Anyone had experience of towing with a ford mondeo 2.0??

Derfette

Derfette

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After many "discussions" with the OH, it's been decided that my beloved Freelander has to be sold. Have had it for 4 years now and love towing with it! Will be looking for something else, maybe a pick-up, later on in the summer. In the meantime, we've found a cheap, but very tidy and clean, 2.0 Ford Mondeo with a tow bar attached and I was just wondering if anyone had any thoughts on their towing capabilities as there will be a handfull of shows I'd like to go to before we get a bigger vehicle. I'll only be towing 1 horse a pure arab and towing a 505. Any thoughts??
 
I would like to bet that all modern boxes such as Ifors, single or double, will be too heavy to leagally tow it. I have a box it could tow (not for sale!), an old rice double foxhunter, wooden floor, only rear ramp, unladen weight 520kg. Even its laden weight is less than an unloaded ifor. It isn't so much how much weight you put in in terms of horse, but what the trailer can potentially take. Also consider how much all your kit/water/passengers weigh when looking about the actual load your car is being asked to carry. It may be able to move the box, but the question is does it have the mass to safely stop it in an emergency?
 
I wouldn't entertain the thought of towing anything but a single small pony with an estate - and even then, I'd be bricking it at the sight of a hill. Sorry I wouldn't do it, plenty do and get away with it but not for me sorry.

ETA: Well that story below shows doesn't it! I've upgraded, no estate towing anything. For me, my horse is too precious to try and wangle things like that - just not worth it. Just ask a friend with a decent towing vehicle to tow you :)
 
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I haven't towed with a Mondeo but I have towed with a 2.5 Audi estate and it was a disaster. I had to stop going uphill due and couldn't get going again - burnt the clutch out and had to unload and get a passer by to hold my horse whilst I tried to get up the hill. The lorry driver who stopped to help me told me the car simply wasn't man enough for the job.

In hindsight it was a daft thing to do but my Discovery had broken down that day and I had a lesson booked so I pinched my husbands car!! Looking back now I"m not sure it was actually legal but even if it was it couldn't cope, so I would check out whether the Mondeo can legally do it because it could be a disaster if you find out it can't once you get going.

BTW I was towing a 510 with a 14.2 cob in weighing about 440kg
 
I think we do get a bit hysterical in this country about not towing with estates. If you look on the continent everyone does it. TBF their boxes are a damn site lighter than horrible rattly Ifors but still. It's pretty normal to see Mercs and Volvos towing.

I tow with my 3L ford scorpio. Legally it can tow 2 tonnes and it manages fine with just one on board (although in fairness there are no hills here) Plus I don't tow an ifor. They weigh 800K plus unladen horrible things (no offence, they just aren't for me!)


Where you stand with a mondeo I don't know. They aren't very big cars and they aren't very heavy so they might not tow much. You'd have to check into it. If you can't find it anywhere else I would recommend parkers


http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/reviews/ and put in the model you're after then go to the facts and figures tab

as a jumping off point to check your weights
 
Yes

I had me licence medically downgraded so can no longer drive lorries or anything over 3.5t. I used to have a 2.0 diesel hatchback and have a fautras provan+ which weighs 920g. My boy is 400kg tops and previous boy was 450g and we had no problems taking him all over (longest journey was a 270 mile round trip mainly motorway).
We now have an estate which is actually much better to tow with, it has self levelling and is a smoother ride and start off. If I go with anyone else we go in a Discovery or similar but just for one it works really well - The only thing I would not do is attempt fields unless bone dry. The hill down the back of our house is steep and at a low steady speed we get up fine :)

HTH
 
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mondeo's are front wheel ftive, therefore as soon as you put any weight behind it (trailer) it takes the power away from the front as the weight is distributed more through the back of the vehicle, therefore I wouldn't recommend them to be towing a horse trailer. Just my opinion, and what I've been told.
 
competitiondiva said:
mondeo's are front wheel ftive, therefore as soon as you put any weight behind it (trailer) it takes the power away from the front as the weight is distributed more through the back of the vehicle, therefore I wouldn't recommend them to be towing a horse trailer. Just my opinion, and what I've been told.
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I guess that makes sense. Mine is rear wheel drive and Volvos are obviously 4wd most of the time. I suppose most big Mercs are probably rear wheel drive too?


I guess it depends what your estate is.
 
You need to go by the rule of thumb detailed above of 85% of kerb weight of vehicle when towing livestock which, in the case of a 2.0ltr Mondeo, is 1136kg. My 505R has an unladen weight of 950kg so that would leave you with 186kg! By the time you add the horse, the hay, the water and the tack you're looking at being a good 400kg overweight. Volvos and Mercs as one poster mentioned actually have a much higher kerb weight and towing capacity as well as rear wheel drive which on paper (and on a good surface) make them fine to tow that weight, including up hills but if you went to the average local show on a rainy day you may find yourself well and truly stuck as they are simply not designed to tow that sort of weight through mud.
 
we have a 2.0 mondeo estate (deisel) & she tows like a dream, never had an issue getting the box out of showgrounds (or the boggy fen feilds we live on) she never struggles on hills & the driver hardly even noticed the box was on the back the day we had a van clip our front wing & had to perform an emergancy stop, i did but that was cos i was watching the monitor (silly but lucky bugger was in his fave position FLAT OUT) our payload is more than enough for what i carry (pony, carriage & 3 small children).
 
We've been towing a single Ifor and horse with a Mondeo 2 L diesel for the last 5 years. We're well under its upper braked towing capacity. We've never had a problem, it tows absolutely fine and horse is happy :) BUT I'd not use it to tow a double.
 
1Anastasia said:
You need to go by the rule of thumb detailed above of 85% of kerb weight of vehicle when towing livestock which, in the case of a 2.0ltr Mondeo, is 1136kg. My 505R has an unladen weight of 950kg so that would leave you with 186kg! By the time you add the horse, the hay, the water and the tack you're looking at being a good 400kg overweight. Volvos and Mercs as one poster mentioned actually have a much higher kerb weight and towing capacity as well as rear wheel drive which on paper (and on a good surface) make them fine to tow that weight, including up hills but if you went to the average local show on a rainy day you may find yourself well and truly stuck as they are simply not designed to tow that sort of weight through mud.
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The kerbweight of my current Mondeo Estate is 1,587kg, 85% is 1,349kg. Trailer = 920kg leaving 429kg for my boy. I carry my tack and water in the boot of the car (plus my children) which means the Mondeo is always within the 'guideline' of 85%.
To be 100% sure that any vehicle will tow what you require you need to get the car's handbook and find out the actual weights for that make and model, even better also get to a weighbridge to weigh your trailer with horse onboard :)
 
bex.louise said:
After many "discussions" with the OH, it's been decided that my beloved Freelander has to be sold. Have had it for 4 years now and love towing with it! Will be looking for something else, maybe a pick-up, later on in the summer. In the meantime, we've found a cheap, but very tidy and clean, 2.0 Ford Mondeo with a tow bar attached and I was just wondering if anyone had any thoughts on their towing capabilities as there will be a handfull of shows I'd like to go to before we get a bigger vehicle. I'll only be towing 1 horse a pure arab and towing a 505. Any thoughts??
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Not Ideal but you should be ok on a legal basis if you have the right licence and you dont exceed the
car makers recomendation on towing capacity the kerb weight is nothing to do with towing capacity despite what the yougurt weaving beardy types at the caravan club say !!!
however I would be carefull if there are hillly lanes or muddy fields as you mayl have a problem if you have to stop and pull away ...
 
I know someone who tows with a Mondeo and a lightweight double horsebox and one horse and has been fine. Not sure what the engine size is, but it is a big car. If a field is wet or muddy they take the trailer out of the field and load the horse on the road. Not ideal, but there have been no problems at all.
 
Hi
Previously had an 02 Mondeo hatchback, and towed a Rice europa trailer and one 15.3 Andalusian with no problems at all. Tows best about 40mph. The only problems Mondeos have of that era is that the handbrake can be unreliable. Only got rid of it as it was my husbands ex- company car, and although it had been well maintained, it had done 170k! - however, all said, I got 35 mpg ordinary driving and 34mpg towing! Rice Europa slightly lighter than Ifor 505.

now got Mitsubushi Outlander that runs on LPG equivalent 55mpg! towed beautifully,:D but got old lorry (brilliant old Cargo with fab interior) as now have two horses and like a bit of comfort in me old age!
 
Just wanted to ask which Freelander you have been towing with - I am looking to change from a Lorry to a car and trailer - I have a 1.8 Freelander petrol which I know is not suitable but have been looking at the bigger enginged turbo diesel ones. However, some people have said they wouldn't tow with a Freelander, yet the man at the Ifor Williams dealership said one would be fine

Sorry to hijack your thread but there are so many conflicting reports out there about what people will/won't tow with I am seriously considering staying with the lorry, and having to buy another one when the plate runs out in October as the engineer says it is not worth putting through another plate (too many repairs likely)
 
Clannad48 said:
Just wanted to ask which Freelander you have been towing with - I am looking to change from a Lorry to a car and trailer - I have a 1.8 Freelander petrol which I know is not suitable but have been looking at the bigger enginged turbo diesel ones. However, some people have said they wouldn't tow with a Freelander, yet the man at the Ifor Williams dealership said one would be fine

Sorry to hijack your thread but there are so many conflicting reports out there about what people will/won't tow with I am seriously considering staying with the lorry, and having to buy another one when the plate runs out in October as the engineer says it is not worth putting through another plate (too many repairs likely)
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It's a Jan 2001 (51) 2.0 TDI automatic. I've always loved towing with it, especially cos it's auto, makes the journeys so much better! Never had a problem, has pulled out of all sorts of places! It's just now things are really starting to cost to put right and the OH says it's time to get something newer.
 
I had a 54 plate 2.0 TDi (130 ps) that I towed with for a while. I towed a bateson ascot with one 16.2hh in it so a total of 935+550=1485. The legal towing capacity for it was 1800kg. The kerb weight was 1495 so 85% is 1270kg. I was therefore towing 100% kerbweight. I competed reasonably often and never had any problems, including a 400 mile round trip once. I never had any snaking problems or braking problems at all. The only small thing I had issues with once was reversing up a steep hill. Clutch wasn't happy about that!! However, the people next to me had a Mitsubshi L200 and they had big issues too!! I would say it is the most capable and economical towing vehicle without going to a 4x4. I got about 45-50mpg normal driving and about 35-36mpg when towing. Your trailer and your horse are lighter than mine so I think you should be fine.
 
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