Suzuki Vitara - Any good for towing with?

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Penniless

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I've asked on Soapbox if anyone hears of an automatic 4x4 going cheap around the Anglian area to let me know (my car finally been written off today after skidding on ice and ending up down a ditch in November) and someone has PM'd me to say they know of a decent Suzuki Vitara for sale in Newmarket. I like the cars having had Suzuki's before, but are they heavy enough to tow a horse trailer but mainly it has to tow my mobile snack bar on a daily basis - and I don't know whether they are robust and legal to do the towing weight. Anyone use one and know anything about it towing regulation-wise? Thanks in advance.
 
TBH, I probably wouldn't use one for regular towing. I worked out with mine (before it totally died) was that I would be cutting it really fine for towing one pony in a medium weight trailer.

My mate also has one and she finds it struggles with her 16hh warmblood and for long journeys, has to stop and let it cool down for 10 minutes halfway.
 
I have towed a rented IW trailer with 2 welsh cob x foals in back home from Builth Wells sales. My Susuki Vitara did the job well.
Hope this helps.
 
I would say NO as far as the older models are concerned but the top end new model you could probably just about tow one horse with. I did see someone at an event towing with a new 5 dr Vitara but I imagine they'd be at it's maximum capability with one horse.

It's a shame as they are great 4x4 vehicles in General. If you are after something cheaper then maybe look at the Kia Sorrentos of the Hyundai Santa Fe as they are certainly capable of towing.

This site's quite useful

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

In a word as far as Vitara is concerned then it looks like a no!
 
My sister tows with a 5 door Suzuki Grand Vitara (not sure if they are the same) she has an IW505 and only ever tows her 15.2 as any more puts her over the weight. She has been all over in it and it seems to tow really well .
 
I have a 2.5l Suzuki Grand Vitara and have had it since new, It is now 12 and I have towed all over the country with it without any problems whatsoever. It tows a Fautras trailer and is still going strong. Horses are Arabs so lightweight and the trailer is lightweight too.
 
Don't touch one.

I brought one for towing, was assured by garage that it was built for towing, I even looked online and it has good reports.

I towed an Ivor Williams HR10 with one horse in it. The Vitara was fine going on straight roads, but going up hill (at all) was a big NO.
The engine got so hot I had smoke coming out of it!! I luckily was near the yard, so pulled over, turned engine off and got horse out of trailer to safety!!

I had loads of other problems with the car, and finally part exchanged it for a ford focus and brought a Bedford TK, lovely old box :)

It you can find an Izuzi Tropper, I know lots of horse people with them, and they pull forever.
 
I have a newish Suzuki Grand Vitara 2ltr diesel it tows really well, never had a problem I tow a richardson rosette trailer with a 600kg cob on board and we have never had a problem. Ive been up hill down dale and up and down the M1 with no problems whatso ever. It was really good in all the snow too.
 
I have the 3 door grand vitara 1.6 petrol, would
never tow a trailer with it as it would be overweight. It is quite happy towing my muck trailer but wouldn't go much bigger than that! Otherwise it's a brilliant car for
me
 
Thanks everyone for your responses. It looks like a big NO to the Vitara then. As to trying the Hyundai Sante Fe, it was that car that took me down a ditch so maybe I'm being stupid, but don't want another one of those. Apart from that, the costs of servicing etc was astronomical. The final straw was that its taken 3 insurance assessors weeks and weeks to make up their minds whether its a write-off or not. Apparently the chassis was out so that made it a write-off as far as 2 of them were concerned, but the other engineer said it was repairable after the measurements. But then they decided that they would need to take out the engine and transmission being as they are so well hidden underneath which would cost too much money - they couldn't guarantee that the back end of the car wasn't damaged and I wasn't prepared to take that risk and neither was the garage where it had gone into.

I've been using my mates Land Rover Discovery since the accident and would love to try and find a cheap Automatic one of those, so if anyone knows of one around 50 mile radius of Newmarket, bear me in mind.

So thanks all of you - much appreciated.
 
Not sure it will be up to the weight. A lot will depend on the trailer weight and load weight in the trailer. Remember if you are over weight you will be towing illegally - this would also invalidate your insurance. There is masses of information on line about towing legally and safely and you should be able to find out about the maximum towing weight for that vehicle as well. Be aware that the maximum towing weights for some newer models may be different. We did loads of research last year when we were looking for a 4x4 - it is a bit mind blowing but worth it make sure you get it right. Good luck!:)
 
My mate went round a corner in his, and it went rolling across the counrty side! He wasnt going fast, it was a bit of a big bend!!

He had several bags of carrotts in the back which went every where, along with his macdonalds!

I doubt it would be able to tow anything TBH.
 
Penniless said:
I've asked on Soapbox if anyone hears of an automatic 4x4 going cheap around the Anglian area to let me know (my car finally been written off today after skidding on ice and ending up down a ditch in November) and someone has PM'd me to say they know of a decent Suzuki Vitara for sale in Newmarket. I like the cars having had Suzuki's before, but are they heavy enough to tow a horse trailer but mainly it has to tow my mobile snack bar on a daily basis - and I don't know whether they are robust and legal to do the towing weight. Anyone use one and know anything about it towing regulation-wise? Thanks in advance.
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Mine does fine, for what I want, my trailer is only 800kg, I can tow a max of 1850kg its a 2 litre petrol, so I count my horse as 500kg even though he isn't, just to make sure, I've towed my horse and a 14.2 pony and it was fine, BUT if I could turn back the clock I'd defo go for something a bit more suitable if you are regurlary going to tow, I only go to the beach now and again. If I go to fun rides I call the organisers to see if there's any steap hills enroute ! then I don't go ha ha

My friend has a 2 door shogun, she tows an ifor williams and her 14.2 but its more than capable of towing more than mine, and she finds the automatic great, we can't travel together because hers won't travel on the left and mine would have to go on the right.

SO it depends what you want to do and how heavy your trailer and what you want to carry in it are :-)

Have to say my suzy suki was fab in the snow, she's not so good in mud !
 
Vitara or a Grand vitara? They're not the same car! The grand vaitara is much bigger and heavier and would pull a horsebox ok (depending on it's model): my friend hasd an older one that pulled a small pony box no probs and now has a new bigger one that pulls a large horse box fine.
 
I used to have a 3dr '07 plate Sport model and beautiful as it was to drive I'd never tow horses with it. You'd probably be fine towing your snack bar but I'd never risk livestock.
 
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