Car Manufacturers Websites!!
Is it just me? On a few occasions over the last couple of years I have looked for info at possible replacement towcar. I am quite happy with present 12 year old X-Trail tow car but I was interested in what I might replace it with when needed.
I have been underwhelmed with the information and layout of the various websites in most cases. Loads of info about finance etc. Trying to get meaningful technical info regarding the cars seems awfully hard work to me. So much glossy hype to plough through first. Not much better than the few adds that I have seen on TV with images o everything but cars except fleeting glances ..... are these meant to tantalise? Plenty of images of onlookers displaying awe, envy or admiration. Nowt much about the vehicles.
Maybe I should seek out CC Towcar Awards and results? (That was a jest by the way).
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+1 ET, I agree wholeheartedly. I've been doing the same. They won't let you progress too far without a Telephone number(ours) & an email too. Then up pops the survey & book a test drive & book to talk to a sales person. It's easier to go on YouTube for reviews & prices. They at least give an independent review. . . .If you pick the 'none sponsored' ones
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One of the bits of information that is vital when looking for a tow vehicle is the lack of info on towbars and the weight they are able to carry,they make great play on the 2000kg?towing capacity,
Its like the "live in" test on leisure vehicles, they make great play on how "nice" it looks, but no substance as to how things in the vehicle actually work in practice
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I took our car for its MOT last week to where we bought it,while it was being done I looked round showroom at the latest model, was pounced on by salesman? who could not answer any question ref tow limits or nose weight on the hook? but was well into explaining about the new cup holders between the rear seats, but was at a loss to explain as to why a 4x4 no longer needed a spare wheel
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I remember well about 15 years ago the calm way that a salesman was extolling the beautiful finish and paintwork and all the comfort etc whilst I was busy testing out road holding at speed. Brave man I thought - and no he new very little about the car beyond the fact it was comfortable and how the seats adjusted.
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I suspect its because we are in a relative minority of car buyers they just don't consider it important. Not been helped since Autotrader stopped posting Kerb Weights in their car dimensions. Last time I was looking at cars I dismissed the salesman and sat with my phone checking kerb/nose weights etc. Just post the model of vehicle your looking at and add dimensions. The salesman came back and ask me what I was doing so I told him I was doing his job for him
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Not easy. Recently decided to change to a petrol tug. Spent hours poring over manufacturers websites, using the 'configure' button (when there was one!). You have to trawl through model & trim at the very least before you get to see which engines are available on most of them. AND as it turns out, very few produce a capable petrol tug under £35K, even when they do produce such an engine and have cars that can house them - VW Group for a start!
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I use the Carleasingmadesimple website to check towing weights. They quote both the braked and unbraked ttowing weights along with kerb weights. They only do it on vehicles where they can get the necessary information from the manufacturers, but it is fairly comprehensive and there is other model information also on this site
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Exactly my thoughts EasyT. I've been looking on t' web to buy a new non towing car (for cash) for the past couple of months, and am utterly frustrated by the difficulty in getting to the actual car info and price buried within hype and credit finance offers and the necessity to enter my contact details first. I almost lose sight of the fact that I am the customer paying Dealers' costs and staff wages.
At least they haven't got to the point of demanding my mother's maiden name or making me listen to a diatribe of legal waffle in order to cover themselves from their own incompetences.
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In fairness, though, without use of a configurator, it would be very difficult to provide detailed technical data, especially with reference to weights and towing limits, etc. Not only do engine and transmission variants obviously affect horsepower and torque figures as well as kerbweights and towload limits, etc., but certain factory fitted option combinations may reduce towing capacity or even exclude the ability to tow altogether. On a couple of models that I used to deal with, the factory fitted LPG conversion reduced the maximum towing capacity to paltry 500kg, for example, and some sports packs weren't even type approved for towing while others with the same engine and transmission had quite respectable limits.
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Posted on 19/08/2017 12:41 by Lutz
In fairness, though, without use of a configurator, it would be very difficult to provide detailed technical data, especially with reference to weights and towing limits, etc.
Agreed, but mine is just a runabout to share the drive with my m/home so techy specs, trim, wheel type etc. etc. are of no interest.
After a year of unenthusiastically umming and aaahing I ordered a Citroen C4 Cactus 'Feel' yesterday in blue, because I'd seen a blue one running around my village and it looked o.k. After all, for my purposes it's just transport.
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Maybe you don't have many preferences, but the price list for the car I last ordered was a 60 page book and it took me the best part of 2 hours going through it together with the dealer before I decided which options I wanted and which I can do without.
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Aaaargh! Life's too short for that.
It's bad enough having to read through the 285 pages of the Owner's Manual (all in English) to find out how to disable the automatic rain-sensing wipers, Stop-Start Eco function, automatic headlights...............
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My last four cars have been made by Kia, only two of them used for towing. I have always been able to find the information I have needed on their website. I did see a statistic once had one of the earlier models of the Sorento, 85% of them had, had a towbar fitted!!! I have been fortunate that I have been able to buy new cars since about 1989 but I don't think I have ever engaged with the salesman on the finer points of towing as I have always done my research beforehand. The main point of the salesman to me is the deal and any options and even this element, with online discounting, seems to be less important than it once was. I suppose we are all different in what we expect.
David
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There is indeed.
But I can't be ar*ed to trawl through a manual to learn about how to deactivate/activate all the unnecessary bling gizmos without recourse to RTFM (as I'm a typical bloke), most of which require mining down and scrolling through pages of the dashboard touch screen. Apart from that I prefer to take responsibility for how my car behaves. Yes, I'm a Luddite.
As you may have gathered, and since I don't tow, ownership of a car (in effect a supermarket trolley and family taxi) is a grudge purchase for me whereas my m/h is an adventure magic carpet.
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Everybody sets their own priorities, but I'd set the same standards whether I buy a car, a caravan, a motorhome or whatever else. So, even in the case of a motorhome there would be certain gizmos that I would not want to do without, some that I would consider nice to have but not essential and others that I simply don't want. That's why I prefer, wherever possible, to order each individual option separately rather than package deals of a combination of options which rarely hit the nail on the head.
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You'd be OK buying Mercedes then. Just about everything is an option, which might be ok if you're buying new .... & have deep pockets .... but it makes it a PITA when buying second hand as every car is different. Some have that, some have this, but very few have both this & that. My last car was an Omega Elite ..... they had just two options, & both were no cost options .... NOT leather & 3 pedals.
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Some, but not all options are on-cost, though.
Going through the order form of my current BMW:
Metallic paint - on cost
Black cloth trim - no cost
Electrically retractable towbar - on cost
Rear view camera - on cost
Deep tinted glass on all windows behind the B-pillar - on cost
Electrically folding exterior rear view mirrors - on cost
Automatic dipping interior rear view mirror - no cost
Power seats with memory function on the driver's side - on cost
Lumbar support on both front seats, left and right - on cost
Heated front seats, left and right - on cost
Brushed aluminium interior trim mouldings - on cost
Park distance control - on cost
Xenon headlights - no cost
Thermostatically controlled air conditioning - on cost
Cruise control - on cost
Factory fitted sat nav - on cost
18" alloy wheels - no cost
In order to keep the overall purchase price to within reasonable limits, the above covers probably less than a quarter of the options that I could have specified.
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