Vauxhall Zafira

[Sandra_5110065]

Hi folks, I am seriously considering buying an 2007 Zafira 1.9 cdti sri (150) and was wondering if anyone has experience towing with this car. I have a Bailey Ranger 500/5. I have checked that the weight is compatible and it seems to be within the 85% limit. Any advice gratefully appreciated.
Thanks
Sandra

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Sandra,

I havn't used a Zafira for towing so I cant make any specific claims for or against it, But I do wish to correct a point in your post.

85% is not a limit, it has no legal authority. The towable limit of any car is deteremined by the car manufacture and is stated in thier specifcation. For some cars it may less than 85% and in many cases its is actually over 100%. For some cars its actually zero and they cannot tow.

Drivers who passed thier driving test after Jan 1997 have greater restrictions on what they can drive and tow, which effectively limit the caravans mtplm to no more than the unladen weight of the car.

With regards to the 85% figure, it has no magical properties, it does not gurantee a safe tow, and outfits can still become unstable or difficult to drive. Equally exceeding the figure by a few percent does not guarantee and outfit will be unstable.

 

[Surfer]

With the Zafira you would need to check the maximum braked towing weight which is probbaly lower than the kerbweight so 85% rule goes out the window. It is possible that the maximum it can tow is a caravan with MTPLM of 1500kg. Check the owner's handbook of the actual vehicle for specifications.

 

[Lutz]

The kerbweight of the Zafira is around 1620kg so a Bailey Ranger 500/5 would give you a weight ratio somewhere around 80%.

 

[Gareth111278]

I take it that the 2007 is the 'new shape' Zafira? My father in law has a 2004 'old shape' one & i checked its towing capacity to see if he could tow our caravan, it was too light by the 85% 'guideline'. i'm not sure if it had a high enough towing limit TBH.
As long as the the limits are all OK i'd think the Zafira would tow well. The rear axle is quite far back and 1.9 CDTi should have enough torque to pull strongly.
Just be carefull if you need to use all the seats, as far as I know there's no boot space with all the seats in use. This will force you to put all your stuff in the caravan, possibly going over its MTPLM. If you do need all the seats consider a roof box.
Gareth

 

[KeithJ]

Hi Sandra

Provided you meet all the weight criteria outlined by other posters, your Zafira with 1.9cdti engine will have no trouble towing the Bailey Ranger 500/5. The engine is one of the better ones used by Vauxhall - I believe it originates with FIAT (who make some of the best diesel engines) , from when Vauxhall had a partnership with them a few years ago.

 

[Surfer]

The kerbweight of the Zafira is around 1620kg so a Bailey Ranger 500/5 would give you a weight ratio somewhere around 80%.

Kerbweight counts for nothing these days. It is the manufacturer's maximum braked towing weight that counts, i.e. a 1500kg Peugeot 3008 f1.6 diesel auto can only tow a caravan with MTPLM of 1100kg! Blame the EU!

 

[Lutz]

The kerbweight of the Zafira is around 1620kg so a Bailey Ranger 500/5 would give you a weight ratio somewhere around 80%.

Kerbweight counts for nothing these days. It is the manufacturer's maximum braked towing weight that counts, i.e. a 1500kg Peugeot 3008 f1.6 diesel auto can only tow a caravan with MTPLM of 1100kg! Blame the EU!

The maximum braked towing weight of the Zafira 1.9CDTI is 1500kg so that's way over the MTPLM of the caravan in question. That's why I didn't even mention it.
Blame the EU?!! Blame Peugeot perhaps for putting a car on the market with such a low towload, but not the EU.

 

[Surfer]

The kerbweight of the Zafira is around 1620kg so a Bailey Ranger 500/5 would give you a weight ratio somewhere around 80%.

Kerbweight counts for nothing these days. It is the manufacturer's maximum braked towing weight that counts, i.e. a 1500kg Peugeot 3008 f1.6 diesel auto can only tow a caravan with MTPLM of 1100kg! Blame the EU!

The maximum braked towing weight of the Zafira 1.9CDTI is 1500kg so that's way over the MTPLM of the caravan in question. That's why I didn't even mention it.
Blame the EU?!! Blame Peugeot perhaps for putting a car on the market with such a low towload, but not the EU.

Who imposed all this emmissions carp on the manufacturers? None other than the EU which should be disbanded as it is a nest of robbers preying on taxpayers.. I rest my case!

 

[Lutz]

Who imposed all this emmissions carp on the manufacturers? None other than the EU which should be disbanded as it is a nest of robbers preying on taxpayers.. I rest my case!

Now you've got me totally confused. What has emissions got to do with towload specifications?
At least with EU Directives there are common standards to which all car manufacturers adhere. There would be total choas if every country had its own exhaust emissions standards and car manufacturers would have to produce different engines for each market. The number of combinations and permutations would be beyond their control, quite apart from the enormous cost of developing such a large number of different engines to suit the requirements in each market.

 

[KeithJ]

This is getting confusing. The reason some modern automatics have such low maximum towing limits is nothing to do with the EU, or Emmisions. It is simply that the new breed of automatics, developed for their efficiency, are not robust enough to tow heavy loads. The old torque converter type of automatic was tough, but sapped a lot of power from the engine and consequently was responsible for a heavier fuel consumption.

 

[Lutz]

Actually, in the majority of cases, the transmissions, whether manual or automatic, are well up to the job of towing. The reason for low loads is more often than not limitations of the engine cooling systems. This is due to the engine compartments of modern cars being crammed so full of gadgets such as power steering pumps, air conditioning compressors, etc. that it is difficult to maintain an adequate airflow under the bonnet to keep the engine cool enough.

 

[RobinF]

Hi Sandra
I tow with a 2008 Zafira (design 150) It tows my caravan really well (mtplm 1300kg).
I have not had any problems when towing, and will cruise at 60mph in six gear on the motorway.
Robin.