Best tow cars to buy 2025 | Auto Express
There’s more to towing a car than just hitching up a caravan. Check out these tow car stars to pick what’s right for you
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Agree disagree
- Thread starter Chadders
- Start date
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We did a search on auto trader for my wife car and found one at a Volkswagen dealer one owner from new so i would agree it good way of looking
I've just bought a 5 year old 2019 (69 reg) XC60 T5 (petrol) Inscription with only 23k on the clock from Volvo Poole with 250 bhp and well over 300 Nm torque. Decided against a diesel as we do very short daily mileages and was concenred about / warned about expensive DPF issues. We tow a Swift 480 Challenger with a MIRO of 1282 kg and a MTPLM of 1400 kg so its hard to tell were towing as fully loaded we're about 1350 kg. Great towing / every day vehicle. Great choice. You wont regret it.
Don’t forget chaps, this car is a new XC60 PHEV, 346hp, AWD. A different beast……..Just saying. 👍
I had a Subaru Forester XT 2 litre that had similar engine output figures of 240ps and 350 nm torque. Made for effortless driving solo or towing. Just as good as any diesel but not that great on mpg.
I know nothing of these Volvo engines. Is the rating inclusive of the PHEV electric motor? When that stops and it is just the ice what then!
All I know is my VW Touareg , a powerful beast can go all day, tug nearly two tons all day, return 23 mpg average tugging, and give a very very firm foot print.
High BHP and even more torque.
DPF issues? What are those ?Never in decades had that problem.
All I know is my VW Touareg , a powerful beast can go all day, tug nearly two tons all day, return 23 mpg average tugging, and give a very very firm foot print.
High BHP and even more torque.
DPF issues? What are those ?Never in decades had that problem.
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After two Volvo V90’s I have jumped ship to Audi. Volvo’s are lovely cars but both my local dealers offered diabolical service for repairs and general servicing hence not having a third!
Yep, My T5 is also the AWD model with 350 Nm torque.
I've yet to use my local Volvo dealership recently relocated to Worcester for servicing but on the 3 occasions I've called in, they've omitted to put me on the system despite taking all my details twice, failed to get back to me over a bodywork quote , not returned calls and left me waiting in the showroom for 30 mins just to book an MOT appointment.
Regarding fuel consumption - not good. Despite driving with a really light right foot at about 55 mph on motorways, I usually get 23 - 25 mpg.
I've yet to use my local Volvo dealership recently relocated to Worcester for servicing but on the 3 occasions I've called in, they've omitted to put me on the system despite taking all my details twice, failed to get back to me over a bodywork quote , not returned calls and left me waiting in the showroom for 30 mins just to book an MOT appointment.
Regarding fuel consumption - not good. Despite driving with a really light right foot at about 55 mph on motorways, I usually get 23 - 25 mpg.
They probably mean model year 2025. That already started in August.
My nephew has recently bought an XC60 T8 Recharge. 440bhp & he’s just towed his van up to Northumberland at 26mpg.
It goes like s**t off a shovel.
The next size up from my son’s EV XC40. which is no slouch .
Many years ago I had the use of a Volvo V70 T5. Circa 255 bhp very fast top speed quoted at 155mph.
I see Volvo say the T8 has a max of 112 mph. Seems very low considering the drive train, massive torque and bhp. A misprint?
Black is now only available on Volvos high power motors.
Looks very attractive.
With only two litres , a four pot, both supercharger snd turbocharger I wonder how long the engine will last? Old Volvos went round the clock👏
Many years ago I had the use of a Volvo V70 T5. Circa 255 bhp very fast top speed quoted at 155mph.
I see Volvo say the T8 has a max of 112 mph. Seems very low considering the drive train, massive torque and bhp. A misprint?
Black is now only available on Volvos high power motors.
Looks very attractive.
With only two litres , a four pot, both supercharger snd turbocharger I wonder how long the engine will last? Old Volvos went round the clock👏
Not sure but it’s a 2024 Coachman Laser 575 Extra. Might be MTPLM of 1722kg?
I got 27.6mpg with our Jag FPace pulling our Swift Elegance 565 up to Fort William which I was very happy with.
Many PHEV or EV have a max speed well below what we would normally expect given our experience of ICE over the years.
I’ve read that there is disquiet amongst owners of recent Volvos not only with the car, but with the ability or attitude of dealerships. The days may have gone when owners from around Britain travelled to MRG in Chippenham to have their cars looked after. Me included.
Yes, I'm certainly in that camp. When I jumped off the company car conveyor belt and started buying my own, in 2019 I went for a 2018 V90 diesel (D4), 6 months old, ex-demonstrator, paid £24,500 against a new list price of £39,995. A great car for both towing and commuting but had an odd problem where the "infotainment centre" would freeze, re-boot and occasionally lose audio. I also discovered a lag on acceleration where there would be a split second delay between pressing the accelerator and the engine responding. Both local dealers could find nothing wrong but each time told me they'd done a software update that might help. It didn't.
Convinced the diesel model was a one-off with gremlins I went for another V90 in 2022, this time a B4 mild hybrid petrol, this was another ex-demonstrator, 5 months old, prices had risen and I paid £32,000 against a new list price of £43,000. This model was a victim of the semi-conductor shortage and Volvo had cheapened the model with various functions being removed and a Google based infotainment centre. Initially it was great, the sat-nav was clear and easy to use but after a few months the same software problems appeared with the infotainment centre, the same acceleration lag was present, the rear parking sensors played up and the (Volvo) tow bar electrics would occasionally display a trailer light fault even though I wasn't towing! The same dealers lack of interest was frustrating at best. The ownership of a supposedly premium brand was becoming tainted. The biggest gripe was trying to get the dealers interested and then trying to get the car booked in "yes sir, we can book you in, first available sot is in 5 weeks time".......
With this car approaching 3 years old in January signaling the end of it's warranty I have changed it, I just didn't want the cloud of unreliability hanging over me, which coupled with it now having just over 40K on the clock saw me change it. I have an Audi A6 plug-in hybrid being collected in 2 weeks time, a pre-registered car that saw a huge saving of £18K against new, the dealership gets good reviews as does the car's reliability so fingers crossed this is a good one. We retire early in 2 1/2 years so the plan is that this will be the car that we use for a good few years when not working, hopefully without the Volvo aggro.
We had that acceleration lag with our 2004 Volvo S80 and was the main reason why we traded it in for a second hand 1996 Toyota Surf. I would have thought that 20 years later they would have resolved that acceleration lag.
Strangely we had the same issue on our 2011 Mondeo with the Powershift which we rejected and then bought another Toyota Surf. Both Toyotas had the conventional auto box and no more issues with acceleration lag. Same with our Jeeps as no acceleration lag.
Strangely we had the same issue on our 2011 Mondeo with the Powershift which we rejected and then bought another Toyota Surf. Both Toyotas had the conventional auto box and no more issues with acceleration lag. Same with our Jeeps as no acceleration lag.
Before the Volvo I had a BMW 520D with their 7 speed automatic box and it was fantastic, just so responsive. Volvo use an Aisin box in the V90 which has a good reliability record but the lag took the shine off it. It was actually dangerous at roundabouts as you had to pre-judge using the accelerator.
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