Subaru Forrester - tow car for Katie L - any opinions

I had a 2.0L Forrester for about five years and found it great for everything. Bit hard on juice if you were not a slow driver but otherwise not expensive to run, but the 2.5 Turbo eats fuel.
In those five years I never even lifted as much as a screwdriver to it in anger (normal service parts excluded). Tow bar dead easy to fit and wire up, the wiring on the tow bar just plugs into a socket on the car. Very easy to service yourself except for getting the plugs out which is a bit fiddly.
The clutch can be very sharp when cold but this is a fault that is cured under warranty - whatever the age of the car!
Great towing car too.
 
dylanwinter said:
my plan is to get shot of the polo - buying a Subaru as a last resort for local trips if the Micra is away being used by one of the four of us


I can buy a petrol 2.0 litre Subaru Forrester for £1,000 with between 110,000 and 140,000 on the clock and a rated towing capacity of 2,200kg braked
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Had a couple of Subarus though not a Forrester. Reliable vehicles though the Japs dont use steel where re-inforced cardboard will work ( dog went through the floor of the boot!) Thirsty.
 
Hi Dylan.

I'm an avid follower of your videos, I plan a series keep turning right....round Italy. You inspired me, but i doubt i'm going to be as good as you.

i can assure you the subaru is probably a great buy...as long as its been looked after, Service history ? Spare parts are a bomb..they drink fuel like no tomorrow...ive owned two... For towing you need Torque, Diesels are best at this especially decent size ones. 2.2 ltr plus IMO.Easily the best bang for the buck. The subaru makes up for what it lacks in Torque via horsepower, which will cost a tad more on Petrol. Because ive watched your videos and know what type of person you are here it is in simple terms... its a bit like comparing a two stroke outboard to a four stroke. Yes the two stroke will get you there all revvy and lively, but so will the four(Diesel) at a nice low rev range and probs use the same or similar fuel and last a hell of a site longer.

For example: Why do all the wagons on the road that pull all our trade all over the world have diesel engines ? Answer, Because a diesel engine operates at far higher compression ratios than a petrol engine and is therefore more able to use that compression to shift weight(i.e Transfer into Torque making that engine a far more efficient pulling machine). Thankyiou and good night. Ive had enough whiskey !
 
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Little Sam said:
Hi Dylan.

I'm an avid follower of your videos, I plan a series keep turning right....round Italy. You inspired me, but i doubt i'm going to be as good as you.

i can assure you the subaru is probably a great buy...as long as its been looked after, Service history ? Spare parts are a bomb..they drink fuel like no tomorrow...ive owned two... For towing you need Torque, Diesels are best at this especially decent size ones. 2.2 ltr plus IMO.Easily the best bang for the buck. The subaru makes up for what it lacks in Torque via horsepower, which will cost a tad more on Petrol. Because ive watched your videos and know what type of person you are here it is in simple terms... its a bit like comparing a two stroke outboard to a four stroke. Yes the two stroke will get you there all revvy and lively, but so will the four(Diesel) at a nice low rev range and probs use the same or similar fuel and last a hell of a site longer.
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are the spares more than volvos

maybe back to the diesel mondeo then....

http://carleasingmadesimple.com/business-car-leasing/ford/mondeo/towing-weight-limit/

basically as the man back up the thread said.... any mondeo diesel estate is man enough for the job

180,000 miles for £1,000
 
the only thing i would hold against a mondeo estate is that it is 2 wheel drive, that would limit you to a fairly level slipway,if the slipway is wet and has weed etc on it then the 2 wheel drive will be a problem.
 
Neighbour of mine is selling a very nice swb shogun for that money. Diesel engine, 04 plate with a towbar ready fitted. I got an insurance quote on it and it was about the same as my landrover at 289 fully comp. Mileage on it is no where near 180K. From memory its around the 75 mark with documented history. It would make an ideal towcar for your needs. Being the SWB its footprint is no bigger than the average car.
 
I drive a 2.5 Ltr 2002 Forester. Great car, I love it 260K on it still going strong. a bit heavy on fuel due to AWD. good in snow.
If you are looking at older check the head gasgets. They tend to leak oil. Make sure timing belt has been changed. tough on tires fronts wear out if not rotated standard are expensive performance tires and 16 in.
I tow a 17ft deep V double eagle with a 50hp Honda. It can do it but it strugles. lots of down shifting and high revs for hills
I bought it to replace my jeep. wanting better fuel economy its much better for day to day driving. But the jeep was way better for towing so much so i rebuilt the engine and use it as my tow vehichle.
Your boat for long tow will be hard on it. Your engine will be working realy hard getting hot. Just my opinion but a high milage engine is not going to like it.
If all you need is a tow vehicle get an older land rover, jeep. or better yet a 6 cylinder toyota truck
 
I've had the older single turbo legacy estate, and the newer twin turbo estate. The former I towed with. Excellent, excellent vehicles.

Atrocious on fuel though. Massively. Sickeningly.
 
nathanlee said:
I've had the older single turbo legacy estate, and the newer twin turbo estate. The former I towed with. Excellent, excellent vehicles.

Atrocious on fuel though. Massively. Sickeningly.
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People keep saying "atrocious on fuel" What do you mean by that?

Mine does about 35mpg so okay not startling, but not bad for the size of car, and considering I drive it hard and fast, and It's always got a heavy load of tools in the boot.

Mine has self levelling suspension which means the back doesn't sag with all my tools in there, unlike the Legacy I had before used to.
 
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dylanwinter said:
.....

maybe back to the diesel mondeo then....

http://carleasingmadesimple.com/business-car-leasing/ford/mondeo/towing-weight-limit/

180,000 miles for £1,000
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If the little glow plug light comes on when you are motoring, or the car cuts out and restarts easily. Then you are in it for £1000 and rising, as your friendly fitter tries one fix after the next. I have never been so happy to see the back of a car as I was when the Mondeo 2l diesel went down the auction.

Try a Google on it.
 
BarryH said:
Neighbour of mine is selling a very nice swb shogun for that money. Diesel engine, 04 plate with a towbar ready fitted. I got an insurance quote on it and it was about the same as my landrover at 289 fully comp. Mileage on it is no where near 180K. From memory its around the 75 mark with documented history. It would make an ideal towcar for your needs. Being the SWB its footprint is no bigger than the average car.
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What? Our SWB Shogun is a lot wider than most cars! SWMBO does not like driving it as she has got used to her Puma after 10 years. She is the first to admit that she has zero spatial awareness.

Is it just a woman thing that?


Ducks for cover.
 
Have you thought about a Nissan X Trail in Diesel? An early 2.2 should be had for about £1500, they have excellent towing capabilities, switchable 2/4 wheel drive, they drive really well and handle great.
I looked at a few (more pricier thatn you want) and was very impressed by them.
They seem to be fairly robust, can cover starship mileage and have a huge list of options.
MPG seems to vary between 35-45MPG, 6 speed transmission and loads of room.
Worth a look at?
 
dylanwinter said:
are the spares more than volvos

maybe back to the diesel mondeo then....

http://carleasingmadesimple.com/business-car-leasing/ford/mondeo/towing-weight-limit/

basically as the man back up the thread said.... any mondeo diesel estate is man enough for the job

180,000 miles for £1,000
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Mondeos are the devils spawn!

You know you really should go for the Volvo. The 960 estate has the lugging capcity equivalent of a transit van!

What spares are you worried about?
Service items are no more expensive than for a Ford. Filters, belts, discs and pads are all readily available from motor factors . You dont go to main dealer for them.

We are talking about a Volvo that was designed and built before they were forced to raid the dagenham dustbins for parts.


PROPER OVLOV

They were built to last not like the rubbish produced now.

Your Devils advocate

Steve:p
 
dylanwinter said:
sorry to raise this subject again

finding a hire van with a tow bar is getting harder - I used to be able to get one for £40 a day but the local outfit has changed hands and say that they will be dropping vans with tow bars when the current ones wear out and will no longer be offering them

if I hire a pick-up/tipper/Range rover with a tow bar they cost £100 a day

so the economics are starting to shift back towards buying a tow car


the lovely little £400 one litre Micra auto still only has 28,000 on the clock - so that will be our main milage car for going to Devon and to the boat

and as the car we can afford to insure for the kids to drive (it will soon pick up some new dents)

the Polo has 150,00 on it and is slowly coming to the end of its life

my plan is to get shot of the polo - buying a Subaru as a last resort for local trips if the Micra is away being used by one of the four of us


I can buy a petrol 2.0 litre Subaru Forrester for £1,000 with between 110,000 and 140,000 on the clock and a rated towing capacity of 2,200kg braked

does anyone have any first hand experience with these?

when are they worn out - how can I tell? Is the drive train prone to any common faults?

does anyone know how thirsty they are when not towing?

As I say, I hope to try to avoid using it for long trips unless it is tied up with moving Katie L

Dylan
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Why not buy a diesel Transit (or copy) and fit a tow bar??? Lots of storage as well, you know it will do the job,cheap to repair...
 
In 2009 my P reg Disco Tdi 300 cost £2,200. 85,000 miles, one owner, full history, 33 mpg, max tow weight 2500kg. (2750kg with electric brakes)
 
mickywillis said:
Have you thought about a Nissan X Trail in Diesel? An early 2.2 should be had for about £1500, they have excellent towing capabilities, switchable 2/4 wheel drive, they drive really well and handle great.
I looked at a few (more pricier thatn you want) and was very impressed by them.
They seem to be fairly robust, can cover starship mileage and have a huge list of options.
MPG seems to vary between 35-45MPG, 6 speed transmission and loads of room.
Worth a look at?
Click to expand...

Mrs Avocet currently has a late 2006 X-Trail. It's her first 4x4 and she got it after the sad demise of her Alfa in the Cockermouth floods in 2009. For some reason, she said she wanted a bit more ground clearance! On the plus side, she loves it to bits and it is truly phenomenal in snow and ice. The electrical, switchable 4WD is very effective too, but it's not a "proper" 4x4 in that it doesn't have a set of low ratio gears. It is a superb tow car. I have a big (non-boat) 4 wheel trailer and I've towed 2 tons with no bother at all. However, with a 2 ton trailer, I find first gear a bit too high for hill starts - you end up giving the clutch quite a hard time, so I'm not sure how it would perform on a slipway. The other good thing is that (I feel) it's an excellent compromise between practicality and luxury. Acceptably refined for a long run, good toys on the "Aventura" spec, but with rubber footwell mats, you can also use it in really muddy places without trashing the interior. There's also a superb owner's forum for advice:

http://www.x-trail-uk.co.uk/

HOWEVER, I am also bound to say that while we think it's a great car, we like it, and might well get another one, it hasn't been the paragon of reliability I'd expected! Early X-Trails are famous for turbo failure, intercooler failure, sticking brake calipers and fragile running gear. The factory underseal is also pretty poor, so by the time you're spending £1k, you might find you're close to needing some welding! Ours is the last of the T30s (the "old shape" which was replaced in 2007). It does about 33-34MPG in normal light running - maybe 36 on a run, and mid-20s when towing. Earlier ones were slightly better. After 2007, they changed to the T31. They're significantly better on fuel and more refined but also more complex and you won't find one for £1k anyway. Also beware the high spec ones with 17" wheels - the tyres ain't cheap! Our turbo and intercooler have been fine (engine is an old style Nissan unit with a timing chain - no belts to change!) which is good. However, I've had to fit FOUR reconditioned brake calipers (one on each corner), a front damper, front anti-roll bar droplink and rear anti roll bar bushes - on a car with 70,000 miles on it that doesn't do much offroading!
 
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