08:06 PM

am after a new tow car as im finding it increasingly more difficult to sleep in my Volvo s60 saloon,on weekends away sprinting.
needs to be;
diesel,
manual,
reliable,
spacious,
comfy enough to use as car and work horse. 50/50 split between towing and daily driver
relatively good mpg, (ill be doing circa 10k a year)
fully serviced and relatively low mileage (ill be keeping it 2-3 yrs)
and under £4k
anything considered from trucks,mpv,estate etc. I will be sleeping in the back of it so I need room,and it needs to tow circa 1200kgs regularly.
things ive considered are;
seat Alhambra 1.9pd
Passat estate. 1.9pd
Honda accord estate or crv 2.2 diesel
mazda 6 estate diesel
Toyota avensis estate deisel

Miks15 - 9/5/14 at 08:15 PM

Would recommend the accord tourer. Ive got the type s (2.4 petrol) and my parents have the 2.2 CDTi. Lovely car inside, loads of space inside. I would happily go for another accord at some point. (my parents only passed the type s on to me to buy the diesel for the better MPG) they love the diesel and I imagine they'll keep that one for many years to come. They had the type s for 9 years before going for the diesel.

Slimy38 - 9/5/14 at 08:17 PM

I've been looking for a Mazda 3 for my other half, and one thing that I've picked up on my travels is that Mazda can't do diesels. At all.

How about another Volvo, but an estate this time?

If I was going to buy an estate, it would be the Kia Cee'd SW. But I don't think you'll get one under your budget yet.

nick205 - 9/5/14 at 08:20 PM

Alhambra, Sharan or Galaxy (all the same car) would be ideal. Seats out it's basically a van with a completely flat floor, so great for a mattress or air bed etc.

Loads around so plenty of choice and they're not expensive. Parts are cheap and plentiful and servicing is a doddle.

Our 135k 2001 is 115bhp and easily returns 45mpg, 50+ if taking it easy on a run.

daniel mason - 9/5/14 at 08:31 PM

thanks all.keep em coming. at the moment the accord and Alhambra are top of list!

CRAIGR - 9/5/14 at 08:37 PM

Volvo v70 d5 163bhp. Mine returned about 44mpg to stoneleigh and back. Great tow cars , am on my 2nd one now.
2.2CTDI Accords ,crvs and civics with the n22 engine like snapping camchains at a shade over the 100k mark.

[Edited on 9/5/14 by CRAIGR]

[Edited on 9/5/14 by CRAIGR]

daniel mason - 9/5/14 at 08:41 PM

at my budget the v70 will be very old and high mileage. I wanted the v70d5 when I bought mine but only had <£3k so had to go for the s60 d5.
I love the v70

CRAIGR - 9/5/14 at 08:51 PM

quote:
Originally posted by daniel mason
at my budget the v70 will be very old and high mileage. I wanted the v70d5 when I bought mine but only had <£3k so had to go for the s60 d5.
I love the v70


Mine is a 163bhp 2005. 3 owner ,full history car with 126k bought for £3300
The later 185bhp version with dpf is apparently not so good on fuel hence on the advice of the local volvo techs going for the 163 version.

daniel mason - 9/5/14 at 09:04 PM

mines the 163 and only done 78k,and im wanting to swap that!

Custardpants - 9/5/14 at 09:10 PM

I recommend the passat TDI. Ours tows well even at 190,000 miles. The torque delivery is lower down the rev range than a lot of other diesels, and it's been quiet and reliable. The only downside is the lack of cruise control. Otherwise I'd get a van especially if you're staying overnight in it.

b3ngy - 9/5/14 at 10:10 PM

BMW E46 touring 330d. Plenty of torque and can return up to 50mpg.

matt_gsxr - 9/5/14 at 11:31 PM

What about A6 TDI estate?

1.9 engine so the previous model.

The 2.0 is not really any better (most differences were for the regulators) the 1.9 runs to 250k miles.
You will have to replace the front suspension arms occasionally, but apart from that it will be appropriately boring and torquey.

Similar choice to the passat above I guess (but slightly bigger).

Matt

daniel mason - 10/5/14 at 08:21 AM

hadn't thought of the audi as I thought they would be out of budget! will look into them. cheers

Simon - 10/5/14 at 08:41 AM

[img] Espace
Espace [/img]

Should be all you need

ATB

Simon

gaz_gaz - 10/5/14 at 08:48 AM

Accord tourer all the way.
Had 1 before my E61 tourer and it was superb.

gaz_gaz - 10/5/14 at 08:50 AM

quote:
Originally posted by b3ngy
BMW E46 touring 330d. Plenty of torque and can return up to 50mpg.


at 55mph downhill.
my old 330d didn't get anywhere near 40 never mind 50mpg

Barlidge - 10/5/14 at 09:57 AM

quote:
Originally posted by nick205
Alhambra, Sharan or Galaxy (all the same car) would be ideal. Seats out it's basically a van with a completely flat floor, so great for a mattress or air bed etc.

Loads around so plenty of choice and they're not expensive. Parts are cheap and plentiful and servicing is a doddle.

Our 135k 2001 is 115bhp and easily returns 45mpg, 50+ if taking it easy on a run.


+1 for the above, I have a galaxy variant and use it for daily use, towing and general shifting stuff around, surprisingly big inside with the seats out.

b3ngy - 10/5/14 at 12:37 PM

quote:

at 55mph downhill.
my old 330d didn't get anywhere near 40 never mind 50mpg


managed to get 50mpg a few times on motorway runs. 6th gear and cruise control.

The guy I sold it to even called me up once he got home to say how happy he was with it and that he got 50mpg on the drive home.

Bluemoon - 10/5/14 at 09:45 PM

quote:
Originally posted by daniel mason
hadn't thought of the audi as I thought they would be out of budget! will look into them. cheers


Always look at skoda same vag car just cheaper..

alfiebeard - 10/5/14 at 10:24 PM

Toyota Avensis Estate D4D wife's on her 3rd one, this one has done 135k still returns 52mpg consistently never had anything fitted apart from service items, every one she's had done over 160,000mls before she got rid and non had more than servicing. ive borrowed it and got 125mph out of it with ease.

Nowt better

Alfie

daniel mason - 11/5/14 at 08:20 AM

which engine alfie?
there seems to be a 148bhp variant and a 177bhp between 2005-2008! cheers

craig - 11/5/14 at 08:56 AM

Another vote for the alhambra, lots of room in the back with all the seats out. Father in laws 1.9 pd tdi has over 170k on it and is still going strong.

alfiebeard - 11/5/14 at 03:44 PM

quote:
Originally posted by daniel mason
which engine alfie?
there seems to be a 148bhp variant and a 177bhp between 2005-2008! cheers


Hi Daniel,

Carols is a 2006 6 speed 125bhp version, I would advise against the 177bhp version as ive heard they suffer from head gasket failure.
Also steer clear of the post 2005 Mazda 6 diesels they have DPF problems and gearbox problems serious engine failure problems, I know ive suffered 2 of them, the pre 2005 was a brilliant car but Mazda bolloxed them up after that.

[Edited on 11/5/14 by alfiebeard]

sdh2903 - 11/5/14 at 03:52 PM

E46 320d touring. The 330d you will never get 50mpg. The 320d with a remap will give a solid 175bhp and 45-50 mpg real world. If you get the sport they handle very well too. Might be a bit snug for kipping in though as they aren't the biggest estate.

As said above after the 320d I would be after a 2.2 diesel accord or an estate with a d5 engine in as you will already be aware they are a superb engine. Briefly drove an accord for a couple of weeks and found it very good.

daniel mason - 11/5/14 at 03:56 PM

have all yours been the 125bhp version? I think the 148bhp one would be better for towing the radical and all my gear! cheers

b3ngy - 11/5/14 at 04:01 PM

quote:

The 330d you will never get 50mpg.

Yes you can I owned one. Unless the on board computer just made it up....which it might have done! On pure motorway driving it was very good on fuel. This figure is obviously not achievable whilst towing however.

alfiebeard - 11/5/14 at 04:28 PM

quote:
Originally posted by daniel mason
have all yours been the 125bhp version? I think the 148bhp one would be better for towing the radical and all my gear! cheers


The 1st one was the 115bhp version and I towed a 4 wheel car trailer with a Rover 90 on it all the way from Brum to Scotland never missed a beat, the next 2 were 125bhp and truthfully they pull like carthorses the same engine is in the Rav 4 and they pull horseboxes no problem.

Alfie

sdh2903 - 11/5/14 at 04:53 PM

Yes bmw on board computers are always on the optimistic side! My 320d would tell me I was getting 55mpg and when doing the sums it was a smudge under 50. The newer e90 330d's are a different kettle of fish and 50mpg being very achievable without driving downhill like a granny

b3ngy - 11/5/14 at 05:14 PM

I never actually bothered to work it out, just went by what it was telling me.

daniel mason - 18/5/14 at 08:20 PM

Following on from this. What's the general feeling on the skoda superb tdi? Looks very spacious,well specced, and well priced! Any info would be great as to whether the 1.9 tdi 130 or the 2.5 v6 tdi and whether the manuals or autos are the best option? Thanks

alfiebeard - 18/5/14 at 08:34 PM

My mate had a 2.5V6 TDI and it was a very nice car he didn't have any bother with it, the only VAG engine that has been widely reported as throwing a rod through the block for no reason was a 1.9 diesel here's a link to one report.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=1124871

Just make sure it aint got one of these in it.

Alfie

Still say Toyota Avensis D4D is best lol.