Reliable towcar suggestions please!

[chelsea1]

Today was the final straw....

After having our 02 Freelander TD4 in the garage all last week (£500 bill) today I had to get recovered back to the garage after I discovered smoke coming out the bonnet. We had one intercooler pipe, thermostat & water pump replaced last week and they are saying the other intercooler pipe has gone today.

Anyway, it's time to get shot of it. We are looking for a RELIABLE 4X4

 

[chelsea1]

Continued (my message posted before I could finish!)

We have single axle Bailey Senator. Quite interested in :

Nissan X-trail

Honda CRV

VW Touraeg

Would like something that is reasonably cheaper to service (if there is such a thing). Any suggestions welcomed. Thankyou!!

 

[Guest]

Cannot help with the choice of vehicles you are looking at,as total reliability is never a guarantee,and today

 

[chelsea1]

Thanks for your comments, especially the last comment : I would rather buy something I like rather than listening to conflicting reports on how reliable a certain car is!

Don't get me wrong I have been very happy with my Freelander and will be sorry to see it go. 115,000 miles from new, up to the Highlands about 7 times, so we can't complain. It's just recently everything seems to be going wrong - the fuel pump went up on the Isle of Skye and that was

 

[Ian_374396739]

Honda CRV 07 on would be my recomendation as it pulls a dream averages 25-27mpg pulling 1680kgs. Previous Nissan x-trail smoked badly as is reported in other threads and left smoke damage throughout last van. Don't know about VW though.

regards

Ian

 

[Douglas_374404558]

HI! Chelsea have you thought about a KIA Sportage 2.ltr XS Diesel very reasonable priced 7 yrs warrenty i tow 1460kgs with ease 40/42mpg solo 24/26 towing

cheers Duggie

 

[MikeyW]

Honda CRV 07 on would be my recomendation as it pulls a dream averages 25-27mpg pulling 1680kgs. Previous Nissan x-trail smoked badly as is reported in other threads and left smoke damage throughout last van. Don't know about VW though.

regards

Ian

Hi Ian

Correct me if I'm wrong but the CRV diesel kerbweight is 1660kgs, as specified in Honda's brochure, assuming you have a diesel, and if your towing 1680kgs that would make it over 100% match which isn't particulary safe!

Or is the brochure wrong?

Mike

 

[Chris_374413356]

Hi, I've an 07 CRV, tows like a dream, 25k and no problems (so far)

 

[Ian_374396739]

Hi Ian

Correct me if I'm wrong but the CRV diesel kerbweight is 1660kgs, as specified in Honda's brochure, assuming you have a diesel, and if your towing 1680kgs that would make it over 100% match which isn't particulary safe!

Or is the brochure wrong?

Mike

Checked with dealer car is heavier by aprox 10kilos but is 1-1 match but towed for over 32 years.

 

[DCW27]

Hi There

Get a Freelander 2, million miles better than the freelander.

David

 

[chelsea1]

Hi,

Thanks for all the replies.

OH has narrowed it down to a Toyota or Freelander 2. I do like the CRV & Xtrail but he's not overkeen. I am reluctant to consider the Freelander 2......

However we have decided to visit all our local dealerships (Honda, Nissan, Toyota, LR, Kia) and get the full info on all the cars suggested and test drive.

 

[Gilbert_374242131]

You dont need such a large car as Bentley, I tow my Eldiss Odessey 24ft 1 inch van with my 1970 Morris minor it has the 998cc engine although its 40 yrs old now it tows fine on the flat it is a bit slow going uphill but im im in no hurry.It has classic insurance

 

[Sproket]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAfZ1N56qjY

 

[NigelHutson]

It sounds as though your Freelander has been good on the whole, with the exception of recent bills. My father had a 2002 TD4 (owned from new) on which one of the intercooler pipes split last Christmas. The total bill for replacement (genuine part and labour from a Land Rover authorised independent garage) was just over

 

[NigelHutson]

Oh, and to be honest, after also testing the Toyota RAV4, it's not in the same league as the Freelander as a towcar. (Waits to be shot down in flames - but it isn't!).

 

[chelsea1]

It sounds as though your Freelander has been good on the whole, with the exception of recent bills. My father had a 2002 TD4 (owned from new) on which one of the intercooler pipes split last Christmas. The total bill for replacement (genuine part and labour from a Land Rover authorised independent garage) was just over

 

[forestgump]

your right nigel but then the freelander is not in the same

league as the tuccson or sportage for the reliability

watch me get slated by the oldens

 

[Guest]

If you want a pootle around 4x4 and you don't do to many miles the FL2 is a little better tha the older models.

PX values are poor and reliability is still an issue for too many fof these cars.

It's also cramped with a small boot for the sector. For general towing and the odd forray on to grass with a caravan the Toyota is likeley to be far more reliable and fetch better trade in prices whilst doing as good a job.

 

[NigelHutson]

Dean,

Please tell me where you get your FACTS from regarding reliability. Generally speaking, it was the 1.8 petrol Freelander that caused the most headaches, and when you look at the original post, it would appear that chelsea's Freelander has only started to cost recently, as most vehicles of that age and mileage could well do, including Toyota,et al. The Freelander 2 is a quantom leap forward over the Freelander in all respects. No manufacturer produces vehicles that are 100% reliable. I speak from experience with regards to Honda and Lexus - I was there! I will grant you that the Sportage is a decent vehicle, as is the Tuscan, but personally I would have the Freelander 2 any day.

Euro,

Really?

Chelsea,

Only you can decide.

 

[Brian_374476317]

Hi,

Thanks for all the replies.

OH has narrowed it down to a Toyota or Freelander 2. I do like the CRV & Xtrail but he's not overkeen. I am reluctant to consider the Freelander 2......

However we have decided to visit all our local dealerships (Honda, Nissan, Toyota, LR, Kia) and get the full info on all the cars suggested and test drive.

have used a succession of Toyota Colorado and LC3's and LC5,s. Totally reliable, Never put a foot wrong. Rock solid. Cheap to run too! 29/30 mpg and the tyres never wear out. I ran each wagon up to 90,000 in three years. Tyres were replaced at about 60,000 and brake pads at about the same time. One set wiper rubbers each and that was all. Not even a brake light failure. If you want a totally reliable tow vehicle get a Toyota! Why do you only see toyota's in all of the worlds trouble spots & disaster area's. Its cos they can take whatever you throw at them! & NO I have no connection with the motor trade. Just cannot bear unreliable motor cars.

 

[Brian_374476317]

Dean,

Please tell me where you get your FACTS from regarding reliability. Generally speaking, it was the 1.8 petrol Freelander that caused the most headaches, and when you look at the original post, it would appear that chelsea's Freelander has only started to cost recently, as most vehicles of that age and mileage could well do, including Toyota,et al. The Freelander 2 is a quantom leap forward over the Freelander in all respects. No manufacturer produces vehicles that are 100% reliable. I speak from experience with regards to Honda and Lexus - I was there! I will grant you that the Sportage is a decent vehicle, as is the Tuscan, but personally I would have the Freelander 2 any day.

Euro,

Really?

Chelsea,

Only you can decide.

As far as I am concerned there is one totally reliable 4x4 that will tow anything and that is the Land Cruiser ( The smaller one not the Amazon ) I am now on my 3rd. I do a big mileage about 28,000 per year so I dont keep them much beyond 3.5 years but in a toatal milege now of about 300,000 miles they have never failed me. Built like a brick Chicken House they are acually pretty cheap to run. I get 30 mpg. About 60,000 from a set of tyres and about the same from brake pads. Those things apart and wiper blades is all I have ever needed apart from regular servicing. No not even a brake light bulb! Nothing!

 

[chelsea1]

Just to update.

We will NOT be getting another landrover. The Freelander is now in the garage with an ABS problem diagnosed by our local garage, it's now gone to a major LR dealer from whom we bought the car. (3rd breakdown in 10 days).

Landrover main dealer has just rung up saying "the burning smell from your engine is coming from the new air conditioning unit you had fitted"

Our reply - "we have never had a new air conditioning unit fitted"

Landrover - "oh in that case then can you bring the car back down to us"

Our reply - "err,...um YOU STILL HAVE IT!!!"........

And I pay

 

[forestgump]

go jap or korean

 

[NigelHutson]

Or better still, find a good independent dealer. It doesn't seem to matter who the manufacturer is, the dealers are very often clueless and don't really care (behind you back).

My brother-in-law's sister had a Santa Fe a few years ago, and that had countless problems. The stealer (Warrington area?) was absolutely hopeless.

Locally we have an independent Land Rover agent who is authorised by Land Rover to service and supply parts. He is hoping to be able to do warranty work before long. It was he who replaced the intercooler pipe on my father's "old" Freelander immediately (we took it in and he did it there and then) and the total cost was

 

[woodsieboy]

Hi Chelsea

As far as I can see nobody has voted for the Shogun, we switched to Mitsubishi after Discovery and Range Rover. We have never regretted it, apart from towing our caravan really well I have been impressed with Mitsubishi. Even though we do not have the car serviced at main dealer, they issued recalls for modifications and all were carried out free of charge, on a car that is now 7 years old.Servicing costs are reasonable at an independant garage and most spares are not as expensive as LR in our experience,also has selectable 4 wheel drive, so only 2 wheel drive until you are towing.