help needed big time......

[craigmurray]

Hi all how are we?
Im hoping someone can help me? I had my Range rover stolen last week and im struggling to find a decent 4x4 to tow my Sterling Elite Trekker 6 berth, my question is....Is there an estate car that is suitable for towing my caravan and the wife and 3 dogs (2 rottis and a staffy) petrol or diesel im not bothered, i fancied a volvo but tried to match it to my van and it the 85% was way over....please help me.....

thanks craig

 

[Damian]

Have a look at the Kia Sedona, ok its not an estate, but its a great tow car , especially the 2.9 diesel turbo.

 

[craigmurray]

hi just had a look on auto trader and the spec for them max towing weight braked is only 2 tonne my van has max gross weight of around 1.8 tonne

 

[Parksy]

If you were looking for an older 4x4 towing vehicle for a reasonable price either a Mitsubishi Shogun or a Pajero would be hard to beat in terms of reliability.
Ignore the 2.5 model which would struggle in terms of power and look for a lwb 2.8 similar to This
Pro's:
Cheap road tax
Built like a tank
Super reliable

No onboard computer so ease of maintenance
Roomy with pulling power to spare
Cheap to buy
Spares readily available and despite reports to the contrary Shogun spares also fit Pajero imports

Cons:
Thirsty beasts (2.8 diesel does 24mpg if you're careful and lucky)
Don't really hold their value
You need to check carefully before buying for damage caused by offroading, best to avoid 'blinged up with extra large wheels' examples
Dated styling and like driving the 3 piece suite down the road at times
That's about it really.....

There's lots of information for prospective buyers on the Pajero Owners Club Forum

 

[otherclive]

Sedonas have a good reputation and at 2000kg it's above your vans max weight. Don't know what the Sedona kerbweight is as it is model dependant.

 

[Martin24]

Hi,

I'm sure you wouldn't want to go from what you had to what I have but it's fantasticly stable and sits all day in 6th very happily. I'm absolutely with Parksy though if you're on a budget you really can't go wrong with a 2.8 lwb pajero/shogun. One of the best cars I ever had!!!

 

[woodsieboy]

Shogun3.2 LWB diesel,plenty available,reliable,spares readily available,not permanent 4WD,3500 towing limit,150 noseweight,seven seater version available. Our 02 with 75k miles is £265 road tax and about the same for insurance, tyres about £100 each for mid range brand.We have had Discovery and RR,neither as reliable as the Shogun

 

[craigmurray]

thank you all, i have looked at shoguns and was going to buy a 3.2di - d till i had the insurance quote....£1200.00 i presume because my RR got stolen that its put my price up. Im very interested and got good quotes for the mitsubishi l200 warrior 2.5td just hope they would pull my van ok?

 

[woodsieboy]

Hi Craig,
Sorry to hear your insurance quote was so high,ours is based on limited miles per year and full protected no claim, I changed to LV for our insurance 2 years ago,and made a claim last year, perhaps you could try them. The L200 is,IMO a very good vehicle for what it is, which is a working pick up,they do look good with the rear cover and the twin cab gives more space for the family, although the dogs will be completely separated from you. Only downsides that I am aware of are turning circle, fine if you have plenty of space, but parking can become a chore and the ride can be harsh with hard rear suspension.Other suggestions from Mitsubishi,Shogun Sport which is available with the 2.5 engine and is more of an estate looking vehicle.
Good luck with whatever you choose

Keith