2017 Best Overall Towcar
Comments
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Just to balance things I am on my 5th Discovery starting in 1994. I traded the last one at 88,000 miles for a new Discovery Sport. All have been superbly reliable and fantastic at towing (including heavy twin axles). The worst (non tow car) we have owned was a new VW Golf, with a supposed reputation for reliability. I have no doubt the new Discovery will be a top performer and really you have to try one personally to see why. I was just reading elsewhere regarding a BMW X6 AWD may need an oil cooler. The one thing you can be certain of is that LR/RRs can tow without modification.
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FWIW - we purchased a 10-plate Disco4 in October 2012. Was a bit nervous about the reliability scare stories I'd heard but had been assured by various people that the later Disco3s and 4s were a world apart from early LRs.
Have now had it for 4.5 years and clocked up 70k in it ourselves with total mileage now at 110.
Have had one breakdown - when parking brake seized on - but that was released manually so didn't detain us. It's certainly no worse than any other car we've owned.
I would buy another 4 without hesitation. For us it is the perfect car - it seats a family of 5 easily (with 3 proper middle seats), it tows the van without issues and it's sure footed when we take it to the Alps in winter.
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These Skodas must be Superb tow cars. An estate version turned up towing a Buccaneer Commodore on the site we visited last week in mid Wales. Something like 115% I believe.
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I am not sure that the reliability comes into it. The judges get a car for the day and do various things with it and judge it on these. There is no way they can mark it on reliability as most are new or revised models and have no track record in the form presented. Reliability is simply not something that they can assess.
At the end of the day the Disco tows probably as well, if not better than the others, it has the weight to tow almost any caravan, and it has a huge amount of room for passengers and gear. On these grounds there is little to touch it. The downside is the price but when considered against the good points it is a matter of opinion if this is justified. Basically in the company it appeared and the criteria used I find it difficult to say the judges were wrong, it is certainly one of the best tow cars available.
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I have to admit to not really understanding the judging criteria - the winner in the 1500-1900kg class was the Jag F-Pace
This was listed as having a kerb weight of around 1800kg, so to pull a 1900kg van it would be well above the recommendation of 85% match.
The van used looked as if it would be around 1500mtplm as well
For my mind would only have been a true test if pulling a 1900kg van
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Ahhhh that explains a lot, I had always assumed it was best tow car for different caravan weight ranges!
Which for me at least would make more sense, as a I want to know best tow car for 1800kg van. Which I suppose is the new Disco
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I wish some organisation would do a proper " best second hand towcar" for us average Joe's.
Having spent a small fortune (to us) on a new caravan I cannot afford to shell out 30k on a new motor.
And I suggest the top line should be 10k. That would be an interesting read me thinks.
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have the judges tested every single car on the market. NO. it would take to long. its their opinion only. my twin axle lunar with my car is rated at 81% match but with the new disco its 84% match. the lower the persentage the better for towing.
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