I am about to change my tow car I am ok for the kerb weight for the two cars I am thinking about but my concern is front wheel drive or 4x4 as I do have a motor mover fitted to the caravan. Looking for thoughts
New tow car
- Thread starter Daddyo1.
- Start date
Welcome Daddyo1 
.
Perhaps if you told us more about the caravan and your car choices, and if you intend to go off the beaten track (or not) we would have a bit more to go on.
Helpful bunch on here who will give good advice based on your needs.
Rear wheel drive vehicles are not necessarily a poor option for towing, is there a particular reason for dismissing RWD?
Cheers.
.Perhaps if you told us more about the caravan and your car choices, and if you intend to go off the beaten track (or not) we would have a bit more to go on.
Helpful bunch on here who will give good advice based on your needs.
Rear wheel drive vehicles are not necessarily a poor option for towing, is there a particular reason for dismissing RWD?
Cheers.
Daddyo1 , hi ,
We recently changed our car (last year) for a slightly bigger than what we had but we kept it to a front wheel 2 wheel drive, never needed four-wheel-drive (touch wood) because we stick to Cls and Club sites . Never been stuck in 5 years plus like you say you have a mover so if you think you're going to get stuck with the car you can unhitch & use the mover .
Craig .
We recently changed our car (last year) for a slightly bigger than what we had but we kept it to a front wheel 2 wheel drive, never needed four-wheel-drive (touch wood) because we stick to Cls and Club sites . Never been stuck in 5 years plus like you say you have a mover so if you think you're going to get stuck with the car you can unhitch & use the mover .
Craig .
Hi My caravan weight is 1540Kg and I was looking at the Skoda Kodiaq 2.0TDI front wheel drive and a KIA Sportage 2.0crdigtline
Welcome to the forum, Daddyo1!
Many people prefer four-wheel drive as it ups the kerbweight, improving matching ratios (although you say this isn't a problem for you), but it also helps traction in poor weather/on soggy terrain. If you like caravanning all year round and/or prefer out-of-the-way sites, four-wheel drive might be prudent.
Many people prefer four-wheel drive as it ups the kerbweight, improving matching ratios (although you say this isn't a problem for you), but it also helps traction in poor weather/on soggy terrain. If you like caravanning all year round and/or prefer out-of-the-way sites, four-wheel drive might be prudent.
Daddyo1. said:
I have used a Sportage gtline for the last 2 years. Towing a 1485kg caravan. Found it okay
Look for the comment about a Passat AllTrack from LeedsLad on the CaravanTalk forum. Being a Passat (estate) user myself I know how good it is, so with the 4x4 version I doubt you would ever get stuck. The max tow capability of the Passat is 1800Kg, oh, and the Kodiaq is built on the same chassis.
Woodentop said:
I have the Passat B8 estate and the max. towing capacity is 2000KG, although the Kodiaq is probably more than this, as if I’m not mistaken it’s a Tiguan in different clothes which whilst they share the same MQB platform as the Passat I think is rated at 2200KG - In any case this figure of course isn’t relevant as there’s no way you'd be anywhere near even the 1800KG of the older series Passats. Outfit matching and correct loading are of course the relevant factors here.
Keeping back on topic, my Passat tows a fairly heavy van just fine, although where a four wheel drive vehicle would make a real difference is when trying to set off when trundling through muddy farm land after packing away, or when pulling out of farm land into main roads. It’s nothing to do with power or towing capacity. Without an LSD you only need one of the front wheels to loose traction and you’re going nowhere because all of the power is then being applied to the spinning wheel. Neither of these are a huge issue, and I would much rather eat away the motorway miles (non-towing) with the Passat than in many of the four wheel drive alternatives that are considered to be better suited to towing.
However, the OP does make reference to a “Tow Car” and if towing was the main consideration, rather than a daily mile cruncher then I too would be seriously considering four wheel drive for the reasons mentioned above.
I’m sure the alltrack would be great. Best of both worlds if the budget can accommodate it ...
Ic.
For most of us four wheel drive is probably not needed. If you use licensed sites with the pitch next to a hard surfaced road then it is very unlikely you will need it. If you rally or use sites with grass access then it could help if the site is very wet. Only once have we found ourselves on a waterlogged site where there might have been a problem, we simply used the motor mover to get it to a hard surface, but this works only for very limited distances.
As for two wheel drive, most people manage well with either front or rear wheel drive cars and I would not rule out either when looking at the car you prefer.
As for two wheel drive, most people manage well with either front or rear wheel drive cars and I would not rule out either when looking at the car you prefer.
As confirmed by a Skoda dealer last week, the Tiguan is built on the Golf chassis, as is the Octavia. The Kodia, Superb, and Touareg are all built on the same chassis as the Passat.Icaru5 said:
I have a B7 estate which, like the B6 before it, was rated 1800Kg tow. The B8 basic now 150bhp (which you probably have) will have a higher tug capacity because of the extra torque. I may be wrong but I have a feeling the lowest powered diesel on the Kodiaq is 190bhp so hence the bigger still capability.
well in that case, if you are a new yorker, i woukd suggest you to try tow truck nyc riteway. It is low in rates, a quality service plus you wouldn't have to wait for hours for a service to get to you. It is good. Do try
Icaru and Woodentop - my understanding is that the new (2016 on) Tiguan is built on the MQB platform - as is the Kodiaq, Passat and almost everything made by VW, Audi, Seat and Skoda from Golf-size upwards.
I have a Passat B8 as well (and have had the B6 and B7 models before that). It's brilliant and I would go for another over a 4x4 SUV in a heartbeat. But that's because, like you, I use it as a mobile office first, personal transport second and a tow car third. If I did more towing and less business mileage I might be tempted by 4WD. I understand that the 4WD system used in the Passat Alltrack, VW Tiguan and their Skoda equivalents is identical so, with the possible exception of ground clearance, there should be no reason why any one of these is any more or less capable in the mud than another.
I guess it's just nice to have the choice!
I have a Passat B8 as well (and have had the B6 and B7 models before that). It's brilliant and I would go for another over a 4x4 SUV in a heartbeat. But that's because, like you, I use it as a mobile office first, personal transport second and a tow car third. If I did more towing and less business mileage I might be tempted by 4WD. I understand that the 4WD system used in the Passat Alltrack, VW Tiguan and their Skoda equivalents is identical so, with the possible exception of ground clearance, there should be no reason why any one of these is any more or less capable in the mud than another.
I guess it's just nice to have the choice!
SamandRose said:Icaru and Woodentop - my understanding is that the new (2016 on) Tiguan is built on the MQB platform - as is the Kodiaq, Passat and almost everything made by VW, Audi, Seat and Skoda from Golf-size upwards.
I have a Passat B8 as well (and have had the B6 and B7 models before that). It's brilliant and I would go for another over a 4x4 SUV in a heartbeat. But that's because, like you, I use it as a mobile office first, personal transport second and a tow car third. If I did more towing and less business mileage I might be tempted by 4WD. I understand that the 4WD system used in the Passat Alltrack, VW Tiguan and their Skoda equivalents is identical so, with the possible exception of ground clearance, there should be no reason why any one of these is any more or less capable in the mud than another.
I guess it's just nice to have the choice!
If your stuck in the mud, then its the type of tyres you have that will get you out, not just the 4WD.
EH52ARH said:SamandRose said:Icaru and Woodentop - my understanding is that the new (2016 on) Tiguan is built on the MQB platform - as is the Kodiaq, Passat and almost everything made by VW, Audi, Seat and Skoda from Golf-size upwards.
I have a Passat B8 as well (and have had the B6 and B7 models before that). It's brilliant and I would go for another over a 4x4 SUV in a heartbeat. But that's because, like you, I use it as a mobile office first, personal transport second and a tow car third. If I did more towing and less business mileage I might be tempted by 4WD. I understand that the 4WD system used in the Passat Alltrack, VW Tiguan and their Skoda equivalents is identical so, with the possible exception of ground clearance, there should be no reason why any one of these is any more or less capable in the mud than another.
I guess it's just nice to have the choice!
If your stuck in the mud, then its the type of tyres you have that will get you out, not just the 4WD.
Whilst I agree the point on tyres I’ve only ever been stuck three times and they were in 4wd cars. The first time was on a wettish CL where the owner had cut the grass. My Sorento has BFG all terrain tyres, LSD and a low ratio lockable auto gear box. But she wasn’t going anywhere. The other two times were with cars fitted with Haldex 4wd but less aggressive tyres. All three occasions were in Cumbria and on two I extracted the caravan using the motor mover with my wife stood inside just aft of the axle to take some weight off of the nosewheel.
I’ve today returned from a trip and on site a Freelander 2 was unable to pitch the van as the pitch had a very slight uphill slope but the Freelanders wheels were on grass which was extremely wet. The outfit had no motor mover.
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