Cheapest Smallest 4X4?

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pipper

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Please can you guys give me some advise regarding a new towing car? i am now giving up my freelander not because it wasnt any good as a tow vehicle (although I know people dont rate them) but because it has been an absolute money pit!
I want to get the smallest towing 4x4 that is cheap fuel wise - what are your recomedations please - have looked at the Honda CRV and the Santa Fe.
Thanks
 
The Kia Sorrento gets good feedback on here as you get a lot for your money, 5 years warranty (maybe 7 now?) and it is apparently great at towing. The hyundai santa fe is also well recommended.
 
I went into the Honda dealership when i was looking and the salesman said the CRV would not be upto the job and said not to consider it for towing. I settled for a Grand Vitara (new shape) and it tows really well not too heavy on juice its a 2ltr diesel and tows my trailer and cob no problem.
 
I had this query and tried freelander2 and CRV - went for the CRV and I love it. I tow every month roughly, sometimes more often but I do big mileage generally and I find it great on fuel. I'm not getting as high mph as quoted for CRV but then I'm lazy with servicing and checking tyres etc. I priced tyres for freelander and CRV before I took the plunge and CRV was much cheaper - I've just put 2 more on and it was £300, but they were good ones. I have towed with 2 horses on crappy irish roads with no problem and the yard owner often borrows it to tow 2 all over the place. It's by first tow car and glad I didn't go for feelander 2 as it felt like a big proper jeep and I knew it would be dear to run just from the test drive. I got the ex version as I wanted leather seats to keep it clean with horses, its never clean, but that's my fault! The sat nav is rubbish in Ireland so if you can get a model without sat nav add on cost go for it
 
I personally wouldn't have said a CRV would have been capable of towing much more than a traiker with a small pony in so i wouldn't have put that on my list of towing vehicles but i am no expert. Similarly with the Grand Vitara - I think that is ok for towing a trailer with one horse or two small ponies but n othing more which is a shame as i love the vitaras to be honest, they are brilliant 4x4 vehicles when it comes to getting places in bad conditions - I had the 3 dr as just a general car and it was fantastic in the snow as they have the low and high ratio gear box and differential lock so no worries about get stuck anywhere.

Maybe check out this site to be sure what towing capabilities vehicles have

http://www.towinghorsetrailers.co.uk/towing_vehicles.htm

I still think on a budget the santa fe or sorrento are the best bet. An ex collegue of mine just got rid of her freelander (due to it being horrendous for breaking down) and exchanged it for a kia sorrento and she can't believe how much better a vehicle it is for the money
 
pipper said:
Please can you guys give me some advise regarding a new towing car? i am now giving up my freelander not because it wasnt any good as a tow vehicle (although I know people dont rate them) but because it has been an absolute money pit!
I want to get the smallest towing 4x4 that is cheap fuel wise - what are your recomedations please - have looked at the Honda CRV and the Santa Fe.
Thanks
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You dont think towing a horse trailer with a freelander is something to do with its problems??? and you want to get another small car thats right on the limit !!! why not get a shogun or a fortrack or even a discovery?
 
Are you after something new or 2nd hand. I'd go for fourtrak if 2nd hand. Cheap to run and would pull your house down no problem. Tough little trucks for the money! I've had two.
 
perfect11s said:
You dont think towing a horse trailer with a freelander is something to do with its problems??? and you want to get another small car thats right on the limit !!! why not get a shogun or a fortrack or even a discovery?
Click to expand...

No nothing to do with the problems!! I am asking for help and advise for buying a new towing vehicle - not your crit on what i already have thanks!

To the others who have kindly replied - i am vearing more towards the santa fe. As they dont hold their price it seems as though i could get more car for my money. They seem to have good testimonials on here.......
 
If you don't need huge towing capacity, I can thoroughly recommend my Little Donkey aka Nissan XTrail sport - mine is 03 reg, has done 133K, half of it towing and has never let me down (had it from new). It used to be good on diesel (about 40ish per gallon) and go like s**t of a shovel, now it's getting on a bit and grunts a lot, but still does the job brilliantly.

PS. and a full set of tyres is £260 (Kumos):D
 
pipper said:
Please can you guys give me some advise regarding a new towing car? i am now giving up my freelander not because it wasnt any good as a tow vehicle (although I know people dont rate them) but because it has been an absolute money pit!
I want to get the smallest towing 4x4 that is cheap fuel wise - what are your recomedations please - have looked at the Honda CRV and the Santa Fe.
Thanks
Click to expand...

Me thinks you need to find out what weight you need to pull including trailer horse/s tack etc and find a vehicle according - it does not matter whether it pulls well or not firstly you need to find out whether it does it legally . My vehicle is a Nissan Terrano which is cheap and cheerful but by golly it does pull well and is economical .

Sharonx
 
Have you thought about a Vauxhall Frontera? They are cheap as chips! I bought a top of the range one (02 plate) for £3K.

It has so far (touch wood) been very reliable, my local garage think I got a brilliant deal and have looked the car over and say it is in brilliant condition.

It easily does over 30/mpg and absolutely cruises down the motorway. It is a bit of a rough and ready drive, bit bumpy but I love it.

Its huge too - absolutely masses of room and tows like a dream, even up and down the ridiculously steep hills we have here ;)

This one is identical to mine (going by the picture anyway!!)

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgu...=1t:429,r:11,s:8&tx=96&ty=48&biw=1015&bih=570

Except mine is automatic and full leather ;)

The heated seats are such a luxury!! :D
 
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