X-trail v Ford Kuga??

Juramalt
Juramalt Forum Participant Posts: 55
edited June 2016 in Towcars & Towing #1

Having finally given up on our too light Audi as a tow car. Looking at alternatives that are affordable as a daily drive. Found a tidy Nissan X-trail and took the plunge. But o dear. The economy is a long way from the officail figures. Was hopeing for mid
30's conbined. Actually getting mid 20's driving like miss Daisey. So since theres nothing wrong with it & it checks out fine at the garage. I will have to swap it again. Shame as I rather like the way it drives. And the complient suspention. So the Kuga looks
like it may achieve better mpg. But would like the 4x4 as the front drive isn't good on wet grass. The van isn't small. 1350Kg's. So anyone tow with the 4x4 and do they really manage to achieve 40 mpg conbined?? are parts prices ok. And whats the annual service
bill like?? Will be looking at 60K mileage 2008/2009 examples probably as will lose a bundle on the X trail.

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Comments

  • xtrailman
    xtrailman Forum Participant Posts: 559
    edited June 2016 #2

    I had two xtrails both gave under 40mpg on short runs, but never low 30's. T30 around 37mpg, T31 around 39mpg.

    My last one returned 48mpg on the average readout more than once on a run.

  • flatcoat
    flatcoat Forum Participant Posts: 1,571
    1000 Comments
    edited June 2016 #3

    Why don't you buy another Audi but with 4x4? It doesn't have to be an SUV, depending on weight you need there are plenty of A4/5/6/7 diesel Quattro hatches and estates. Or go for a Passatt/Mondeo/Insignia 4x4 estate. 

  • ATDel
    ATDel Forum Participant Posts: 335
    edited June 2016 #4

    Having finally given up on our too light Audi as a tow car. Looking at alternatives that are affordable as a daily drive. Found a tidy Nissan X-trail and took the plunge. But o dear. The economy is a long way from the officail figures. Was hopeing for mid 30's conbined. Actually getting mid 20's driving like miss Daisey. So since theres nothing wrong with it & it checks out fine at the garage. I will have to swap it again. Shame as I rather like the way it drives. And the complient suspention. So the Kuga looks like it may achieve better mpg. But would like the 4x4 as the front drive isn't good on wet grass. The van isn't small. 1350Kg's. So anyone tow with the 4x4 and do they really manage to achieve 40 mpg conbined?? are parts prices ok. And whats the annual service bill like?? Will be looking at 60K mileage 2008/2009 examples probably as will lose a bundle on the X trail.

    Work out how much you will loose on the x trail, if you say 2k, that is an alfull lot of money you can put to the lower mpg.

    At 10000 miles a year that gives a difference of less than £1 per week more on fuel, so infact you will be able to keep the car for 2000 weeks before it will start to cost you more money than trading in, if you loose more than 2k it well be even longer.

    Id think long and hard before spending alot more money to save mpg as you will definatly end up spending more!!

    ps I use a kia sorento 2.2 daily and get around 38 about town and upto 48 on a good run @ 65/70mph and 28 towing 1800kg,

    Id be taking the car back and asking for it to be checked for mapping

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,306 ✭✭✭
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    edited June 2016 #5

    When you say mid 20's are you talking about towing? If so that would be about right as an average figure, towing 1500 kg. We achieve from high to low 20's depending on conditions, ie head wind tail wind etc. Solo from our 57 plate 150 HP we got 42 on runs.
    From our current 170 HP 14 plate we get 47.

  • Juramalt
    Juramalt Forum Participant Posts: 55
    edited June 2016 #6

    Not towed with it yet. The best I've seen on the read out is 31mpg running down hill..... But it doesn't have a lot of go. Nothing like the Audi so its odd. Bought it for the mpg, Wish I'd just got an S type or something since I'm paying for the fuel anyway.
    Diffence will be a lot more than a pound a week when I worked it out.   It's the t31 150hp  so should be doing better. Thanks for the replys I will ring the dealer up & see what they say. Filled it up to the brim & running it for a week to get a proper check.
    I would just remap it but with the mot being tightend up shortly to stop people cheating the test I could end up carless!

  • flatcoat
    flatcoat Forum Participant Posts: 1,571
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    edited June 2016 #7

    I am not clear if you bought new or used either way IGNORE the read out. What matters is real world brim to brim mpg. it may just need an Italian tune up along with new air filter. Check for binding brakes and even different tyres can make upto 10% difference
    on economy in my personal experience. If it us new then a diesel takes at least 10k miles to get upto full efficiency and optimum mpg. And, the biggest single cost of running a car is depreciation NOT fuel. 

  • Juramalt
    Juramalt Forum Participant Posts: 55
    edited June 2016 #8

    True but this is a 2008 well used model! And the difference between 20mpg & 40mpg with my commute is huge. This model has a dpf but if it was blocked a warning light should be on and it isn't. It was serviced & mot'd recently. Emissions fine on mot.

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited June 2016 #9

    I am not clear if you bought new or used either way IGNORE the read out. What matters is real world brim to brim mpg. ..... 

    You have a thing against trip computers Wink Whilst I agree they're not completely accurate, they do give an idea. Brim to brim on a full tank
    might give 40mpg average, but that might comprise some at 50mpg & some at 30 .... and the trip will be able to give you a rough idea on each journey or till the next time you re-set it (depends how it works)

  • ATDel
    ATDel Forum Participant Posts: 335
    edited June 2016 #10

    Not towed with it yet. The best I've seen on the read out is 31mpg running down hill..... But it doesn't have a lot of go. Nothing like the Audi so its odd. Bought it for the mpg, Wish I'd just got an S type or something since I'm paying for the fuel anyway.
    Diffence will be a lot more than a pound a week when I worked it out.   It's the t31 150hp  so should be doing better. Thanks for the replys I will ring the dealer up & see what they say. Filled it up to the brim & running it for a week to get a proper check.
    I would just remap it but with the mot being tightend up shortly to stop people cheating the test I could end up carless!

    Sorry got my . in the wrong place, its about £10 p.w. difference between 35mpg and your quoted 25mpg on the avereage of 10k a year mileage.

    That is still 200 weeks if you only loose and then spend a total of 2k to replace

    Id keep the car and get it sorted ou by the dealer as which ever way you cut it mid 20s aint right for this car even if you thrash it everywhere

  • flatcoat
    flatcoat Forum Participant Posts: 1,571
    1000 Comments
    edited June 2016 #11

    I apreciate the commuting issue, I have a 60 mile daily commute which can cost me 1 gallon of diesel in my A2 or 4 gallons of petrol in my sons RR Sport. But what if the read out computer is faulty and the car is actually doing 40+ mpg? You will spend far
    more changing your car prematurely than you will on extra fuel assuming that is genuinely the problem. .I would try an Xtrail forum and an Indy Nissan specialist before chucking money at another car. However MM at least I have now come over to the dark side
    of automatics.....

  • xtrailman
    xtrailman Forum Participant Posts: 559
    edited June 2016 #12

    Not towed with it yet. The best I've seen on the read out is 31mpg running down hill..... But it doesn't have a lot of go. Nothing like the Audi so its odd. Bought it for the mpg, Wish I'd just got an S type or something since I'm paying for the fuel anyway. Diffence will be a lot more than a pound a week when I worked it out.   It's the t31 150hp  so should be doing better. Thanks for the replys I will ring the dealer up & see what they say. Filled it up to the brim & running it for a week to get a proper check. I would just remap it but with the mot being tightend up shortly to stop people cheating the test I could end up carless!

    Write your comments here...

    I had the 173hp version, the 150hp is underpowered in my opinion, my 2009 T31 weighed 1720kg, so its not a light car, and on the later models i believe the gearing got higher.

    Coming from a 136hp xtrail to the 173hp car i seriously thought they had fitted the 150hp engine.

    The renault engine is ok but it appears to have very little pull below 2000 rpm, even though the figures say different.

    But if you drive it like a NA petrol engine its fine, it also took a good 20K miles before it was fully run in, the economy noticeably improved from 20k.

    If you buy a Kuga look for the 180ps engine.

  • ColBur
    ColBur Forum Participant Posts: 72
    edited June 2016 #13

    We have had a 2012 X-Trail for a couple of years now and are very pleased with it. It is not the most economical car but does about 35-40mpg solo and 25 mpg towing a 1400kg 'van. These are actual 'brim-to-brim' figures and not based on the on-board computer.
    You need to keep the revs 2000 or above to get the best economy. Ours is the 175 bhp version and above these revs it is great for overtaking etc. Had the 'mark 1' version before and this returned similar figures.

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited June 2016 #14

     ...... However MM at least I have now come over to the dark side of automatics.....

    You know it makes sense Cool

  • Juramalt
    Juramalt Forum Participant Posts: 55
    edited June 2016 #15

    Thanks all for the input. The car is well run in with 40K miles on it. Not a lot really. It's the 150hp unit though I wonder if somebody has messed with the map. Gave it an Italien tune up tonight on the way home. It pulls like a train once the turbo is
    singing. I can imagine it would hardly notice the van on the back on the motorway. But very little go bottem end as said. Tickover seems too low around 700 rpm and it doesn't like to start warm. Spinning over for what seems an age before catching. Will refuel
    again on Friday & see what it's really used. Really it would be 1500 loss to swap it straight away, (difference between trade & retail.) But I do rather more than 10k miles a year and thats before servicing is taken into account. The Audi was too good really
    so it's a tough comparrison. But the Audi was lighter than the the tow match & only just heavier than the van so it had to go.  Will definatly have to change my driving syle for this as it needs to be reved. May help the dpf stay clear as well.

  • flatcoat
    flatcoat Forum Participant Posts: 1,571
    1000 Comments
    edited June 2016 #16

    If the Audi was heavier than the van I don't understand why it had to go..... However given what you are saying about starting etc it sounds as though the car probably has some faults. Get onto an xtrail forum. May also benefit from a remap. 

  • armourer
    armourer Forum Participant Posts: 218
    edited June 2016 #17

    whats an italian tune up ??

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,306 ✭✭✭
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    edited June 2016 #18

    I had to google it as well, it was a new one on me.

    An Italian tuneup usually refers to a process whereby a motor vehicle engine is run at full load for extended periods in order to burn carbon buildup from the combustion
    chambers
    spark plugs, and exhaust system.[1][2] It
    is performed after a traditional 
    tuneup and often accompanied by an addition of fuel system cleaner to the fuel tank. This can also be performed before each
    oil change interval with the addition of a good quality fuel system cleaner,
    [citation
    needed
    ]
     then a few redline runs under load, after the engine has reached operating temperatures. Most carbon will escape through the exhaust but traces will find their way to the oil pan, hence doing so just prior to an oil change.
    It is particularly useful for vehicles that are only operated at low speeds on short journeys, but can help any vehicle to run cleaner longer, and for diesel vehicles prior to emissions testing. Driving for 20 km (12 miles) is typical.
    [3]

  • armourer
    armourer Forum Participant Posts: 218
    edited June 2016 #19

    cheers for that

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
    1000 Comments
    edited June 2016 #20

    We have had a 2012 X-Trail for a couple of years now and are very pleased with it. It is not the most economical car but does about 35-40mpg solo and 25 mpg towing a 1400kg 'van. These are actual 'brim-to-brim' figures and not based on the on-board computer. .

    I get the same out of my 2005 X-Trail. On longer solo runs I have averaged 42 to 45 mpg 

  • flatcoat
    flatcoat Forum Participant Posts: 1,571
    1000 Comments
    edited June 2016 #21

    Italian tune up = give it some welly. Especially beneficial immediately before an MOT or after a sustained period of city commuting. A good way is to drive in lower gears keeping the revs high for a few miles on the motorway or if you live in a hilly area
    blast the car up a few Hills. if you want the deluxe treatment then add a bottle of injector cleaner or general fuel system cleaner (such as Millers) to the tank beforehand. 

  • Juramalt
    Juramalt Forum Participant Posts: 55
    edited June 2016 #22

    Just filled up with Shell Nitro for the addative. Pretty good for cleaning injectors. This morning it put up a fight & refused to start. The Audi never did that... After a battle it did fire up but it clearly has issues. Booked back into dealer next Tuesday.
    I suspect an air leak in the fuel system as it starts fine providing it's not left more than 10 minutes.  Nightmare. But having done 3 trips with the Audi. It could change lane if hit by a gust of wind or the back draft from a passing wagon. Nothing I could
    do to stop it. The car was only 20kg heavier than the van. Being a small car I just coudn't pack enough weight into the car and leave room for everyone.It wasn't stable above 50 no matter how carefully I loaded it. So the wagons come past one at a time.

    Why I just didn't buy an old Volvo I don't know.... Economy may just be it trying to do a regeneration as if it doesn't suceed it trys again until you give it a blast. They do 15mpg when there doing that apparantly. But it needs to start! it's summer for
    goodness sake.

    I like the room. The interior is clean. It looks ok. Plenty of legroom for the kids in the back. (Compared to the A3.) Big sunroof. Lots of power if you rev it. Will see if they can sort it out.. Now has RAC recovery just in case.

  • paul56
    paul56 Forum Participant Posts: 937
    500 Comments
    edited June 2016 #23

    Certainly wouldn't change your vehicle just to improve mpg by a few miles - doesn't make economical sense unless you get a really good deal. Our Kuga (180 bhp) now has 15k miles on the clock and has averaged from new 37.3 mpg - this includes towing to south
    of France and back last year with 1450kg on the back as well as all the usual towing weekends in UK. Its a quiet, comfortable drive and will tow at 60 all day long with enough poke.Not too many downsides but does have a pretty small boot.

  • xtrailman
    xtrailman Forum Participant Posts: 559
    edited June 2016 #24

    We have had a 2012 X-Trail for a couple of years now and are very pleased with it. It is not the most economical car but does about 35-40mpg solo and 25 mpg towing a 1400kg 'van. These are actual 'brim-to-brim' figures and not based on the on-board computer.
    You need to keep the revs 2000 or above to get the best economy. Ours is the 175 bhp version and above these revs it is great for overtaking etc. Had the 'mark 1' version before and this returned similar figures.

    Write your comments here...Its 175ps which is 173bhp.

  • xtrailman
    xtrailman Forum Participant Posts: 559
    edited June 2016 #25

    Certainly wouldn't change your vehicle just to improve mpg by a few miles - doesn't make economical sense unless you get a really good deal. Our Kuga (180 bhp) now has 15k miles on the clock and has averaged from new 37.3 mpg - this includes towing to south
    of France and back last year with 1450kg on the back as well as all the usual towing weekends in UK. Its a quiet, comfortable drive and will tow at 60 all day long with enough poke.Not too many downsides but does have a pretty small boot.

    Write your comments here...Its 180ps which is 178bhp.

  • Juramalt
    Juramalt Forum Participant Posts: 55
    edited June 2016 #26

    Well the garage still have the X-trail. So far unable to fix the poor starting. So I'm driving around in a new Honda Jazz. Highly recomended. But not much of a tow car..... Can see me having to start all over again and my Audi will be long gone.
    Sad

  • Shoey43
    Shoey43 Forum Participant Posts: 11
    edited June 2016 #27

    And my small dissenting voice says. What is wrong with Jeep Cherokee? Towing 1700 kg and getting 37 mpg. Without tow 45 Mpg. Yet you stick to Kugas with their electric problems and X trails. It is so comfortable even the seats are cooled and heated! 

  • madhouse4
    madhouse4 Forum Participant Posts: 129
    edited June 2016 #28

    Have you thought of taking it to feather diesel at Halifax? one of the best in there field for sorting diesel problems! 

  • coachmanbutch
    coachmanbutch Forum Participant Posts: 38
    edited June 2016 #29

    Hi we are just finishing a tour from Dorset, Cotswolds, York, Whitley Bay, Windermere, Wolverley just on the 1000 miles. Our 2013 X Trail (173bhp) towing 1450kg Coachman VIP460/2 is doing 29mpg,by the on board system. As previously metioned keep revs to
    2000 have to tow in 5 to keep to the 60 limit.

     

     

  • Juramalt
    Juramalt Forum Participant Posts: 55
    edited June 2016 #30

    And my small dissenting voice says. What is wrong with Jeep Cherokee? Towing 1700 kg and getting 37 mpg. Without tow 45 Mpg. Yet you stick to Kugas with their electric problems and X trails. It is so comfortable even the seats are cooled and heated!

    And my small dissenting voice says. What is wrong with Jeep Cherokee? Towing 1700 kg and getting 37 mpg. Without tow 45 Mpg. Yet you stick to Kugas with their electric problems and X trails. It is so comfortable even the seats are cooled and heated! 

    The Grand cherokee? 3.0 crd? 6 cylinder ? Official figures only 21 mpg urban. Though lots of power and torque. Remember somthing about a recall with Jeep removing towbars & fitting safty beams. Put me off Jeep a bit. Maybe not the Grand Cherokee? Lot of car for the money though. I regret the X trail now though. Too many French componants. Only the engine is Nissan.

  • xtrailman
    xtrailman Forum Participant Posts: 559
    edited June 2016 #31

    The T31 xtrail is a 171 bhp Renault diesel engine.