Petrol towcars
With the current anti-diesel talk going on at the moment and possibility of high taxation in the not too distant future what are your experiences of petrol towcars?
I've bee towing with diesels for over 20 years and we are just looking to change our Honda CRV. for something similar. My main concern is that most petrol engines do not have the low rev torque needed for caravan towing.
Most interested to hear from anyone towing with a petrol, especially in this SUV/Crossover class.
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Our first two tow cars were petrol both Seat Alhambra) with 2 litre engines. We towed a 1500Kg+ caravan with no problems at all covering many many miles all over the UK up and down dale. I haven't really noticed anything that different.
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Shropshire Lad, I have had the same problem. Ive been using Diesel since 1980 when I bought a Citroen BX19RD, that was followed by two more BX's and two Xantia's. Then in 1998 I started a long string of Shoguns and Landcruisers, culminating in my current Merc ML300CDI.
But like you, I feel the need to change to a petrol engine, and to be quite frank their aren't any! Well there are, of course but they all fall into the very small "Toy engine" class, of about 1.5 Litres which although developing a prodigious amount of BHP for such small engines, they do not provide enough torque at low revs for me.
Many will tell you that my attitude is very old fashioned, and I need to keep up with the times, but I love the silky smooth 6 cylinder engine that delivers its maximum power between 1500 and 2500 RPM. Nothing else will suit, but they just don't exist today in petrol form, - at least not at affordable prices.
But I think things will change. The pressure is mounting on engine manufacturers to come up with new clean engines. That pressure is not from us, for we are a very small sub group. But just think, - just about every Ford Transit, Fiat and Renault delivery vans and the big Merc sprinters are all Diesel powered. If the "ban the Diesel" fanatics win, there will be a real problem for the urban delivery company. So new engines will be forthcoming in the 2.5 to 3 Litre class.
But the whole thing is a bit silly. The modern EU 6 Class of Diesel engines, are at least as clean as the petrol engines, so common sense may yet come to pass!
Until then I'm sticking with my 2011 Merc Diesel. It will out pull most things. Uses no oil between 15,000 services and is relatively cheap to run. Except for its £520 per year excise License! Bah!
TF
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We tow a 1485kg van with a 2001 Volvo S80 2.4 automatic & are generally very happy with it.
I'm the 1st to admit it struggles a bit on steep hills but overall it's performance is more than acceptable. Getting around 26 mpg towing & 32+ solo on a run.
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Well I've solved my dilemma. I realised that for months Ive been looking for a tow car as good as my ML300CDI. It just wasn't working out!
Then light dawned, the only thing as good as the ML for towing was - another ML. So I have tracked down a 2014 ML350CDI just as clean as mine, but with lower emissions so a cheaper on annual tax. This one has a factory fitted retractable Tow bar and upgraded cooling fan to match. Job done!
TF
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I agree with tigerfish about delivery vans etc being diesel powered/ Pushing up the price of the fuel will push up prices of goods being delivered by these including lorries. So I don't see a great rise in tax etc just yet. And it was the government a few years ago telling us to but diesel. All will be revealed in the "Autumn Statement" apparently.
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I did tow with petrol cars for years and not having tried a diesel never realised the difference. We then had four diesels all far better but they were more powerful that towed far better.
Given the present threats against diesels, when we changed the car we bought a petrol, after a lot of research to find a suitable one. The real difference is a lack of torque that does mean gear changes on hills but otherwise there has been no problem with towing. I would prefer the diesel, but can live with the petrol engine, and feel long term it was the safer option.
If you go for a petrol do your research though as many simply do not have the power output you need.
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Our petrol Jeeps had no problem towing, Wrangler, which we still have, and a Cherokee. Both dual fuelled with LPG, no loss of performance. We used to tow a big horse trailer, far heavier than caravan, around some very steep Yorkshire hills.
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Honda CR-V, Subaru Forrester, Mazda 6, all have 2 litre petrol engines!, currently trying them out ( but sadly not with a towbar!) For a bit more money Skoda do a Superb with a 2 litre petrol, but sadly only the SE-L Exec, with DSG. Octavia VRS also has a 2 l petrol, but as their sporty version, the gearing is possibly not the best for towing! Toyota do a 2.5 petrol hybrid Rav 4?
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Sports version will probably better for towing, lower gearing, and the Octavia will be a turbo engine, not so with a Mazda 6 petrol.
I towed with a 1.8T petrol Audi Quattro Avant back in 1999 for 4.5 years, my last petrol engine, it was a great tow car pulling 1333kg with out effort, and only 5 speed.
Newer versions are I believe 2L with more torque and power.
I'm looking at a petrol turbo next, something with around 200bhp plus, with at least 250 pound feet of torque, not easy to find.
Petrol turbo engines develop max torque over a very wide rev range, unlike a diesel car.
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Towed caravans for about 40 years with petrol cars, never towed with a diesel.
Normally up to 100% ratio and 2Ltr was the largest engine with 150 BHP, the lowest was 75BHP.
Two were automatic SAABs with turbo engines.
Certainly covered all the Swiss passes, and more, with the full range of power outputs without problem.
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This is a myth: Petrol engines tow better than diesel. The only way they got diesels to be as good were to stick turbo's on em. You get the same spec petrol ((size & turbo'd) & it will out perform any diesel:
I've said for years diesels scruffy horrible stuff & now theyre realising it: I tow with a 1900 Peugot diesel. Omg it was pants. A 1300 petrol towed better.
Why ya think lorries are so slow on hills: DIESEL !.
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Previous car was a Volvo V50 2.0 Diesel.. now towing with an Audi A4 1.8 Petrol. Not noticed any notable difference when towing. The diesel had a better tug from standing.. whereas the petrol pulls a lot better through the gears. Driving solo the petrol wins hands down
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"I tow with a 1900 Peugot diesel. Omg it was pants".
Was it naturally aspirated or forced induction?, was it pre Common Rail? a lot has changed.....
If Diesels are that bad why haven't the manufactures of HGV's used Petrol?.
Theres no getting away from the fact that the low down torque of a diesel is more suited to towing when it comes to efficiency and economy. Whereas a higher reving petrol engine maybe able to achieve the same output but not be as fuel efficient because it is having to work a lot harder and rev higher.
This is why load carrying/towing vehicles are predominantly diesel powered.
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Yes theyve come a long way which is what i said. till they fitted turbo's they were crap. Still are without turbo: You get a non turbo'ed diesil say 1600cc or 1900cc against petrol of same size the petrol wins every time: Or even turbo fitted the same size petrol will win, & some petrols have good low down torque: Ive towed with Porches, Audi Quatro, Alfa's: they all tow phenomenilly, Ive raced caravans. As well as cars & bikes: The petrol is far superior: If diesels were any good they'd race em: end of: The only advantage wi diesel is economy:
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Lets put it another way: When i raced caravans: with the caravan club: On a 100 yard sprint, reverse round cones, another 100 yard sprint round a hairpin & back to start line. Diesels were never in the top 20 times. That tells ya summat, surely:
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It tells me they put the worst drivers in the oil burners to give the petrol vehicle drivers an unfair advantage-bosh, sorted
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"Ive towed with Porches"
Brick built or UPVC
I should imagine the Brick built has a higher kerb weightSeriously though, we talking about real world driving not fun and games at a caravan rally.
Each to their own, I'll stick with my 190BHP oil burner.
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I suspect that most who knock petrol-engined towcars haven't had tried those of the latest generation. There really isn't much to chose between them and diesel, either in torque or power, leaving only the better economy of the diesel as its only advantage.
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...... it's not too different from my 3000 petrol V6 Omega 
