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I think if you want a Zafira, or any other car, you need to check the various weights of the one you're actually buying. My 406 has a mistake in the handbook but as its quite obvious I know its not right.

The gross train weight is a very important one. No matter what the manufacturers may list as a max tow weight you must not exceed the gross train weight. My 406 is max tow 1500kg but if you subtract the max car weight from the gross train weight there is only 1200kg left for towing.

We have an 08 Zafira 150 CDTi and in the handbook, it states that you can tow 1500kg when the car is full.  Not only that, if you are towing, you can add 75 kg to the GVW to allow for the nose weight!!!   On the weight plate, the difference between the GVW and the GTW is 1575kg.  The weight plate is a legal document, the brochure is a sales document.

PS we tow a 1482kg MPTLM caravan with our's and it is completely stable and will hold 60mph more than well enough.

Quote: Originally posted by navver on 03/1/2010

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I think if you want a Zafira, or any other car, you need to check the various weights of the one you're actually buying. My 406 has a mistake in the handbook but as its quite obvious I know its not right.

The gross train weight is a very important one. No matter what the manufacturers may list as a max tow weight you must not exceed the gross train weight. My 406 is max tow 1500kg but if you subtract the max car weight from the gross train weight there is only 1200kg left for towing.

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Navver

French cars appear to be very bad for this.  The new Citroen C5 loses about 300 kg from the brochure figures when you look at the weight plate.

Go for a Skoda Octavia 1,9 TDI  you wont be disappointed, why buy a big car when you only need it a few times a year

Mine returns 50 plus MPG 120RFL and cheap insurance and will tow your van no problem, and you will still have a large luggage area

All those with them large 4x4 to tow a lightweight van with are in for a shock when they have to pay £400 plus RFL from later in the year

   hi there, we have a 2005 vectra 1.9cdti. its a cracking tow car and a lot of fun solo. tax at the last point was £145 and its co2 is 154g,co2/k.

    we tow a coachman pastiche 420/2 with a mtplm of 1200kg with no trouble at all, example being telegraph hill near exeter from bottom to top in 5th with out any real loss of pace.

                 Richard :)

Quote: Originally posted by country boy on 06/1/2010

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   hi there, we have a 2005 vectra 1.9cdti. its a cracking tow car and a lot of fun solo. tax at the last point was £145 and its co2 is 154g,co2/k.

    we tow a coachman pastiche 420/2 with a mtplm of 1200kg with no trouble at all, example being telegraph hill near exeter from bottom to top in 5th with out any real loss of pace.

                 Richard :)

 

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Have you thought about the skoda superb 130 tdi, ours tows our van as if its not there, its a stretched passat and you will get a nice low mileage one for around £6000 check out the auto trader site

We can get from the Scottish Borders to Plymouth 480 miles on less than a tank we have also done the same run to Newquay, towing our Avonondale dart 556

On a solo run from France we filled up in Lyon and got home on a tank 889 miles, 5 up with a full boot