Vauxhall Zafira 1.8

[PaulHull]

Hi all,

I've just bought a Zafira 1.8 Elegance (115bhp) - has anybody pulled with one of these before? I've heard that the diesels arent much cop for pulling with but has anybody had any trouble pulling with one of these? My vans an 88 Swift Rapide.

 

[Pullman]

Hi Paul

I tow a Bailey Ranger 510/4 with my 2002 Zafira 1.8 Elegance (125bhp). It will cruise at 55-60 on the Motorway with no problem , you certainly notice the hills though ! and you can find yourself towing in 4th a lot if it is breezy as it seem sto struggle with 5th , only had this a couple of times.

The problem with the Diesel is that it has a low max tom limit of 1050Kg , whereas the 1.8 Petrol has a max tow limit of 1300Kg , although even this limits choice when looking for a 4-berth family van with an end bathroom !

 

[rob_jax]

Paul,

The Zafira low-maximum towing weight issue was limited to the 2 litre DTi model from around 2000 to 2005, and the earlier 2 litre Di model.

The 1.9 diesel is fine...

Robert

 

[Lutz]

The new 1.7 diesel is also quite OK.

 

[Angus1]

I`ve got one of these as a courtesy car whilst mine is off the road, but wouldn`t like to tow with it.

Quite nice inside but wheres the engine? If you lose speed on the motorway it takes an age to get it back (without changing down), yet the gearing seems low so the engines turning over quite fast.

It would probably be a nice car with the diesel grunt, but as I`ve only driven it solo I think it would be sluggish with some of the 7 seats filled, let alone sticking a van on the back.

 

[Angus1]

But as an after thought, if you are going to tow with one, you couldn`t have picked a better van, these Rapides were very light and absolutely cracking little caravans.

Always liked them even though everyone else had gone on to the fashionable slopey fronty things. Good to see there are still some left.

 

[PaulHull]

But as an after thought, if you are going to tow with one, you couldn`t have picked a better van, these Rapides were very light and absolutely cracking little caravans.

Always liked them even though everyone else had gone on to the fashionable slopey fronty things. Good to see there are still some left.

I can't agree more with you! It's a pleasure to pull and now that it's damp problems are sorted it's a cracking little van - very spacious for it's size and plenty of light (I find some tourers quite dingy).

My in-laws have the same van but a few years younger with the sloping front and that is much smaller inside and you lose a set of overhead storage!

Haven't pulled it with the Zafira yet (previously a 1.8vvti Vectra) and that pulled it with no bother whatsoever so I hope the Zafira is the same (probably a little slower though! - but it ain't a race)