New small tow car
Hi, I am looking for a new tow car to pull my 2013 lunar ariva , living in North Yorkshire lots of hills to climb, but I also would like a AWD car, nothing to big, was thinking of a subaru impreza 1.6, so anyone got any experience of these cars regards
towing.
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Cannot help with the Subaru, but a good small'ish and economical tow car which does for me and my Compass Omega 482 is a Skoda Octavia Estate 2.0TDi 4x4. Pulls well on hills and good on soft ground, gives me 33-36mpg towing depending on roads.
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+1 for Octavia, but 2wd is very good. I've now got Yeti 2.0 crd - 2wd too - and very happy towing. Excellent fuel economy from 110bhp. Don't be conned by 4x4's; you will pay in every way, for little benefit. I drive all over Scotland in winter, as most do,
using only 2wd. A well balanced 'van and car are what matters.0 -
My Ocatavia Scout 2.0TD 4x4 was brilliant. 45-55mpg normal driving, never lost traction, and was incredibly reliable. Had it for 80,000 miles.
The other popular 4x4 is the Yeti of course. Good wright-ups on them. Is the Dacia Duster too big? It has a smaller footprint than the Octavia (based on the Golf) and also has a good reputation.
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Knowing the van weight would be helpful! However the Imprezza 1.6 is petrol so may not have the grunt or weight you need. You dont say whether you are looking at new/used or give a budget so advice is difficult! of the suggestions mentioned above I do recall
reading the Duster isn't great as a tow car and like the Yeti quite light. The Octavia Scout would be my choice closely followed by any Subaru diesel, even a Korando might get a look-in.0 -
Don't be fooled by those promoting FWD.
I once forgot to put my xtrail into AWD auto position after using the lock as an experiment on a wet grass CL, it was in the FWD position!. I soon found out setting off on a uphill slope at a gravel littered junction, front wheels lost traction.
This never happened with the AWD selected.
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Look at the Kia Cee'd range. We have no problems at all pulling an Ariva with the 1.6 diesel 113 bhp. You also get a 7 year warranty. We get 50-60 driving in urban conditions and 30-35 depending on terrain for towing. We 've towed our van
in France and Germany etc. and it copes well with hills.0 -
Try the kia ceed or soul both will give good reliability and tow well ,we have a sportage 4x4 (because of great deal) but would not have 4x4 normally and do not think i will again as most decent modern cars have traction control, as in all the years we have driven and towed in all weathers and seasons (inc 6yrs in all weathers on the Woodhead pass) with rear and front wheel drive have not found the need to drag an extra set of drive train around just in case
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Flighty, something to consider.
That's why I like the Haldex system in my Skoda 4x4, VW call their's 4motion, from the tech. info., note it can put up to 100% power to rear wheels if needed.
The Haldex clutch
The Haldex clutch automatically gathers information on the driver's actions, engine performance, transmission and brakes, so it can control the transfer of torque. That lets it deal swiftly with all potentially dangerous or difficult driving conditions.
Whether you need maximum torque shift in tricky situations or when accelerating - or less when taking sharp corners or parking - the system keeps you safe while offering better performance and driving comfort.
It distributes power between front and rear axles by means of an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch, set between the front and rear axles. Sensors detect slip between the front and rear wheels and apply torque to the back pair if the powered front wheels are spinning, until the two axles are moving at the same speed. Electronic pumps regulate the pressure on the clutch plates and as it rises, the plate sets are pressed against each other. Power transmission can be precisely regulated. In extreme situations, it's even possible to send almost 100% of power to the rear.
The general principle of the Haldex clutch is to always send the driving forces to the axle with the better traction. In this way, 4MOTION is able to respond swiftly and optimally to any driving situation. However, you still keep the feel of a front-wheel drive car most of the time. In normal driving conditions, 90 per cent of the engine's power is sent to the front wheels, with 10 per cent going to the rear. This results in improved fuel efficiency, compared with permanent four-wheel drive. And there's no risk of torsional stresses on the drive train during parking and manoeuvring. The Haldex clutch can be linked with all our active safety systems, including ABS and ESP.
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It's the 'feel of a FWD car' I dislike ie the torque steer & the under steer