Caravan Club Towcar Awards

[Heethers]

I know there is talk of downsizing etc, but I think the CC have gone too far with their 2010 towcar of the year. They have named the VW Golf their winner and according to them, it should only tow 1100kg!!!! I will not need many fingers to name all the new mainstream caravans under that MTPLM will I!!!!!

Their winner under £16000 (Kia Soul) has only got a max nose weight of 52kg. Using their 7% recommendation gives you a mtplm of under 750kg so even folding caravans are out the question. I would understand if the C & C club had these winners, but the Caravan Club.....

 

[S-MaxJon]

I too have read the Towcar supplement.How can a car with a low kerbweight,nose weight and low towing limit get the honours?

Obviously

 

[RickStevens]

Sorry but the Kia Soul (in my opinion) is a really ugly car. Not that looks have anything to do with towing.

All you would need is a small lightweight Bailey Pegasus on the back of it to have the ugliest combo on the road.

I know the pegasus is supposed to be light, but I dont think they could make one that light though

 

[Chris_374413356]

I'm convinced they choose cars totally at random and take it in turns for this dubious honour.

A few years ago I had the tow car of the year, purely by chance, and it was the worst tow car I'd ever had.

Since then, I know they are sometimes mistaken!!!!!

 

[Guest]

The tow car of the year,comes from cars they have actually tested in that year[cannot remember seeing a BMW lately.The overall winner is chosen from every group winner, so why can a small car not win it?If they deem it the best of the best tested cars in each weight class?

 

[Mikey1]

i Believe it is cars that have been released or updated in the year?

 

[vernon]

How can you believe anything about TCOY by the CC? they don't even know the power outputs of the cars they test. The writeup on the Skoda Yeti states, "With a detuned version of Skoda's (VW!) 2.0 litre diesel engine that powers the Superbe....." but when you look at the chart at the back of the supplement, the Yeti and Superbe are listed with the same outputs.

 

[Glenn_5132962]

Not worth the paper its printed on. With VW Group cars making up about three quarters of the total entrants its no doubt one of them would win.

 

[chillidave]

Maybe VW give out the best freebies!.

 

[Martin24]

Maybe VW give out the best freebies!.

You probably have something there, remember a few years ago talking to a dealer selling Bailey and Coachman next to each other. Asked how on earth the Bailey keeps winning everything especially in practical caravan... His answer, Bailey spend more on hospitality than anyone else. I'm not going to name the dealer but he may have a point

 

[Martin24]

85% rule means a kerbweight of 1840 and above for me so only 5 candidates in the whole list with the cheapest being nearly

 

[NigelHutson]

BMW aren't that keen on supplying vehicles for such tests. Quite honestly there are enough idiots driving them already without having a caravan attached to the back! I recently spoke to someone from BMW(UK) who used to work for Mercedes (UK). He said that if you had a Mercedes ML and didn't have a towbar, the bosses wanted to know why. BMW on the other hand won't let employees have a towbar on an X5 at all! "They appeal to a different sector of the market". Yeah, right!

VW Group (and most other Manufacturers for that matter) are keen on supplying vehicles for the tests, despite some being absolutely hopeless.

 

[Herv]

Nigel's view is very narrow-minded. So the fact that I may well have a 3 or 5-Series BMW as my next car will make me an idiot? Give us a break, and stop those stupid broad comments.

Thanks.

 

[ShadySadie]

Absolute rubbish that BMW Bracknell Head Office do not have staff cars with Tow Bars.

They have detachable Westafalia BMW bars that can't be seen when not in use, and they also provide staff with X5's for towing show cars and demo cars to event on trailers.

Staff and clients who get use of BMW HO cars can specify towing spec if the want.

BMW HO cars are registered in West Yorkshire, you can often pick them out at dealers if you know the reg letters, sold as low mileage demo cars fully loaded and with Tow Bars on X3 and X5 and 5 series and touring models.

 

[NigelHutson]

Absolute rubbish that BMW Bracknell Head Office do not have staff cars with Tow Bars.

They have detachable Westafalia BMW bars that can't be seen when not in use, and they also provide staff with X5's for towing show cars and demo cars to event on trailers.

Staff and clients who get use of BMW HO cars can specify towing spec if the want.

BMW HO cars are registered in West Yorkshire, you can often pick them out at dealers if you know the reg letters, sold as low mileage demo cars fully loaded and with Tow Bars on X3 and X5 and 5 series and touring models.

Only quoting what I was told by an employee of BMW(UK), so don't shoot the messenger!

 

[NigelHutson]

Nigel's view is very narrow-minded. So the fact that I may well have a 3 or 5-Series BMW as my next car will make me an idiot? Give us a break, and stop those stupid broad comments.

Thanks.

Sorry if you've taken it personally, but have a look around you, and sadly there are a disproportionate number of Audis and BMWs that are driven by idiots. Not all I grant you, but more than average!

 

[NigelHutson]

Absolute rubbish that BMW Bracknell Head Office do not have staff cars with Tow Bars.

They have detachable Westafalia BMW bars that can't be seen when not in use, and they also provide staff with X5's for towing show cars and demo cars to event on trailers.

Staff and clients who get use of BMW HO cars can specify towing spec if the want.

BMW HO cars are registered in West Yorkshire, you can often pick them out at dealers if you know the reg letters, sold as low mileage demo cars fully loaded and with Tow Bars on X3 and X5 and 5 series and touring models.

Oh, and how would you explain the fact that despite being asked to supply a 320d, a 530d and an X5 for the first two events, BMW sent a 335d for the first, and an X5 for a day and a half of the second? They're obviously not that bothered.

 

[tug100]

I thought the TCOY review this year was a disappointment, shame really.

Worst of all though, what will all those caravanners with no imagination do, now that they can't just go and do as the club recommends?

 

[Guest]

Nigel

BMW have their own UK marketing strategy to fulfill. Just because they don't have the cars you want when you want is probabaly due to financial reasons.

BMW HO have had their electric Mini trailered to Parliamentary press call etc towed by latest X5 Tow Cars.

Since January 2009 the number of cars available for marketing commitments at BMW has changed.

Apart from knowing BMW HO Bracknel staff with tow bar equipped cars I know marketing dept clients who have had marketing Dept cars with Tow Bars.

Barons BMW and Sytner have also recently sold BMW HO Staff cars with Towing Pack spec included.

 

[ShadySadie]

That is correct, some racing team principals running BMW race cars had a regular choice of BMW HO marketing dept supplied cars for a very long time until the end of 2008 or Jan 2009. Not any more due to the credit crunch

BMW have a team of marketing delivery staff for getting cars to venues.

I've seen them trailering cars from the Dome using X5's.

 

[NigelHutson]

As I previously posted, I am only quoting what a representative from BMW(UK) told me regarding towbars.

With regards to the vehicles requested for the Towcar awards, I understand that the request was put in well in advance and initially the promise was there. If it is the case that BMW (for whatever reason) didn't provide, then perhaps they're not either interested or serious about selling cars as towcars. That's a pity really, because the 335d certainly pulled well (poor in some respects and OTT for what was wanted), and the new X5 (apart from having no suspension - M Sport?) was really good too. Personally, I think that the 320/330, and the 530 would have been very good, but to go back to an earlier post where someone was asking why BMW weren't represented, the honest answer is that BMW didn't supply.

You can only test and score what you are given.

 

[Guest]

I made some enquiries today Nigel, there could be more behind BMW's reasons for not supplying cars.

All I can say is that maybe BMW do not supply cars to you for the same reasons I never consider tow car reports when buying a car. Quite frankly I think they are pretty worthless and very misleading. I towed with a number of X5's for years and had superb towing and had no problem with sport suspension despite the regular moans.

 

[Zafiral]

For my opinion, I feel the actual towing part of the reports are worthwhile, the practicality tests are subjective (and for 7 seaters when they test boot space in 7 seat mode pretty pointless) and something I can check myself at the dealers.

However trying to find a demo car with a towbar as a private buyer (I am sure corporate buyers can ask Head Offices for help) it is next to impossible so how the car performs with a shed on the back is difficult to assess. The only demo I have seen with a towbar is a Kia Sedona.

 

[Dustydog]

If only I was wealthy enough to rant on about BMW X5s.LOL!

I shall file my edition and maybe in 6 years time when my faithfull Korean 4x4 might need changing I can consult it and see which 2nd /3rd hand car may be best for me. If any of you buy a new X5 please treat it with great care. You never know it might be mine in years to come. Ha Ha

Cheers

Dustydog

 

[Lutz]

I recently bought a demo car which was initially without a towbar. I told the dealer that I would only take it if a towbar was fitted and included in the price, and he did.