Practical Caravan Car Reviews

Oct 3, 2013
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Just read a Ford Kuga review on Practical Caravan web site.one comment said the car "struggled in the lane changing test"What does this mean -
1.it wouldn'tchange lanes
2.It was too slow changing lanes
3.It was unstable when changing lanes

Or what
Not describing the "struggle" seems to be a serious ommission
 
Sep 26, 2018
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Without finding the detail review, I know there was a towing review on the Kuga where the car wasn't handling well, but this was put down to the car being fitted with Winter tyres, when the test temperature was way above the upper limit of the tyres...

I agree with Craigyoung the Kuga is an excellent tow car, also IMHO performs way better than the "3 star" reviews it tends to get in motor mags...
 
Oct 12, 2013
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bertieboy1 said:
Just read a Ford Kuga review on Practical Caravan web site.one comment said the car "struggled in the lane changing test"What does this mean -
1.it wouldn'tchange lanes
2.It was too slow changing lanes
3.It was unstable when changing lanes

Or what
Not describing the "struggle" seems to be a serious ommission

There's two replies one from myself and one from Guzzilazz , both who own kugas and are pulling quite a weight to behind them with no complaints .
 
Nov 11, 2009
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Guzzilazz said:
Without finding the detail review, I know there was a towing review on the Kuga where the car wasn't handling well, but this was put down to the car being fitted with Winter tyres, when the test temperature was way above the upper limit of the tyres...

I agree with Craigyoung the Kuga is an excellent tow car, also IMHO performs way better than the "3 star" reviews it tends to get in motor mags...

Who on earth would put a test car through the lane change test, which is quite a severe manoeuvre with inappropriate tyres; then criticise its performance.
 
Mar 8, 2017
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otherclive said:
Guzzilazz said:
Without finding the detail review, I know there was a towing review on the Kuga where the car wasn't handling well, but this was put down to the car being fitted with Winter tyres, when the test temperature was way above the upper limit of the tyres...

I agree with Craigyoung the Kuga is an excellent tow car, also IMHO performs way better than the "3 star" reviews it tends to get in motor mags...

Who on earth would put a test car through the lane change test, which is quite a severe manoeuvre with inappropriate tyres; then criticise its performance.

Because it is a "real world" type of test that replicates what could happen to any of us.

It does sometimes get quite warm during winter.
 
Nov 11, 2009
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Dodger524 said:
otherclive said:
Guzzilazz said:
Without finding the detail review, I know there was a towing review on the Kuga where the car wasn't handling well, but this was put down to the car being fitted with Winter tyres, when the test temperature was way above the upper limit of the tyres...

I agree with Craigyoung the Kuga is an excellent tow car, also IMHO performs way better than the "3 star" reviews it tends to get in motor mags...

Who on earth would put a test car through the lane change test, which is quite a severe manoeuvre with inappropriate tyres; then criticise its performance.

Because it is a "real world" type of test that replicates what could happen to any of us.

It does sometimes get quite warm during winter.

But winter tyres are a very small minority usage in UK other than possibly Scotland and York Moorland farmers and midwives etc.
So the test was unrepresentative of the vast majority of users. Either way we drive to Poland a couple of years back and was surprised at the number of cars fitted with winter tyres in the heat of summer. Presumably they keep them on all year around.
It’s more likely a new Kuga came with All Season tyres as OEM fit as many makers are now doing this. And the reviewer was a bit lax in the definition. If this were the case it would be more worrying.
 
Oct 3, 2013
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Hello Craigyoung,
I also have a Kuga and have no problems towing,in fact I'm quite happy with it.Your post and Guzzilazz's doesn't answer the question.
The post was a comment on the review for being too vague and not saying what the "problem" was
 
Nov 11, 2009
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I think the description, if accurate, says quite clearly what problems the tester encountered. If you see the videos of the lane change test it is quite challenging. In the annual Club tests the caravan will not have ATC working either. Have a look at the videos and you will see how different cars compare. Whether you agree or not is a moot point, but unless anyone has had to carry out a sudden lane change then they really aren’t in a position to compare their towing experience with a testers experience.
 
Nov 16, 2015
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otherclive said:
I think the description, if accurate, says quite clearly what problems the tester encountered. If you see the videos of the lane change test it is quite challenging. In the annual Club tests the caravan will not have ATC working either. Have a look at the videos and you will see how different cars compare. Whether you agree or not is a moot point, but unless anyone has had to carry out a sudden lane change then they really aren’t in a position to compare their towing experience with a testers experience.

OC, I am with on everything you have said. BUT, on a trip to the wilderness, Hutton Le Hole, Yorkshire, my friend and myself were travelling along a dual carrigeway, about 30 mph, and a muppet crossed left in front of him , he swerved left and missed the car. The caravan followed fantastically, Talking point of the night on pitch.

We were not driving Daft or anything.
 
Nov 11, 2009
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EH52ARH said:
otherclive said:
I think the description, if accurate, says quite clearly what problems the tester encountered. If you see the videos of the lane change test it is quite challenging. In the annual Club tests the caravan will not have ATC working either. Have a look at the videos and you will see how different cars compare. Whether you agree or not is a moot point, but unless anyone has had to carry out a sudden lane change then they really aren’t in a position to compare their towing experience with a testers experience.

OC, I am with on everything you have said. BUT, on a trip to the wilderness, Hutton Le Hole, Yorkshire, my friend and myself were travelling along a dual carrigeway, about 30 mph, and a muppet crossed left in front of him , he swerved left and missed the car. The caravan followed fantastically, Talking point of the night on pitch.

We were not driving Daft or anything.

Hutch
That’s precisely my point that very few have had such an experience and won’t know how their outfit will respond until such an experience occurs. A significant difference could also occur between a testers experience with a correctly weighted outfit, and one where the outfit isn’t as well weighted. Clearly your experience shows that a sharp lane change can be dealt with by the outfit without a negative outcome
 
Mar 14, 2005
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All reviews are simply an opinion about the product in question.

Always take time to consider if the way the review was conducted adequately reflects your own needs, wishes or usage patterns. If it doesn’t then always be wary about adopting the opinions offered.

You should never implicitly trust the first review you see, unless you have some means of corroborating the characteristics described.

If many different reviewers tend to have a consensus about a feature, then it seems more likely the characteristics described do represent the nature of the feature.

If a single review comes to a substantially different opinion about a feature, I question whether the way the product was used/tested was the same as in the other reviews, or if there was some other reason that might give rise to a different outcome. (for example perhaps the review has been sponsored by the manufacturer) If there is no compelling reason to believe the odd result, then I tend to discount the opinion.

It is very common for two professionals to come to different even opposing opinions about a subject, and don’t forget that provided its not unlawful you can come to your own opinion.
 
Sep 26, 2018
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otherclive said:
I think the description, if accurate, says quite clearly what problems the tester encountered. If you see the videos of the lane change test it is quite challenging. In the annual Club tests the caravan will not have ATC working either. Have a look at the videos and you will see how different cars compare. Whether you agree or not is a moot point, but unless anyone has had to carry out a sudden lane change then they really aren’t in a position to compare their towing experience with a testers experience.

Is the car allowed to have it's Trailer Sway control active?
 
Mar 14, 2005
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If the test is about a tow car, then it seems to me to be pointless to test the car with any of its towing assist systems turned off. After all that is how most caravanners would use it.

Again if it's a tow car test, then you want to know how it will tow, but as the vast majority of caravans do not have ATC or LEASE systems fitted it makes sense to have such systems turned off.

Most caravans do have fiction couplings so they should be used for testing.
 
Nov 11, 2009
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As I said fir CMHC and CCC/PC Towcar tests the ATC is deactivated but the test obtains a digital readout if it’s output. ATC is a caravan system and in answer to Profs comment I’ve never read a report where the cars active systems are turned off. Why would they. The cars systems are what contribute to its overall ability in managing a caravan.
 
Mar 14, 2005
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otherclive said:
As I said fir CMHC and CCC/PC Towcar tests the ATC is deactivated but the test obtains a digital readout if it’s output. ATC is a caravan system and in answer to Profs comment I’ve never read a report where the cars active systems are turned off. Why would they. The cars systems are what contribute to its overall ability in managing a caravan.

Precisiley B)
 
Mar 14, 2005
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otherclive said:
As I said fir CMHC and CCC/PC Towcar tests the ATC is deactivated but the test obtains a digital readout if it’s output. ATC is a caravan system and in answer to Profs comment I’ve never read a report where the cars active systems are turned off. Why would they. The cars systems are what contribute to its overall ability in managing a caravan.

Precisiely B)
 
Jul 28, 2008
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Just to clarify. For the purposes of the annual Tow Car Awards, the ATC unit remains in place so that data can be obtained (constantly monitored by a stalwart from Al-Ko who sits in the passenger seat with his laptop on his knee whilst being thrown about by the “performance tester”), but will not activate the caravan’s brakes. The stabiliser units are replaced with standard hitches. That way, the car’s ability to deal with (or otherwise) any stability issues is assessed, rather than having the caravan help (improve a poor car?).

As far as the cars are concerned, nothing is turned off or disconnected in any way.

With regards to David Motton’s stand-alone tests in the magazine, both cars and caravans will be totally standard (i.e. having ATC operative if fitted, stabiliser hitch, and all the car’s systems operating).
 
May 24, 2014
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I think you have to take all car reviews with a pinch of salt, especially if conducted by humans. Firstly, no human can exactly replicate the test to match another humans efforts, speed of eye, reaction and thought will differ wildly between two individuals. Unless the test is carried out by a robot or machine, its never going to be accurate.

Secondly, as has already been said, where is the value of testing the vehicle with its safety systems turned off. How many of you jump into the car, and turn them off before towing.........none.

Thirdly, who are the "professionals" that write this drivel in the first place and what makes them "professional". They can drive a bit and write a bit, so what. They havent passed any different test to the rest of us, and in many cases have less training than the rest of us. I would think a large number of experienced caravanners on this forum are easily their match in ability. We have current and past HGV drivers (LGV if you wish), coach drivers, police drivers and military trained drivers, all on this forum, and we are prepared to listen to driving advice from a journalist. No siree, I will put my trust in my own experience rather than listening to somebody who probably will be advising on cookery next week.

And finally, everybodies opinion will differ on what they see and feel in a towcar. Its all in the eye of the beholder.

I think you can probably guess that I am sceptical where any form of journalism is concerned.
 

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Nov 12, 2009
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Thingy said:
I think you have to take all car reviews with a pinch of salt, especially if conducted by humans. Firstly, no human can exactly replicate the test to match another humans efforts, speed of eye, reaction and thought will differ wildly between two individuals. Unless the test is carried out by a robot or machine, its never going to be accurate.

Secondly, as has already been said, where is the value of testing the vehicle with its safety systems turned off. How many of you jump into the car, and turn them off before towing.........none.

Thirdly, who are the "professionals" that write this drivel in the first place and what makes them "professional". They can drive a bit and write a bit, so what. They havent passed any different test to the rest of us, and in many cases have less training than the rest of us. I would think a large number of experienced caravanners on this forum are easily their match in ability. We have current and past HGV drivers (LGV if you wish), coach drivers, police drivers and military trained drivers, all on this forum, and we are prepared to listen to driving advice from a journalist. No siree, I will put my trust in my own experience rather than listening to somebody who probably will be advising on cookery next week.

And finally, everybodies opinion will differ on what they see and feel in a towcar. Its all in the eye of the beholder.

I think you can probably guess that I am sceptical where any form of journalism is concerned.
Healthy scepticism is no bad thing and to some extent I share the slightly jaundiced view with regard to 'media experts'.
I will say in defence of towcar editor David Motton however that he was a past editor of Practical Caravan Magazine, he has used caravans real time as a leisure pursuit and he has been testing units and cars for a long time, not only for PCv but in connection with the two main clubs.
Only a fool would go out and buy a particular product based solely on the opinion of a journalist or so called expert, whether it would be a set of tools or a towing vehicle, but the reviews give some indication to those without much experience of things to look out for as a starting point.
One of the very best ways to judge a caravan related product would be to read through comments on various caravan forums including this one.
Forum membes provide a real life focus group which any prospective purchaser or indeed any manufacturer would do well to study.
 
Jul 28, 2008
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Thingy said:
I think you have to take all car reviews with a pinch of salt, especially if conducted by humans. Firstly, no human can exactly replicate the test to match another humans efforts, speed of eye, reaction and thought will differ wildly between two individuals. Unless the test is carried out by a robot or machine, its never going to be accurate.

Secondly, as has already been said, where is the value of testing the vehicle with its safety systems turned off. How many of you jump into the car, and turn them off before towing.........none.

Thirdly, who are the "professionals" that write this drivel in the first place and what makes them "professional". They can drive a bit and write a bit, so what. They havent passed any different test to the rest of us, and in many cases have less training than the rest of us. I would think a large number of experienced caravanners on this forum are easily their match in ability. We have current and past HGV drivers (LGV if you wish), coach drivers, police drivers and military trained drivers, all on this forum, and we are prepared to listen to driving advice from a journalist. No siree, I will put my trust in my own experience rather than listening to somebody who probably will be advising on cookery next week.

And finally, everybodies opinion will differ on what they see and feel in a towcar. Its all in the eye of the beholder.

I think you can probably guess that I am sceptical where any form of journalism is concerned.

First of all, I don’t recollect any of the PCV staff saying that you MUST buy this, or you MUST buy that and disregard everything else. At the end of the day much comes down to personal choice and what you need a car for. However, in their defence, there are some absolute “stinkers” out there which are appalling tow cars - something that ALL judges and the scientific data agree on.

And, for your information, I hold a Police Grade 1 Advanced Driving Certificate (something that was maintained from 1987 until retirement together with many add-on qualifications), LGV driving licence (all classes), PCV driving licence (all classes) - both having been used commercially, a permit to test motor vehicles at MIRA, and have forty years towing experience. Does that make me an expert? No, not in my eyes. My standard of driving is for others to judge, but I would like to think that I am careful and competent. Plus, Courts regarded us as expert witnesses when it came to collision investigation. Just sayin’
 
Oct 12, 2013
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I agree with Nigel and the above posts but like Nigel says they're not forcing you to buy that particular car .
Us professional drivers and people towing caravans are probably better drivers than people that don't tow caravans as in other driving professions we are trained to plan ahead etc etc so you could have every gadget going on the nicest car that you could buy for your money but then all it takes is one idiot to do something stupid that you can't do nothing about !
 
Mar 14, 2005
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Craigyoung said:
I agree with Nigel and the above posts but like Nigel says they're not forcing you to buy that particular car .
Us professional drivers and people towing caravans are probably better drivers than people that don't tow caravans as in other driving professions we are trained to plan ahead etc etc so you could have every gadget going on the nicest car that you could buy for your money but then all it takes is one idiot to do something stupid that you can't do nothing about !

Hello Craig

I agree with the gist of your comment and it’s why when it comes to how good an outfit tows, I see the driver as probably the most significant factor, and because of people's differing experience and skills, why several people may find a particular out to be good, but a few may find problems with it.

I also agree with Nigels comment that there are a few combinations that may seem to be ok on paper but in practice turns out to be a stinker agreed by all.
 
May 24, 2014
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I agree with much of what is being said, and i would much sooner take the advice on car a or car b from somebody who lives with it and drives it daily, as opposed to somebody handed it for the purpose of a test.

And back to the subject of professionals, I refer to Nigels post and I would have to believe there is not a journalist with that amount of training and certainly experience. Though i would point out that having an HGV licence does not make an HGV driver, nor does my experience with vehicles qualify me as a pursuit driver. Horses for courses, but there is an absolute wealth of experience on here to draw from.

But as I said, living with a vehicle is far more subjective than jumping in it for a day or so.
 
Jul 28, 2008
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But would you get an honest opinion from someone who's spent their hard earned on said vehicle either? There won't be many who spend a fortune and then tell you it's poor.

P.S. I did say that I had used my licences commercially, so don't just "hold" them. But, as I also stated, my standard of driving is not for me to judge. There are a good number of folk that I know who consider themselves good drivers, but to be honest, I'd rather catch a bus than be a passenger with them. Thankfully, I've never had anyone making a grab for the door handle - perhaps they've been too scared! :woohoo:
 

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