CC Magazine Feb Issue - Mondeo/Jag Test

[Lutz]

I'm rather disappointed with the published test because it gives little information on how the two cars compare when towing, which is something I would have expected from a specialist publisher. The test is written in a style more befitting to a normal car test without taking into account the concerns of the caravanner in particular. I am sure that there are plenty of people wondering which of the two is better as a towcar. However, most of the information in the magazine can be found elsewhere in the general motoring press, but important stuff like comparing the two cars as towcars is missing.

 

[ValA.]

Mr Val A had a choice of the X type Jaguar, or another Mondeo in the last round of company car replacements (in the '54' number plate year whenever that was). We did look at the Jag but were told that the noseweight limit was only 50kg, and this was confirmed with the specifications in the print out.

I'm not sure whether this has been 'updated' since then - and whether the noseweight limit has been raised, but this put us off the Jaguar, even though a lot of other things were in it's favour. Like you I would have liked to see more detail about towing performance - do you think this test was 'borrowed' from another publication?

 

[Chrisbee]

Shame on you Val. How could you suggest such a thing. lol.

 

[nrdonnelly]

Dear All,

I'm pretty sure the X-Type has a 75kg noseweight limit, but I'll check with David Motton and let you know for sure.

We tested the X-Type 2.2 diesel estate in the February 2006 issue but that was before we adopted the current 'twin-test' format. I'll check the details and repost tomorrow.

Regards

Nigel Donnelly

Editor

Practical Caravan

 

[Lutz]

Yes, the Jag does have a 75kg noseweight limit.

What I would have expected, apart from figures on towing weights and noseload is how the cars compared on the road. Surely, with two such basically similar cars capable of towing the same caravan it should be easy to devise a standard test to compare them. The easiest would be to place a set of, say, half a dozen pylons at a defined distance and see which of the two outfits handle safer at a given speed, rather like the Moose Test.

 

[xtrailman]

lutz

The main reason for not renewing for CC is year is due to the mag.

I find it quite poor in all repects, and hardly worth reading, the adverts being more interesting.

As you say more detail available elsewere.

Plus the road tester has a bias for fords and bailey.

 

[ValA.]

The 2004 and 2005 models had a noseweight limit of 60kg - so I was 10kg under - but Jaguar have obviously increased the noseweight limit since then.

 

[nrdonnelly]

Hi Val A.

Noseweight changes are quite common in cars. If a manufacturer notices a lot of people wanting to tow with a certain model, the noseweight limit always seems to creep up.

I'm still waiting for a final confirmation from the Towsafe database

Regards

Nigel Donnelly

Editor

Practical Caravan

 

[gary]

QUOTE: Plus the road tester has a bias for fords

Yes-in this case that rather says it all!

 

[ValA.]

It's a shame the noseweight wasn't higher when we were looking at cars. The Jaguar estate we were looking at was a great car - with a few extras over the Mondeo, such as an independently opening back window, rather than opening the whole tailgate.

Still our Mondeo has (generally) served us well - and now done 160,000 miles - but it has been through three clutches, and a replacement turbo!

 

[Glenn_5132962]

I've towed my outfit with 2 X-types over the years One was a 2.5 AWD saloon from 2002 & the other a 2.2d FWD estate from 2005. Both had 75kg nose limits according to their handbooks & both were great towcars.