Recommend me a 4x4

dixie

dixie

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 August 2005
Messages
5,131
Location
Devon
Visit site
So I have decided to change my runaround Peugeot 207 and towing car, Jeep Grand Cherokee to one car.

It needs to be able to tow at least 3 tonnes, have good reasonable mpg - 30mpg would be good if possible and as I use it for business, not too ugly! Budget it around £15k.

I'm currently looking at Kia Sorrento's and Jeep Cherokee 2.8. But there are none around me at the moment.

What else can I be looking at. Nothing agricultural looking please.:D
 
Honda CRV??

I have an 02 plate one and its great. I don't tow with it but it copes fine with my rough lane and is even good in the snow as long as its not too deep!
 
Looks lovely but doesn't seem to be able to tow very much - the one I checked on Autotrader says only up to 1.6tonnes.

Forgot to add that I want an automatic too.
 
I tow a 510 ivor williams trailer, so also have to look at serious tow vehicles, especially if there are two in the back ! i currently have a ssangyong rexton, fab for towing but is thirsty, not sure on mpg but poss somewhere around 30, i have had in the past a mitsubishi shogun which was fab but had the swb version so not much room in car when going to shows, towed fabulously though, mpg just over 30, before that had a fabulous nissan x trail, if you go for the diesel 270 bhp version it tows 2.8tonne, did around 45mpg (and actually achieved this towing too !) and was both fab to drive and looked really smart, had loads of technology built in and was my favorite tow vehicle, you would easily get one too for your budget. i've also had two jeep cherokee's both fab for towing but the newer ones did tow more, up to 2.8 tonne the older ones before 06 plates only towed 2.5t. both were diesels and were great mpg, over 30.

hope this helps, sadly no longer able to get a 4x4 as company car so have to buy old versions now :(
 
I have an automatic Kia Sorento & it is great. Drives like a car & tows really well. I had to wait a couple of months for one to come up for sale that was vaguely close by though.
 
I remember I did have teh Ssangyong on my list, but had forgotten about it - very rare around here at the moment.

Have just done a search on the x-trail on Autotrader and can't seem to find the model you are referring to, sounds just what I want. The ones I can find are woefully inadequate.
 
Previously had a dodge nitro which was fab looking but again a bit basic on spec. They are pretty reasonable to buy now but just as expensive as the disco to run.
 
There are very few that will tow 3T. All the Landrovers (except Freelander and Evoque) Shogun, Kia Sorrento, Landcruiser VW Touareg, Jeep Grand Cherokee and that's about it unless you go for some of the older ones like the Isuzu Trooper or Nissan Terrano. From what you say, you're after something newer though?
They're all pretty big and thirsty - that's the nature of the beast unfortunately.
Do you need 3T? If you're towing an IW 510, that's roughly 1T and two big horses would be about 1.4T max (my 17hh ISH has been weighed on a weigh bridge at 680kg) so that's 2.4T so maybe 2.7 or 2.8T would be enough?

This website is pretty helpful to show you your options - http://www.towinghorsetrailers.co.uk/towing_vehicles.htm

My OH is a bit of a 4x4 nut so between his cars and sharing lifts with friends I've seen quite a few makes and models over the years. Personally I don't think you can beat a Defender for towing and some of the special editions are really quite flash and comfy these days (if expensive to buy) If you really need something smarter the Discovery is good too. Although not great fuel-wise, they can scrape 30 if you drive them carefully and the newer ones are a lot more fuel efficient. 15k would buy you a 2007/8 Discovery 3depending on spec.

Other than that the Shogun (and Shogun Sport) tows well but I thought the interior looked really cheap and plasticky. My friend's old Trooper was excellent but they stopped making them in 2003. The BMW X5 (which tows 2.8T) was great on the road but terrible off road, even a bit of damp grass was enough to leave you completely stranded (even without a trailer!) and my friend would have to load her horses at the top of a not particularly steep lane to one of the venues we go to as it couldn't pull the trailer up the lane which was loose gravel. In the meantime I'd be having to brake in my Defender on tick over to stop crashing into her from behind! The Nissan Terrano is also quite nice but they only go up to 2006 (and 2.8 T) i think?

I've never tried a Sorrento but other Kias I've driven (hire cars for work) have been dreadful and have really put me off. Having said that, it's mostly the gear box that's bad so an auto might be ok.

Hope that's useful!
 
I used to tow with my Dad's Disco 3 but then I moved to another county so was too far to pop in and borrow it. I sold my (v cheap to run!) Aygo end of Feb and bought a 2.8 Jeep Cherokee (53 plate). It is great, love driving it and it tows my trailer just as well as the Disco did. It's a bit painful to fill up compared to my old car but it has a towing capacity of 3.5t so it's got the pulling power. It did take a while to find a decent one though, but I would definitely recommend the Cherokee :)
 
annagain said:
There are very few that will tow 3T. All the Landrovers (except Freelander and Evoque) Shogun, Kia Sorrento, Landcruiser VW Touareg, Jeep Grand Cherokee and that's about it unless you go for some of the older ones like the Isuzu Trooper or Nissan Terrano. From what you say, you're after something newer though?
They're all pretty big and thirsty - that's the nature of the beast unfortunately.
Do you need 3T? If you're towing an IW 510, that's roughly 1T and two big horses would be about 1.4T max (my 17hh ISH has been weighed on a weigh bridge at 680kg) so that's 2.4T so maybe 2.7 or 2.8T would be enough?

This website is pretty helpful to show you your options - http://www.towinghorsetrailers.co.uk/towing_vehicles.htm

My OH is a bit of a 4x4 nut so between his cars and sharing lifts with friends I've seen quite a few makes and models over the years. Personally I don't think you can beat a Defender for towing and some of the special editions are really quite flash and comfy these days (if expensive to buy) If you really need something smarter the Discovery is good too. Although not great fuel-wise, they can scrape 30 if you drive them carefully and the newer ones are a lot more fuel efficient. 15k would buy you a 2007/8 Discovery 3depending on spec.

Other than that the Shogun (and Shogun Sport) tows well but I thought the interior looked really cheap and plasticky. My friend's old Trooper was excellent but they stopped making them in 2003. The BMW X5 (which tows 2.8T) was great on the road but terrible off road, even a bit of damp grass was enough to leave you completely stranded (even without a trailer!) and my friend would have to load her horses at the top of a not particularly steep lane to one of the venues we go to as it couldn't pull the trailer up the lane which was loose gravel. In the meantime I'd be having to brake in my Defender on tick over to stop crashing into her from behind! The Nissan Terrano is also quite nice but they only go up to 2006 (and 2.8 T) i think?

I've never tried a Sorrento but other Kias I've driven (hire cars for work) have been dreadful and have really put me off. Having said that, it's mostly the gear box that's bad so an auto might be ok.

Hope that's useful!
Click to expand...

Yes that is useful:)
Have had 3 Terranos in the past and loved them. Why do they keep stop making the cars I like. The Kia's have been downgraded with the new models too.

2.8t will do, this is what the Terranos did but have got used to beefy Jeep at 3.5 t and we have extremely steep Devon hills around us, especially up to the yard, so want a bit of grunt.

My business partner has a X5 and is selling it but he also got stuck in my driveway on the snow - was dreadful !
 
I have a Kia Sorento and love it, mine is manual and tows 3 tonne. If I remember rightly the auto tows 3.5 tonne. Had mine for 5 years from new and its never let me down. Gutted when they made the new ones with a lighter chassis as I wouldn't hesitate to buy another.
 
I two a 511 with an 08 Kia Sorento Diesel automatic. I bought the car second hand about 2.5 years ago and so far no problems. It's great for towing but not cheap to run with road tax at £475 a year :eek:
 
dixie said:
So I have decided to change my runaround Peugeot 207 and towing car, Jeep Grand Cherokee to one car.

It needs to be able to tow at least 3 tonnes, have good reasonable mpg - 30mpg would be good if possible and as I use it for business, not too ugly! Budget it around £15k.

I'm currently looking at Kia Sorrento's and Jeep Cherokee 2.8. But there are none around me at the moment.

What else can I be looking at. Nothing agricultural looking please.:D
Click to expand...

Don't buy a Honda couldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding - I have a Shogun great piece of kit and pulls with ease. When looking for 4x4's check their towing weight you will be surprised there are not many up to the job - OK if you have a caravan
 
I believe budget wise the Kia Sorrento and (I thought) the Hyundai Santa Fe were pretty similar for towing capacity?

Aren't Isuzu Troopers pretty good?
 
I had a trooper- 3 litre one and cuaght fire and was awful the 3.1 litre are best. now have kia sorrento 2.5td XS leather seats etc which is fab.
 
Kia Sorrento. Love mine 57 plate xs model diesel and does over 350 miles to a 3/4 tank. Pulls like a dream, has loads of extras...i pull an ifor 510 big one as i have a heavy 17.1hh full Id and you can not tell he is in it! I really want to trade in mine and get an 09 or above model as they have extra seats in the boot! Love em
 
I have a shogun (05 plate so before the hike in tax) and it is a brilliant towing vehicle and not at all tacky and cheap looking inside in fact that is one of the reasons I discounted a sorrento
 
Isuzu crew cab worth a look love ours, we had a crap jeep Cherokee couldn't sell it quick enough got disco in place.
 
dixie said:
I remember I did have teh Ssangyong on my list, but had forgotten about it - very rare around here at the moment.

Have just done a search on the x-trail on Autotrader and can't seem to find the model you are referring to, sounds just what I want. The ones I can find are woefully inadequate.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't touch the ssangyong, I had one a year old and end up handing it back in, our local dealers have stopped stocking them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top