Hello all, please forgive me if this is in the wrong area..this is my first post.
Were currently driving ourselves crazy trying to find a new vehicle to tow our caravan (1500 kg)
We have looked at many many vehicles (BMW X3, X5, Touarg, Range rover. Either too big for every day use or expensive to run) We have kind of settled on the Jaguar XF 3.0 td s premium. My first question is, is this as good as the "sportbreak'? as they are very hard to find. We were looking to spend max of 18K. We currently tow with a BMW 525 and have constantly felt the drag of the caravan on the back. We also had a severe wobble which as unnerved us. My second questions is does any one have any other advise of similar cars bearing in mind that the car will used as an executive vehicle during the week (more than towing)
Thanks in advance 😀
Your wobble could be your nose weight isn't high enough, or your cars rear tyre's not up to pressure, or even the vans
Your BMW depending on how old it is, could be chipped for more power and better economy.
Have you looked at the skoda superb 190 tdi CR, you can get one with full leather in business class, with treble the rear leg room
I tow 1500kgs with a BMW 520D M-sport Touring (touring has self-levelling rear suspension).
Don`t feel any `drag` from the van, never had a hint of a `wobble`. The BMW, like the Jag, Skoda, Passat and many other towcars don`t have any `issues` such as you mention, the instability is more likely caused by poor loading/lack of noseweight than an intrinsic problem with the car.
I agree with the above post that the wobble is most certainly linked to instabilty which can be excessive speed, incorrect loading, noseweight too high or too low, water not drained from the toilet flush tank creating a bow wave, incorrect tyre pressures on car or caravan or both so changing the towcar won't rectify the problem until the above has been addressed and eliminated first.
Quote: Originally posted by tango55 on 20/3/2017
I agree with the above post that the wobble is most certainly linked to instabilty which can be excessive speed, incorrect loading, noseweight too high or too low, water not drained from the toilet flush tank creating a bow wave, incorrect tyre pressures on car or caravan or both so changing the towcar won't rectify the problem until the above has been addressed and eliminated first.
Even the HGV ruts on a motorway on the inside lane
Many thanks for your responses, its much appreciated and we are still quiet new to caravaning. We have amended the way we load the caravan since and it did seam to solve most of the problem (I also think we may have hit some cross wind as we were coming down the M62 highest point). I think im just a bit nervous now when were towing in case it happens again, and wanted something with a bit more stability. The BMW is coming up to 11 years old now so i think it is time for a change.
JuanHuNose, I was trying to get the hubbby to look at the 520D Touring M-Sport...Lovely car :) was trying to find the 3.0 but not many of them about.
Your original post mentioned that many cars were expensive to run and I think most 3 litre cars will be expensive as day to day transport. You don't need a 3 litre engine to tow your caravan so if your towing mileage is quite a small percentage of your annual mileage I would go for a smaller engined , more economical car. I don't know what you consider to be suitable for executive use but if you give us an idea perhaps we can suggest some suitable vehicles.
Whatever you decide to buy you will have to adhere to nose weight limits etc and loading guidelines to ensure a safe, stable tow.
All the points above are most relevant and the kind of advice that makes this forum so helpful.
But I must say that a Jag XF does leave a lot to be desired, in my opinion of course, I had one on a one way hire to London quite recently and to be frank, I, and my 3 passengers, thought it was quite awful. My old 2012 Mondeo was a far nicer drive, and my current Ford Kuga 2:0 Auto runs rings around it. I did have a Skoda Superb 2:0 Auto Estate on test for a day, it was..........Superb. That would be my choice be it a saloon or Estate, I just like SUVs. 😀👍
Friends of ours tow with an XF and love it, it's also (with due respect to Mike3003) generally accepted as being a rather lovely car. However one note of caution is that they (Jag XF) are not actually that heavy and while weight (kerb weight) is not what you want in an every day car, it is the biggest single factor in ensuring safety when towing. Put simply the heavier the car is in relation the caravan it's towing, the less chance the caravan has of pulling it around.
There are other factors of course but ultimately it's about phyisics and kilo's!
JuanHuNose, I was trying to get the hubbby to look at the 520D Touring M-Sport...Lovely car :) was trying to find the 3.0 but not many of them about.
Thanks Again.
The 530d is a stonking car, but don`t readily dismiss a 520. The F11 (just about to be replaced) model has more power and the same amount of torque as 2006 525D (if yours is a diesel - if it`s a petrol it will be in a different league for towing).
Mine is approaching 90k miles now and whilst I believe you can never have too much power (if you know how to use it), I can honestly say that 99% of the time what I have is more than adequate. It will pull the van (fully laden) at a steady 60mph up Windy Hill (the hill you encountered problems going down), but I do have to drop a gear to 5th half-way up, and it will happily do 28 mpg towing.
Not advocating that you buy one, as I`m sure the XF, Passat etc will be equally adept and it`s down to personal preference, but a good 2.0 diesel will do what you need without the fuel and road tax costs of a larger unit.
Quote: Originally posted by Skoda Bob on 20/3/2017
Your wobble could be your nose weight isn't high enough, or your cars rear tyre's not up to pressure, or even the vans
Your BMW depending on how old it is, could be chipped for more power and better economy.
Have you looked at the skoda superb 190 tdi CR, you can get one with full leather in business class, with treble the rear leg room
The poster said he wanted an executive car
------------- its our imperfections that makes us perfect
The smaller & lighter the car the more you will feel the caravan, esp in gusty conditions.
I tow with a Ford Ranger Pickup and at the weekend on the motorway it was decidedly uncomfortable due to gusting crosswinds.
So its a case as others have already said of getting the compromise right for you. The less percentage of miles you do with caravan on the less you should choose the car for that first. DO it the other way round and check it can tow your caravan with a decent comfort margin.
Just understand the smaller and lighter it is the more you will notice the caravan moving about behind you.
------------- if your not living life on the edge your taking up tooo much room
We went to view a "2012" plate XF S Premium yesterday, very nice. We also went to view a "2011" plate BMW X3 SE. The X3 has all the gadgets in the inside, also has the electronic tow bar with camera on the back that lines up the tow bar when hitching. Because its the SE it has doesn't have the full colour coded bumpers, hence looking a bit basic.
Were in a dilemma. The Jag looks so much nicer, however, the X3 much more practical, specially with a toddler and a dog :)
I cant seam to find the exact weight of the X3 online, so will have to get the garage to check the log book.
You can find vehicle weights on the Parkers car specs website. The X3 models changed at the end of 2010 so you'll have to check if it's a late 2010 model or an early 2011 model, there are many different versions depending on engine size and transmission options.
As you have just mentioned having a toddler I wonder if you have B+E driving licences as the outfits you are considering will probably be over 3500kg.
Thanks rob, will check when it was manufactured, i noticed they differed quiet a lot in weight. Its the 3.0 Auto we have been looking at. More more to choose from in the 2.0 range but hubby is adamant he didn't want anything less that what he had at the moment.
ha!..yes we have the categories, we must just be old (ish) parents ha! :)
Quote: Originally posted by richardandjo2010 on 21/3/2017
Quote: Originally posted by Skoda Bob on 20/3/2017
Your wobble could be your nose weight isn't high enough, or your cars rear tyre's not up to pressure, or even the vans
Your BMW depending on how old it is, could be chipped for more power and better economy.
Have you looked at the skoda superb 190 tdi CR, you can get one with full leather in business class, with treble the rear leg room
The poster said he wanted an executive car
I do not own a Skoda, but give me a Superb over a BMW or Jag any day. Far better car and far better value for money, it is only the badge snobs that discard the modern Skoda.......Those that know their cars, know how good the Skoda Superb is.