Need a tow car and have a low budget

[GaryB]

I've always had estates for towing, it all depends on the OP's budget. Years ago I had a 2002 Mondeo TDCi estate (manual) - brilliant tow car but had reliability issues regarding starting/fuel injectors. Replaced with a new Passat 2.0TDi estate (manual) in 2006 - reliability issues again with injectors but I understand the later Passat's are a lot better. After that I had a couple of manual Mercedes C class estates with the 2.1 diesel engines, nice cars but the parking brake was awful.

 

[otherclive]

Maybe buy her old car off the lease company at trade rates?

They don’t allow that as she asked.

 

[Dustydog]

They don’t allow that as she asked.

Our used company cars ended up at British Car Auctions. Just a thought

 

[Jennet]

Our Mondeo was far from the most reliable car we ever had. Turbo faiure at 55k , fo;;owed by the HP fuel pump 3 k later.
The starter motor at 62 k was the final straw . None of these problems were estate related however.
I will never have another 'Dagenham dustbin' !

Our last tugger was a Mondeo and I found it no problem towing with this, despite it being a Dagenham dustbin ;-p

 

[otherclive]

Our last tugger was a Mondeo and I found it no problem towing with this, despite it being a Dagenham dustbin ;-p

Glad someone has a good word for the Mondeo. But they were never built in Britain, Genk in Belgium was the sole European production plant.

 

[Challenger]

Glad someone has a good word for the Mondeo. But they were never built in Britain, Genk in Belgium was the sole European production plant.

Back in the day, all Fords were known as 'Dagenham Dustbins'.

 

[RogerL]

Back in the day, all Fords were known as 'Dagenham Dustbins'.

Back in the day all Fords sold in the UK were built in Dagenham - then they opened Halewood but the big change started when Ford UK and Ford Germany merged, building identical models which could be built in any European plant - British factories couldn't compete on cost or quality.

 

[Dustydog]

Back in the day all Fords sold in the UK were built in Dagenham - then they opened Halewood but the big change started when Ford UK and Ford Germany merged, building identical models which could be built in any European plant - British factories couldn't compete on cost or quality.

And now VW want to close some of their German factories😢.I wonder where a new one will pop up?

 

[Buckman]

Back in the day all Fords sold in the UK were built in Dagenham - then they opened Halewood but the big change started when Ford UK and Ford Germany merged, building identical models which could be built in any European plant - British factories couldn't compete on cost or quality.

Incorrect they were also built in other countries like South Africa.

Back in the day, all Fords were known as 'Dagenham Dustbins'.

In th4e sixties my first car was a 1961 Ford Zephyr, second car Cortina and then a Corsair. Good engines, but was forever repairing bits that kept falling off. Never owned another ford until 2010 and that only lasted 6 months befroe rejection!

 

[RogerL]

Incorrect they were also built in other countries like South Africa.

I'm not aware that any South African-built Fords were sold in the UK.

 

[Buckman]

I'm not aware that any South African-built Fords were sold in the UK.

You never mentioned that it was UK only.

 

[Beardy]

Glad someone has a good word for the Mondeo. But they were never built in Britain, Genk in Belgium was the sole European production plant.

Had a mk4 Mondeo (2005). Three years old and 35,000 miles when I bought it. Ran it for 11 years and px'd it at 170,000 miles. Aside from the usual wear and tear parts, tyres, exhaust, battery, brakes etc. I replaced one wheel bearing, one temperature sensor, the front springs and one suspension tie bar in the time I owned it. It rarely dropped below 50 mpg (tank to tank). Brilliant car, sadly after 170,000 miles it needed a new fuel pump (£500) or new injectors (£500) and the car was worth around £500!

 

[Mel]

Back in the day all Fords sold in the UK were built in Dagenham - then they opened Halewood but the big change started when Ford UK and Ford Germany merged, building identical models which could be built in any European plant - British factories couldn't compete on cost or quality.

They built some bits of them in Bridgend in South Wales for a while. Was it the engines? Closed now.
Mel

 

[RogerL]

You never mentioned that it was UK only.

See post #32 - "all Fords sold in the UK"

 

[RogerL]

They built some bits of them in Bridgend in South Wales for a while. Was it the engines? Closed now.
Mel

Engines - including V6/V8 for Jaguar and Land-Rover

 

[borderbilly]

Fred is back in the building.

 

[Dustydog]

Fred is back in the building.

Wasn’t he looking for a V8 tow car😜

 

[borderbilly]

Wasn’t he looking for a V8 tow car😜

Think he was, but if he is reading this, he will end up with a D.D.

 

[Dustydog]

Think he was, but if he is reading this, he will end up with a D.D.

Or a BB😉

 

[Mr Grumpy]

Getting back on track 😎

Hyundai Santa Fe.

Our van is just under 1500kg and it tows it like a dream.

 

[Gralay]

I've had 3 mondeos, 1.8TD did 200K and chassis rotted, mk3 ghia x did 225K started to have engine problems but was lots of fun and 10 years ago bought a mk4 face-lift titanium X 140 hp tdci, in the time I've had it I've changed front discs and pads twice, rear discs and pads once, trailing arm bushes once, service every 10K, I've just done timing belt and water pump as a precaution and clutch also as a precaution but was still good for a good few thousand miles but we tow our senator with a weight of 1499kg around 5000 miles per year, the car doesn't use water or oil and has just passed MOT with no advisories and emissions of 0.05 not bad for 190K miles. I do my own repairs and service.
I have always found the ones I've had as very reliable

 

[Hutch]

I had totally forgotten that I had two Vauxhall Vectras, 2008 era. A 2.2 diesel hatchback. then a 3 litre V6 diesel, hatch back, both excellent tow cars. Especially the 3 litre extremely good on fuel consumption.

Maybe a Vauxhall Insignia might meet Jennets criteria as well something to look at. .

 

[Buckman]

I had totally forgotten that I had two Vauxhall Vectras, 2008 era. A 2.2 diesel hatchback. then a 3 litre V6 diesel, hatch back, both excellent tow cars. Especially the 3 litre extremely good on fuel consumption.

Maybe a Vauxhall Insignia might meet Jennets criteria as well something to look at. .

Wasn't there a super duper high performance Vauxhall Vectra in about 1996 that went like a bat out of hell. I drove one and the performance was breath taking and you had to be very careful. It was not my car.

 

[GUMPY]

I don't know about a Vectra but there was a Lotus Carlton

Lotus Carlton - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

That was quick

 

[Buckman]

I don't know about a Vectra but there was a Lotus Carlton

Lotus Carlton - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

That was quick

It was probably the 1995 V6 with the 2.6l engine? it had stripes across the body and was a special edition. I had a temporary job delivering Vauxhalls across the UK.