Towing with an automatic
I am new to towing with an automatic having towed many years ago with a manual. I am now towing a large caravan with an X5 automatic. Having played with sport and normal mode, sport seems to work better and gives a smoother ride. This seems logical as when
driving a manual you tend to use lower gears.
However, the question is, are there any major downsides to this: I.e consumption, gear ear and tear etc?
Comments
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DD is spot on. I have towed with large (3 Litre) automatics for the past 20 years and would never even consider a return to manual for towing. Even though our smaller car is a manual.
To give you an idea of towing consumption, my Merc does on average 34 Mpg solo, but drops to 24-25 when towing a heavy caravan. General performance is actually not much affected.
The X5 is likely to be similar but a bit heavier on fuel I think.
TF
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Have towed with 3.0 litre X3 automatic for three years now and it has proved a very good tow vehicle, more economical than the 2.0 litre version I am told. I regularly get 30+ to the gallon towing, up to 60 mpg solo if driven quietly.
I always tow in Comfort Mode, or Eco Mode on long trips on motorways, using cruise control. We got a steady 29 mpg travelling to Provence recently.
Personally I think using Sport Mode will be a bit too aggressive on the tow ball and on the caravan behind because it is so strong and quick on accelarating and a bit snatchy if you are a bit heavy footed sometimes, when smooth power take up is probably
better than being sporty. In Comfort Mode, you still have a good kick-down response for overtaking if you need it.Sport Mode leaves you in lower gears for longer, changes to lower gears earlier and does increase fuel consumption.
Hope this helps.
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As Cartledge says Sport mode leaves you in the lower gears for longer and will increase fuel consumption to improve performance. Staying in lower gears longer is what most of us do when towing so sport may be better for towing. I would see what feels most
comfortable in practice.0 -
I towed for seven years with a Sorento auto and just left it in drive. It covered many thousands of miles both here and abroad faultlessly .
David
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I have a 3litre X5 2003. When towing our Bailey Unicorn Valencia I just used the normal setting and cruise control. About 24 mpg I would say, based on doing 2000 miles every year in France and Italy at up to 65 mph.
Auto box, auto wipers, auto lights (great in Switzerland).
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Have always towed in in normal drive too - in most modern auto boxes the gear will only change when it determines that the next gear is appropriate, this should always be dynamic depending on the task (whether you are accelerating hard up a steep hill solo or towing a van).
Ultimately, you will need to find what suits you, but using sport mode is likely to increase fuel consumption.
Agree with cruse as well - use it all the time!
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I have towed with 4 automatics (3 mercs and a Sorento ) and never been able to detect any difference between the modes.
I could always detect the difference between normal and sport on my way Omega ... noticeably higher rpm before it changed. My Merc however has no difference at all between Comfort and Standard ... they say it should set off in 2nd when in C
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I used to tow with a 320 m sport tourer. I left it in sport mode as I felt it stiffened the suspension slightly and made a more comfortable ride.
Just bought an x3, firtst tow with it planned next weekend. Will have a play around and see what suits.
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Reading this discussion with interest. Hopefully whether Sports is best or not has been resolved.
I am hopefully retiring next year ("Escaping"), and am thinking about replacing my company car (an X1). its a great little motor, but have decided I may as well buy myself something which is well suuited to the job, rather than just buy my current X1, which
although adequate and has manfully taken me to France a couple of times - I am plagued with having to watch caravan weights like a hawk etc. And overall it's just not big enough. So I just want to treat myself to something big and comfy ...and fun.....and
have always hankered after an X5. Retiring "early" so will have to eek out my funds for an initial 3 to 4 years until the good stuff comes when a bit older, so am looking at a second generation X5 ......."drooling" would be a more appropriate word....My question is.......would any other X5 drivers have any comments on which year to aim for and which model (SE, Sport, engine size etc)! any thoughts on reliability, running costs etc. I will definitely go for an automatic diesel, and have seen one or two
nice looking cars running around the 14k mark with just under 100,000 on the clock (Have Ben in an X5 which had 220,000 on the clock and it was still in good nick)....not yet in a mad hurry - but any words of wisdom or guidance from folk who have towed with
a X5 would be appreciated.0 -
Forget the imitations. Get a proper 4x4 with a green oval badge.
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That sort of money would probably get you a used approved Freelander with a 2 year manufactures warranty.
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agree, 14k for a bmw with 100k on the clock if it was me I would go for range rover, you would get a terrific rr for that money. Personally anything 4x4 that isn't a land rover is just an imitation
Jeep anyone?........... Forerunner of the LR? Both superb tow choices!
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Forget the imitations. Get a proper 4x4 with a green oval badge.
Write your comments here...Yes the Defender is/was a fantastic towcar with a proper manual gearbox .---- Much better than the softie automatic Chelsea Tractors that bear the Green Oval badge nowadays.
Cheers ...............K
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Forget the imitations. Get a proper 4x4 with a green oval badge.
Write your comments here...Yes the Defender is/was a fantastic towcar with a proper manual gearbox .---- Much better than the softie automatic Chelsea Tractors that bear the Green Oval badge nowadays.
Cheers ...............K
Couldn't agree more. I've got a Defender Puma with 6 speed manual box. Ford transit engine. It goes like the clappers and would pull a house down. Also got a Discovery 3, 1x series 3 and 3 x series 2a. I've
had some form of Land Rover since 1965.0 -
I had a weekend at Bladon at the end of October. Out of the 50 odd towcars there, around half were some form of Land Rover product!
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Forget the imitations. Get a proper 4x4 with a green oval badge.
Up to about 4 years ago, I would have agreed with you - having owned a succession of Discos - and used them for serious off-roading as well as 'normal' driving. However - having discovered the VW Touareg (now on my second), in my opinion it is just as serious
a 4x4 as the Discos ever were. With low ratio box and diff-locks there isn't much it can't cope with plus the 8-speed DSG gearbox makes it a joy as a tow car. Yes - I still hanker after the LR badge and the massive load space of the Disco - but I have gained
significantly better reliability and much improved fuel consumption.0 -
Forget the imitations. Get a proper 4x4 with a green oval badge.
Up to about 4 years ago, I would have agreed with you - having owned a succession of Discos - and used them for serious off-roading as well as 'normal' driving. However - having discovered the VW Touareg (now on my second), in my opinion it is just as serious a 4x4 as the Discos ever were. With low ratio box and diff-locks there isn't much it can't cope with plus the 8-speed DSG gearbox makes it a joy as a tow car. Yes - I still hanker after the LR badge and the massive load space of the Disco - but I have gained significantly better reliability and much improved fuel consumption.
I've had Dicos and Freelanders for 6+ years now and reliability has been exceptional. Can't argue about the Disco's fuel consumption though.
The Disco's (almost) USP is the air suspension and variable ride height - very few other 4x4s have that and it's atremendous plus, not just when off road.
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Dont get too absorbed by all this Green Oval business.
Having spent quite a bit of time In Australia, the Land Rover is shunned out there as not being reliable enough! Always breaking down etc etc. For them the only totally reliable 4x4 has to be the Toyota! Just look at the TV news, all the really tough places in the world,- what do you see - a Toyota!
I have owned 4 Toyota Landcruisers, - ran each one up to 90,000 miles before changing,- so 360,000 miles in total and apart from routine servicing no spares required, - not even a single brake light bulb! Thats reliability!!
Today I run a Mercedes ML300CDI.. smashing engine and a great tow vehicle, probably better than my Toyota's in that respect, but its not as bomb proof from a reliability point of view, and I would go back to a Toyota if I could!
So dont be too convinced by the claims of LR. Yes they are OK, but if you want total reliability buy a Land Cruiser by Toyota!
TF
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Dont get too absorbed by all this Green Oval business.
Having spent quite a bit of time In Australia, the Land Rover is shunned out there as not being reliable enough! Always breaking down etc etc. For them the only totally reliable 4x4 has to be the Toyota! Just look at the TV news, all the really tough places in the world,- what do you see - a Toyota!
I have owned 4 Toyota Landcruisers, - ran each one up to 90,000 miles before changing,- so 360,000 miles in total and apart from routine servicing no spares required, - not even a single brake light bulb! Thats reliability!!
Today I run a Mercedes ML300CDI.. smashing engine and a great tow vehicle, probably better than my Toyota's in that respect, but its not as bomb proof from a reliability point of view, and I would go back to a Toyota if I could!
So dont be too convinced by the claims of LR. Yes they are OK, but if you want total reliability buy a Land Cruiser by Toyota!
TF
I was based in Oz for a while and as you rightly say the Land Cruiser was the vehicle of choice. At Mt Isa Mines in Queensland the LC was used underground where the components were sent down in a cage and built underground, minus unwanted things like doors and windows. The build and maintenance regime was the foundation of whole life asset management.
I'm on my 3rd consecutive Merc, totalling over 300 k miles so far. My current S Klasse tows better than a Disco 4 from actual experience, just lacks the 4x4 for muddy surfaces, but then I wouldn't churn up a pitch deliberately and would go for a HS.
The MB Air Matic system as available on most models has the function to raise the vehicle. I use it often at places where car parks are in fields, also once the caravan is towed onto the drive, unhitched, I lift the car to move it over the kerb onto the road to then park on the drive behind the caravan. It also drops the ride height at speed and with the caravan on levels in order for the camera that controls lights and speed sign recognition. Can be changed for stiffness too.
The GLE is currently available with massive discounts, moreso if using carwow. Would have to be the 350d though. The electric towbar is fun, push a button it goes down, camera system targets the towball so you can reverse to the hitch. Took a test drive recently, very nice place to be. 9 speed gearbox. Could be tempted
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The MB Air Matic system as available on most models has the function to raise the vehicle. I use it often at places where car parks are in fields, also ....
I've only ever needed to lift my car the odd time, usually a particular spot where I park and I drive over a few angles .... I've had it on just 3 wheels, though I didn't know till someone told me. Just be careful which MB dealer you use if it fails though
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Dont get too absorbed by all this Green Oval business.
Having spent quite a bit of time In Australia, the Land Rover is shunned out there as not being reliable enough! Always breaking down etc etc. For them the only totally reliable 4x4 has to be the Toyota! Just look at the TV news, all the really tough
places in the world,- what do you see - a Toyota!I have owned 4 Toyota Landcruisers, - ran each one up to 90,000 miles before changing,- so 360,000 miles in total and apart from routine servicing no spares required, - not even a single brake light bulb! Thats reliability!!
Today I run a Mercedes ML300CDI.. smashing engine and a great tow vehicle, probably better than my Toyota's in that respect, but its not as bomb proof from a reliability point of view, and I would go back to a Toyota if I could!
So dont be too convinced by the claims of LR. Yes they are OK, but if you want total reliability buy a Land Cruiser by Toyota!
TF
Yes I've had a couple of Land cruisers along the way and they are OK.
In fact they are a bit like Australians. They do the job but lack refinement.
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Why would you want to up/down/up/down with your left leg? 
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