Yet another Towcar Question

[ontheplane]

Hi all.

Currently I have a small car for daily use, and a Jeep Grand Cherokee to tow the boat.

I bought the Jeep as I thought it had a 3300kg limit (way over spec for what I need) and it was cheap so I had it LPG'd. I then discovered it was the 4.7V8 that was rated for 3300kg and mine will only tow 2200kg - still fine for what I want, but it's a blooming big car to only tow that much.

Anyhow I am now paying 2 lots of road tax, two lots of Insurance and two lots of maintainence in order to save a bit of money not driving the Jeep around and using too much fuel (which seems a bit daft!) as much of my day to day driving is around town where it only manages about 12-14mpg (on a run I get 23mpg which on LPG is more than fine)

I am considering getting rid of 2 cars and getting a smaller 4x4 that will be ok round town but also will tow the boat.

So here is the question:-

With a budget of between £5000 and £10,000 - I need to find a Petrol (because I want to convert it to LPG) small 4x4 or Large Estate Car that will tow 2200kg Min and preferably 2400KG (just to give a bit of margin) that is automatic and will give around 25mpg average mix of driving but I would like to see at LEAST 20mpg in town and 25-30mpg on motorways. As it will be my only car I would also like a bit of comfort and it has to be Automatic.

I've considered Audi A6 Avant (only 2000KG tow weight)
Subaru Outback (only 2000KG tow weight)
Hyundai Santa Fe (will tow 2400KG with the 2.7 engine but the interior isn't really very luxurious)
Volvo V70 Estate (same tow weight problem)


Does anyone have any suggestions - or even better is there a website where I can sort cars by Tow Weight and I can then look down the list to see what I like.

I don't want a diesel as in general LPG is far cheaper over 3-5 years than a diesel will be.

Thanks

Grant

 

[landlockedpirate]

As you have seen your problem is that you want to tow over 2000kg. The current crop of SUV (i.e. smaller 4x4) only tow up to about this, and its the same with estate cars.

To tow more than this you need to go up to a full size 4x4. The best I can suggest is something like a short wheel base Shogun which tows about 2800kg from memory. There are lots of other 4x4 which sit in your towing bracket, but they are all full size, and possibly over budget. Another possibuility could be a Nissan Terrano, you could get a decent 1 within budget but I think later models were oil burners.

 

[No Regrets]

LPG is cheaper until the tax concession ends.

Diesel is way more economical even after this time.

My huge Disco 3 AUTO does 25mpg around town, and over 30 on a run, and thats not hanging around either.

Thats as good as a 2 litre petrol car in real terms...

 

[Alistairr]

Same as Jokaboats thread, I'd look for an X-trail, you'd get a top of the range 2005 SVE model for under £10k with a 2.5L Petrol engine in it.

Same car as my wife has, It is very good.

Al.

 

[JustinBanks]

Cant help with the car but I found the following site useful,

http://www.cuddles.abelgratis.net/kerbweights.htm

some chap has collated all the towing weights of cars today. Makes quite interesting reading, I always thought it was size, weight that defined towing weight but that is not the case, some manufacturers down grade the weight cos they dont think their gearboxes, running gear is up to the task.
Cheers,
Justin

 

[ontheplane]

Thanks all for the comments - really useful. Sadly everyones confirming what I thought!!

I will respond to each though....

Hi Landlocked:-
Shogun no good – just as thirsty as Jeep unless you get a diesel which would be too dear to run.
Terrano no good as diesel only in later models and I wouldn’t want to pay that much to run it (see my logic below).

No_Regrets:-

I don't understand your figures at all.

Diesels are just way too dear to run, and I am not sure what you mean about the LPG Concession ending – I think the gap (in pence per litre) will grow and grow. LPG increases are pegged at 1ppl per year for the next 5 years (as long as the Govt keep their word (pretty unlikely), whereas Petrol and Diesel will be at least 2-3ppl per year.
It just doesn’t make sense to run a diesel at the moment – lets take your Disco as an example.
Pence per Mile Difference
My Jeep - Town MPG =14 and Pence per Litre= 48 means it costs 15.56 pence per mile.
Your Disco -Town MPG =25 and Pence per Litre=113 means it costs 20.52 pence per mile - so the LPG car costs approx 75% as much as the diesel

Even bigger savings on a run:-
My Jeep - Motorway MPG =23 and Pence per Litre = 48 means it costs 9.47 pence per mile.
Your Disco -Motorway MPG =30 and Pence per Litre=113 means it costs 17.10 pence per mile - so the LPG car costs 55% of the cost of the Diesel!

So the Disco is almost TWICE as dear to run as mine even though you get better mileage.
Even if the gap does close, LPG would need to rise enormously - to around 80-90ppl before it costs the same as the Diesel.

Now I realise the Disco is heavier, bigger and undoubtedly a better towcar, however diesel can’t come close to LPG for running costs and I don’t think it will for a long time. If crude rises, I feel it far less on LPG as it’s still a by-product of the drilling process and still in surplus in the UK – for example when petrol and Diesel went up about 3-4p last year over just a few months my LPG only went up 1.5p.
AlistairR:-
Like the X-Trail a lot, (although that central speedo thing is a bit odd) but it’s only able to pull around 2000kg so back to the same problem.

As I see it, it’s a Santa Fe (they are a bit naff inside though) which will do about 20 round town and 30 on a run, or just keep the Jeep and wince a bit as I fill her up!

 

[Scarron]

If you don't want an SUV how something completely different - an Audi A8 4.2 Quattro? Convert A8 to LPG and can can tow 2300KG

Great cars and good value

 

[ontheplane]

I do need a Hatch/Estate type car though - otherwise I would LOVE an A8 - Fab car

 

[BarryH]

You seem to be looking at the thing from the LPG angle. What about running an oil burner on veggie oil. Theres a few kits out there now to run on straight veggie oil. Still have to start on diesel but switch over to veggie once running. Much the same as a lot of the LPG equiped cars. Maybe that will widen the scope for you.......the veggie oil is even cheaper than LPG!