New tow car selection
Okay all you petrol/Diesel heads out there, its time for me to change my car and I want to ensure my final choice has enough oomph and power.
I tow a caravan that has a MTPLW of 1600kg.
I have not decided on a car yet but top of the current list has a 2L petrol engine (petrol is my preferred choice over diesel) and gives 300hp and 400nm of torque with full 4 wheel drive.
Any thoughts on suitability?
Thanks in advance
Comments
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Don't see a problem with 300hp and 400nM of torque in a petrol, a lot of 2L diesels in 180hp guise come in at around 400nM of torque and handle 1600kg quite well.
Just leaves the weight and noseweight suitability, but sounds like a nice engine.
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We had a petrol 2ltr auto last year that on paper should have been a good tow vehicle how wrong that was
the diesel we now have still 2ltr is worlds apart as a tow vehicle with far superior MPG and far more grunt for towing and both the same model and year
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The trouble is not having the same torque as a diesel but when does the torque come in, as with diesels is very low in the rev range where petrol's it's quite high. Deep pockets will be required. I would like to know what make/model your looking at as 300bhp is very high for a 2l petrol.
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Correct ET its a JLR model.
Heres a few more details
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Deep pockets yes, what else is the children's inheritance for!
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I'd suggest 300 horses from a 2 litre is stretching things. My 3.0 6 pot diseasal only produces 260ish. It's not that many years ago that Ford were chuffed with themselves for getting 200 for their Sierra Cozzy crom a 2 litre Pinto engine ..... and yes, I know things have progressed a little in 20 yrs
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For comparison the same vehicle is available with:
2L diesel 240hp 340nm
3L diesel 306hp 700nm
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Looking at those consumption figures, I would reckon that towing 1600Kg would turn out about 16/17mpg. Do you own an oil well? Given the alleged amount of grunt from the engine, the top speed/ 0-60 figures look modest.
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Our 200 HP engines gives about 28mpg towing ( equivalent solo long runs get about low to mid 40s), we don't oil but think it's worth paying for.
Did you own oil when you had all those flights to your over there property?
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I understand the reasons some people are recommending the diesel however the 2L diesel has less power and torque, which will give a less favorable towing experience, and the 3L diesel cost an extra £10k at base price which will pay for barrel loads of petrol.
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I am afraid there is no sensible answer to this one. The car suggested will tow admirably as will the diesel models but which is the better buy long term nobody knows. The government jumps from one panic mode to another and anything could happen so you just have to take the plunge and hope for the best.
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Thanks everyone for your comments. I’ve had a long hard think about the petrol v diesel pros and cons and eventually I have changed my view and will be going for a diesel powered car.
When looking at the emissions most new diesel engines match, if not beat some petrol units. Although diesel fuel is more expensive than petrol, this is cancelled out by the improved fuel efficiency. So, subject to a couple of test drives new car will be ordered soon.
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Just get a Jeep, a big one. Sod the maths, you get a lot more for your money than with a LR product. We currently have two, a petrol and a diesel. Our little caravan sort of hovers above ground when we tow it with 4.0 petrol..........which is dual fuelled to LPG, so we get double the mileage per pound spent......very quickly! 😂😂😂
Whatever you choose, hope things go well!👍
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Can I just say that my 'new' diseasal ML350 has just made its maiden journey towing my 1865kg MTPLW caravan as though it wasn't there. It didn't do very well with the mpg but hey ho .... you don't buy good tow cars for their fuel economy. 😊
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What about the new Tesla Model X?
2450 kg kerb weight
2250kg max towing weight
Its can be fitted with a factory tow bar. 300 mile range and does 155mph. The older model has a totally linear power delivery that puts you back in your seat like nothing else I have driven
Too pricey for me but it makes you think where this is going. Electric cars are not all noddy toy cars.
Fysh
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Unfortunately that range is still not going to be good enough for us. One model I think the X with a similar towing capacity was apparently tested in Americal with a lightweight trailer and managed only 100 miles on one charge. It might be managable for a farmer taking livestock a short run but for towing a caravan would be useless.
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, but the OPs engine is over twice the HP capacity yours was and more than twice the torque.
!! 
