Jeep grand cherokee or something else??

[Andrewbutcher]

Hi all, we are due to swap our Kia sorento, we aren't sure whether to go for another sorento or go for a 3.0 litre.

we particularly like the look of the grand cherokee (new shape).

We have really enjoyed the two sorentos we have owned, with no problems what so ever, but as they have taken off the self levelling suspension and residual values are quite poor (and we fancy a change) any ideas please!!

thank you in anticipation, Andrew.

 

[Lee.C]

Hi both

For me its the Jeep everytime towed with one for the last 4yrs Brill! have a look at www.drivethedeal.co.uk and check out the prices. Grand Cherokee Overland 7k off list! its a good start to offset the heavy depreciation

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hi Andrew,

Don't be blinkered into thinking that only 4x4's can tow, There are many other very capable tow vehicles, that offer improved fuel economy, comfort and load space.

 

[Jo-AnneFairway5402010]

hi andrew and sally, the other day we test drove a 55 plate sorento manual that drove like it had been driven hard and then we drove a 08 sorento xt manual. we wanted to compare them to the santa fe. on the sorento yes you get a sunroof and you can tow more and its better on the max tow ball but you dont get lumbar support seats or the clean air button or self levelling suspension we get a bigger boot ans two extra seats.

i got back into out 57 plate santa fe cdx 7 auto( tiptronic) and deceided if we got rid of it it would be the worst mistake we would ever do it was a far better ride.

the reason we was looking to change was because of the max tow ball weight on ours is 80kg but we only have the gas bottle in the front locker anyway and it tows that little bit more. we are only towing at 87% anyway.

the xs (mid range) is very low spec and very pale and plastic inside.

ive had a grand cherokee before great tow car and yes i would have another. for the moment im more than happy with my santa fe especially after we went to the storage and weighed the nose weight and its 80kgs so woohoo.i dont know if the santa fe could pull your van check it out and book a test drive you wont be disapointed.

jo-anne

 

[Andrewbutcher]

Hi Andrew,

Don't be blinkered into thinking that only 4x4's can tow, There are many other very capable tow vehicles, that offer improved fuel economy, comfort and load space.

Hi John, what would you suggest other than a 4x4, to tow a 1800kg twin axle?

We don't want a people carrier, there is just the two of us and 2 small dogs!

regards, Andrew.

 

[JackieandSteve_5080688]

We've recently bought the Grand Cherokee new shape 55 plate 06 year and absolutly love it from looks to everything else.

I don't drive hubby does so can't tell you anything too technical lol

He says driving an automatic is a dream and he doesn't miss the manual gearbox one little bit.

I think it's the limited CRD if that sounds right. It has Sat Nav in it.

Had it about 4 weeks and that car has been washed and polished soooo many times. A kid with a new toy springs to mind lol

Oh yes and the engine is so quiet you'd never believe it's a diesel.

There's only 1 thing i miss about our estate and that is we didn't have to lift a 7 and half stone Rottweiler in and out of it lol lol

 

[Dustydog]

Jo-anne

Surely 1800kgs is way above the Santa Fe's limit?

The pre face lift Sories XS and above all have self levelling rear suspension.

The new Sories have a more powerful diesel engine, forget the petrol unless you've won the lottery!. You know what the Sorie offers so taht makes your benchmarking easier.

As for a non 4x4 per John's suggestion then tes there ae options. Of teh top of my head the Kia Sedona springs to mind.

Personally tugging my Wyoming 4 wheel drive is teh only option. I've never been stuck yet, fingers xd.

Cheers

Alan

 

[Gumbo]

I am waiting with bated breath the list of suitable non four wheel drive cars to tow an 1800kg caravan ?? The original post said " don't really want a people carrier " and I suppose price has to be a consideration otherwise may be a Mercedses E Class Estate ???

 

[Dustydog]

Gumbo

How about a 3 seater Ford Transit??

Cheers

Alan

 

[Gumbo]

Alan

The only Van we are talking about here is a Caravan, so your Transit fails the test !!!!!!!!!

 

[ProfJohnL]

I am waiting with bated breath the list of suitable non four wheel drive cars to tow an 1800kg caravan ?? The original post said " don't really want a people carrier " and I suppose price has to be a consideration otherwise may be a Mercedses E Class Estate ???

Gumbo,

The original post said absolutely nothing about people carriers. I think you need your glasses changing or refilled.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hi Andrew & Sally,

I am not fundamentally opposed to 4x4's but I do believe that we need to take a responsible attitude to the owner ship of vehicles and their fuel economy. Oil is definitely running out, so the less we use now will make the finite remaining supply last longer, put less pollutants in to the environment and cost less to run. For that reason I do encourage others to consider their needs rather than just their wishes.

You have added new information to the debate since I posted and yes it does reduce the number of vehicles you could choose, but there are still several non 4x4's which will pull 1800Kg.

There are of course many of the MPV's, though add there are only two of you and you don't need the space of an MPV, but both of your preferred vehicles are large, so that argument seems irrational, But also consider some of the larger vehicles from Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Volvo.

Some of these may be towing at 100% or even above, but as long as the caravan is within the vehicles specification and your licence allows it then there is nothing wrong.

It is advisable to try and keep the ratio as favourable as possible, but not essential. As ever with any sort of driving it is up to the driver to ensure the outfit is safe and legal.

 

[Gumbo]

Gumbo,

The original post said absolutely nothing about people carriers. I think you need your glasses changing or refilled.

John L

Hi John, what would you suggest other than a 4x4, to tow a 1800kg twin axle?

We don't want a people carrier, there is just the two of us and 2 small dogs!

Andrew & Sally added this to their original post after your comments, so I accept your apologie, after your sarcastic comment XXX

 

[Gumbo]

I am still waiting for this list of cars capable of towing 1800 kg Caravans.

There are not plenty of alternatives. Kia Sedonas are not exactly environmentaly friendly nor the Voyager. Nothing that pulls a caravan can ever be described as environmentaly friendly. Even small cars add pollutants to the atmosphere, so we may as well all stop what we are doing. Your prejudice against 4x4s is begining to show again.

 

[Gumbo]

John L

John L

Hi John, what would you suggest other than a 4x4, to tow a 1800kg twin axle?

We don't want a people carrier, there is just the two of us and 2 small dogs!

Andrew & Sally added this to their original post after your comments, so I accept your apologies, after your sarcastic comment. I am still waiting for this list of environmentaly friendly cars capable of towing a 1800kg Caravan ?????

 

[Gumbo]

Andrew

You don't realy have much of a choice outwith the large off road vehicle market. A large Merc or BMW will give you the comfort and ease of towing, albeit not across a muddy field !!! Also you will need very deep pockets to purchase one even second hand, and deeper pockets to have it serviced at a dealer. Look at the road tax for a big Merc or BMW not much different to a large off road vehicle. Some very good buys are to be had in the large off road vehicle market, and a second hand fully serviced Jeep can be an excellent purchase. Please don't be fooled by the plenty of " alternatives brigade " They haven't listed one that I would wish to purchase, well not yet anyway. Purchase what you feel will serve your needs, all I can suggest is you take a test drive.

If you are looking for excellence I can only suggest the Toyota Land Cruiser, Automatic, Excellent Torque, Excellent Comfort, and Excellent Reliability. Oh and Excellent across the Desert or the Muddy Field what ever you care to do with it.

 

[Dustydog]

Alan

The only Van we are talking about here is a Caravan, so your Transit fails the test !!!!!!!!!

Hi Gumbo

Not much else that's left in my price bracket then.

Cheers

Alan

 

[Lutz]

I beg to differ regarding Gumbos statement that there are few non 4x4's capable of towing an 1800kg caravan. If muddy fields are not an issue there are many but even if you require four wheel drive, an Audi A4 Quattro will do, not to mention the larger A6 Allroad Quattro. A BMW 3-Series xDrive and all larger equivalents will also pull 1800kg. And that's only two makes that have suitable offerings.

 

[Gumbo]

Agree Lutz you could have a Rolls Royce or a Bentley, do you know the cost of an Audi all roader here in the UK The Audi Quattro is for the very well off. They may pull 1800kg but when it comes to the weight ratio they fail miserable.

Looks like it's the Jeep Andrew because as far as I can see no one has offered an alternative.

Just ask yourself why do most people towing TA Caravans do it with a large 4x4 ??

Because it pulls with ease

You can load it up pretty well

Oh and it goes almost any place you want to.

Forget about the self styled Planet Savers you are Paying to Pollute and that's OK the Goverment have made that Very Very Clear

 

[Lutz]

OK, but as I said, if muddy fields are not an issue, even a mondane 2.0 or 2.2 diesel Mondeo would pull 1800kg. I have a feeling that many people buy a 4x4 unnecessarily just because they never consider any alternatives.

 

[Dustydog]

Hi Lutz,

Sorry I am missing something here.

The heaviest Mondeo I can find is 1613kgs.

Ok , it may be able to pull 1800kgs but no way will I tow 1800kgs with it. That's 112% weight ratio!! Surely not??

Cheers

Alan

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Alan,

What you are personally prepared to tow is entirely down to you, and I understand where you are coming from, but I challenge the pre conception that towing at 100% or more is suddenly more dangerous than towing at just 99% or less.

Ah! you say, at 100% the trailer matches the weight of the tow vehicle and now the trailer can push the car, well yes that is true, but any trailer will affect a car to some extent. Get into a jack knife situation and even a trailer of only 50% or less weight ratio can push the tail of a car round.

Don't forget that the standard measurement for the weight ratio uses the kerbweight of the car (the cars theoretical minimum working mass) and the caravan's maximum possible mass. This is the most extreme combination of masses and is assumed to be the worst case.

However, how many times have we read of contributors who have found their car to be heavier than the published kerbweight? In fact I cannot recall a single occasion where the car has matched or even been below it's published kerbweight figure.

And I can understand caravans being closer to their theoretical maximum as we all tend to load up with plenty of extra's. So at a what ever theoretical ratio the outfit is on paper, in reality it will be somewhat less.

Assessing the risks and dangers of towing does not simply rely on comparing weight ratio's although they do play a significant part.

Each car manufacturer now has to assess their vehicles for towing in a range of situations. As a result of those tests they come to a conclusion about the maximum trailer weight the car can technically tow. Some cars cannot tow anything, others can't even manage their own kerb weight, but others can exceed the kerb weight, and a few can exceed it by quite a substantial margin.

So it does not make any logical sense to arbitrarily pluck a fixed figure out of the air and say 'the maximum ratio I will tow at is XXX%',

No ratio guarantees a safe tow. Good safe practices must be used.

That doesn't mean you shouldn't become blas

 

[Gumbo]

And the last response folks is an Amateur flying in the face of all the Professional advice offered on The Safe Towing of Caravans. A Mondeo pulling an 1800kg caravan is Not a Safe match, and I don't look forward to being behind one on a steep incline, or descent

The only sensible thing to tow a TA 1800kg Caravan is a Large Off Road Type Vehicle or People Carrier, or a very large Merc or Audi/BMW type estate. That's from Another Amateur who has read all the Professionals input into towing caravans.

I doubt very much anyone on this forum has towed a TA at or above 100 % ratio anyone ???

 

[Dustydog]

Hi John

Technically you are correct. But even an idiot like me might just take a deep breath and pause before attempting a Jeremy Clarkson tow. A mondeo tugging a TA 1800kgs cannot in reality be a safe concept. Guidelines are of course there , purely as a guide but surely intelligent common sense also has a part to play.

I'm with Gumbo on this one.

Oh, yes I know a 4x4 VW can tow a Boeing 747 along the run way. So what??

Chers

Alan

 

[Lutz]

I haven't towed a TA at 100% but I have towed a single axle at between 97 and 99% for 11 of the 18 years I have been caravanning. Like John says, a low weight ratio is no guarantee for a safe outfit.