Towing vehicle Audi A6 what estates do you use?

Ponies1234

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Morning wondered if you all could please help me I'm looking at a towing vehicle, weeks of searching still as confused
Land rovers, freelanders, range rovers, discos been told to stay away as they go wrong alot!
Looked at the Kia sorento however the chassis on these rot a Kia dealer told me quietly they rot really quick don't waste my money that's why many are not about! I was looking at the 03/04 and to Look at Audi A6 on parkers website states A6 is 2.5 ton but looking on car tow only some years on there it don't say
Shogun's, naveras etc.. are all over budget
Jeeps- been told parts cost a lot a fortune to run
I need something take kids school daily yard shopping etc.. without killing diesal!
Towing now and then 1-2 ponies to local show will be looking at the ifor 505 I do have to tackle hills ideally wanting a estate what do you all tow with & would recommend, obviously safety is the 1st thing
Thanks
 
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Scarlett

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We tow with a 2006 A6 Allroad 2.5v6. Towing weight is 2100kg and we tow two horses in a lightweight trailer.

We are really, really happy with it. We did have a Jeep Grand Cherokee with a tow weight of 3500kg and worried the A6 would feel flimsy but we have been pleasantly surprised. It tows well and is excellent as an every day car for dogs, feed shop runs etc.

The weight of the car also means if I buy a single horse trailer I can tow on my B licence and not have to rely on my partner who has the correct licence!
 

Tiddlypom

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Skoda octavia 4x4? Ive not towed with mine but think it would be capable.
Brilliant all round tow vehicles but tow limit is 2t. OP, how steep are the hills you will be towing on? I ask because if you may ever need to pull away from a 1 in 5 at a tricky junction in Devon, the tow vehicle recommendation would be different to if your hills are more gently graded.
 

Neds2017

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Sorry I read your reply wrong! No I need something that can tow 2.5 I think? my brains so mashed up with kgs it's confusing, I'm not sure how much mine weigh they are both fine 13.2 & 15hh
 

ROG

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Sorry I read your reply wrong! No I need something that can tow 2.5 I think? my brains so mashed up with kgs it's confusing, I'm not sure how much mine weigh they are both fine 13.2 & 15hh

You just need to know how much weight you are putting into the trailer then add the empty trailer weight to that so you can get the total weight your vehicle needs to tow
If not sure of weight then go over the top as better to estimate too much than too little
 

Neds2017

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2ton worries me I brought a Freelander petrol 03 plate not realising how bad they were! Sold immediately as was told so many bad things of trailers pushing them down hills don't no if this is different from the Skoda? I was thinking of a Skoda estate too my budgets only 1,500-1,800 :/
I'm preferably looking for a diesal looking at lots vehicles what would you say is a ok milage for a diesal? I really have no idea! We are quite hilly here my yards on the top of a hill but not steep steep
 

Neds2017

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We tow with a 2006 A6 Allroad 2.5v6. Towing weight is 2100kg and we tow two horses in a lightweight trailer.


We are really, really happy with it. We did have a Jeep Grand Cherokee with a tow weight of 3500kg and worried the A6 would feel flimsy but we have been pleasantly surprised. It tows well and is excellent as an every day car for dogs, feed shop runs etc.

The weight of the car also means if I buy a single horse trailer I can tow on my B licence and not have to rely on my partner who has the correct licence!

How is it on hills? Can I ask what trailer you have please? Have you had any issues with the car in general itself mehanical wise Glad to hear a good review
 

Scarlett

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How is it on hills? Can I ask what trailer you have please? Have you had any issues with the car in general itself mehanical wise Glad to hear a good review

Great on hills, no obvious different feel between it and the Jeep. We have a very steep hill just 2 min from our yard and I was interested to see how it coped first time with 2 horses and it was fine! Junction at the top is also on a gradient and we have no issues if we need to stop and pull away again.

We have a Sluis Stinger which is basically just a Cheval Liberte with a different name. It can carry 2000kg max and we use it to transport my TB's - 550kg and 500kg. Trailer is 750kg iirc so we are pulling 1900kg approx.

It's a good car tbh. It's the earlier model as they are considered better to tow with. They are the only 4x4 based car to make it round the Landrover off road test track which is no mean feat!

The 2.5V6 is a good engine, also the one in the Toureg. Pretty cheap to run and not hideous to maintain. My only issue with the Allroad is that it has adjustable air suspension which can be temperamental. I have found that the cost of parts has come down recently though due to the patent running out and aftermarket parts being made available so at least if you have an issue it's much, much less to repair. Our car has had a gearbox fault but that's the car and not specific to the Allroad. It's a lovely car, we wanted one for a while before buying and we haven't been disappointed at all.
 

riversideeu

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I tow an Ifor Williams 506 usually with one heavy 700kg 16.1hh but have had 2 horses in for short journeys and my 09 Hyundai Santa Fe is brilliant. I previously had a Defender then Isuzu Trooper so was a bit worried it was only a 2.2 but it is brilliant.
 

Annagain

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A 505 is roughly 900kg and it sounds like your two ponies would be about 400-450kg each so something that tows 2,000kg would be plenty for you. A litre of water weighs 1kg so you're not going to add more than 20-30kgs of water. If you put tack in car it won't affect the weight of the trailer. That would allow you plenty of choice of estate cars or smaller 4x4s.

The petrol Freelander 1 had many problems which is where their reputation for going wrong came from. Diesel ones, especially late model Freelander 2s are much more reliable and worth a look, I'd say. Since the launch of the Discovery Sport their value has dropped so you can get some bargains. Having said that, Skoda Oktavias are very good cars - my OH has a saloon version and we haven't had any trouble at all with it in the 3 years we've had it. The Octavia Scout (4x4 version) sounds like it could work well for you.
 

Fiona

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We tow with a Skoda Octavia and love it.

A 12.2 and 13.2 in a Richardson trailer.

If the weights work for you then I can definitely 100% recommend...

Fiona
 

tallyho!

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Morning wondered if you all could please help me I'm looking at a towing vehicle, weeks of searching still as confused
Land rovers, freelanders, range rovers, discos been told to stay away as they go wrong alot!
Looked at the Kia sorento however the chassis on these rot a Kia dealer told me quietly they rot really quick don't waste my money that's why many are not about! I was looking at the 03/04 and to Look at Audi A6 on parkers website states A6 is 2.5 ton but looking on car tow only some years on there it don't say
Shogun's, naveras etc.. are all over budget
Jeeps- been told parts cost a lot a fortune to run
I need something take kids school daily yard shopping etc.. without killing diesal!
Towing now and then 1-2 ponies to local show will be looking at the ifor 505 I do have to tackle hills ideally wanting a estate what do you all tow with & would recommend, obviously safety is the 1st thing
Thanks

Ha I just posted asking for reviews of tow cars! Wish I'd seen your post first :D

I towed with an A4 2.0D for a while. It was good for IW505 plus 1 500kg horse, wouldn't want to put any more weight in than that. Couldn't if I wanted to as Braked Towing Cap. was 1600kg.

I have also towed with a Nissan Patrol 3.0D Braked Tow Cap. 3500kg - a breeze towing two 500kg horses in same trailer. You could tow a 3 bed house with one of these :D

Toyota LC - Braked 3500kg - a breeze.

Land Rover Defender LWB 1988 model.... one horse, struggles up hills - a snail on crutches could overtake you easily, unless you have turbo in which case, a great way to gas those tail-gaiting you.

Land Rover freelander - cap. 2200kg - pretty good towing one horse and several cattle to market.

I'm actually looking for reviews for the new Land Rover Disco Sport, Merc GLC and XC60 if anyone has any experience.... 2x500kg horses IW505
 

abbijay

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I tow with a Passat Alltrack which has 2.2tons of towing capacity. I have a Richardson supreme ultra (1100kg) and carry 1 850kg horse on it. I have no trouble towing with it but I don't go far and I live on the plains of cheshire so we don't tend to encounter any big or steep hills. The only thing I have found it to struggle with is reversing up slopes, it doesn't like that.
 

jaquelin

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Quick word of advice - use Parker’s web site to find technical data on the vehicle you wish to buy.
I recently replaced a Jeep Cherokee sport ( tow capacity 2250kg) with a Skoda Yeti diesel 4x4, BUT, when shopping around, found that every different Yeti model had a different towing capacity, and car dealers are clueless!
From your description, you will not need more than 2000kg towing capacity, which should give you a lot of options.
However, if I am correct that your car budget is £2k, then you will be limited to older cars. If that is the case, look for diesel ( more powerful engines) and 4x4, if affordable.
Parker’s is your friend.
 

ROG

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Car leasing site is also great for specs

If looking for specs on a Skoda Yeti I will google - skoda yeti gvw kg - then click the car leasing site link - then click max towing capacity on the left by scrolling down a bit
 

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I love it when people are told absolute b0ll9ks about Landrovers and believe it :D

I have had a series 3, a Defender 90, a Defender 110 and 3 Discoveries so far, not one has ever broken down or been unreliable :)

The Freelander is acknowledged as not being able to pull the skin off a rice pudding as it is aimed at the ‘Chelsea Tractor taking the kids to school/supermarket run’ market so definitely don’t bother with one of those - go Disco or Defender :)
 

MagicMelon

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Lévrier;13790842 said:
The Freelander is acknowledged as not being able to pull the skin off a rice pudding as it is aimed at the ‘Chelsea Tractor taking the kids to school/supermarket run’ market so definitely don’t bother with one of those - go Disco or Defender :)

Sorry but I disagree! Ive got a Freelander 2 and love it. Ive towed my Bateson Ascot with one horse (sometimes 1 horse and 1 pony) for the past 4 years easily. It never struggled. The ONLY time it did feel the weight was when I towed my 17.1hh warmblood but he did weight a lot. I'm also now looking for a new tow vehicle and would easily have another Freelander if my OH didnt keep going on at me that I have to get something more economic since we live in a very rural area so I do get through a lot of fuel going places.

OP, is that really true about the Kia Sorento as that was the car Id actually decided on and have been looking to go and start viewing! Maybe I'll look at the Audi A6 Allroad instead...
 

chaps89

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My parents have an Audi a6, it's a v6 Quattro model about 12 years old I think? Any repairs cost a fortune generally speaking and I don't think it is particularly economical on fuel. However it does tow well but they are very long (obviously!) so my mum doesn't overly enjoy towing with it for that reason.
 

Neds2017

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Thanks everyone for your replies :)
I'm still stuck!
Skoda Octavia (I don't think he capacity is high enough)
Audi A6
VW Passat is the one standing out I can get a newer one quite cheap with low miles but what are they really like reliability towing 2 going up and down steep hills and dual carriageway?
Or the Kia Sportage (don't no if these are the same as the Sorrento's I'll check)
Thanks everyone
 

Neds2017

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Sorry but I disagree! Ive got a Freelander 2 and love it. Ive towed my Bateson Ascot with one horse (sometimes 1 horse and 1 pony) for the past 4 years easily. It never struggled. The ONLY time it did feel the weight was when I towed my 17.1hh warmblood but he did weight a lot. I'm also now looking for a new tow vehicle and would easily have another Freelander if my OH didnt keep going on at me that I have to get something more economic since we live in a very rural area so I do get through a lot of fuel going places.

OP, is that really true about the Kia Sorento as that was the car Id actually decided on and have been looking to go and start viewing! Maybe I'll look at the Audi A6 Allroad instead...

Yes unfortunately I was gutted as they do look nice and there cheap! Man end of my road works for Kia everyone I saw I checked the mot on gov loads said corroded chassis weakens the car major fix now even though it can be fixed apparently, my mehanic & he said once that starts all end of problems fixed or not! Google search results found this true I was though looking good at the 02/03/04/05 plates I've no idea of the new ones thinking of the Sportage now I'll ask if they are the same
 

pixie27

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Second the posters saying to use Parker’s - I lived on that site when I was looking!

I narrowed my search down to Jeep Cherokee and Kia Sorento. The Kia felt tiny and dark and like it had too many/too big blind spots. Also heard they fell apart quite quickly. I’ve had my Jeep for just over a year, it’s been v reliable. Had a few niggles but parts weren’t that expensive (helps to have a Dad who’ll go rummaging through the scrap heap for you!). I have a long commute every day and it doesn’t cost too much to run - no more than a normal 4x4. It tows like a dream and is a comfy ride.

The other id have loved to get was a SWB Shogun, but they might be out of your budget/cost too much to run.
 

Annagain

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Lévrier;13790842 said:
I love it when people are told absolute b0ll9ks about Landrovers and believe it :D

I have had a series 3, a Defender 90, a Defender 110 and 3 Discoveries so far, not one has ever broken down or been unreliable :)

The Freelander is acknowledged as not being able to pull the skin off a rice pudding as it is aimed at the ‘Chelsea Tractor taking the kids to school/supermarket run’ market so definitely don’t bother with one of those - go Disco or Defender :)

Totally agree on point one Lev - my OH is a Land Rover freak so I'm not allowed anything else but having driven every model at some point over the last 15 years, I've only had one break down on me, once, and that was easily fixed.

I sort of agree on the Freelander - compared to the bigger Land Rover cars it doesn't have the same pulling power but it was never desinged to be like them. Compared to others the same size it's a class leader.
 

AandK

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Second the posters saying to use Parker’s - I lived on that site when I was looking!

I narrowed my search down to Jeep Cherokee and Kia Sorento. The Kia felt tiny and dark and like it had too many/too big blind spots. Also heard they fell apart quite quickly. I’ve had my Jeep for just over a year, it’s been v reliable. Had a few niggles but parts weren’t that expensive (helps to have a Dad who’ll go rummaging through the scrap heap for you!). I have a long commute every day and it doesn’t cost too much to run - no more than a normal 4x4. It tows like a dream and is a comfy ride.

The other id have loved to get was a SWB Shogun, but they might be out of your budget/cost too much to run.

It's funny how different people have differing perspectives! I had a Jeep Cherokee a few years ago, which towed 3.5t so plenty of power, but sadly it died after 2yrs due to the cylinder head cracking, which is a common issue. Along with a starter motor issue, the repair bill was way more than the car was worth so I had to scrap it and ended up buying a lorry. After 3yrs I have just sold my lorry (due to not using it enough) and gone back to a trailer and 4x4. I now have a Kia Sorento and it is a great car, I find the visibilty really good compared to the Jeep and it has been well looked after with a really good MOT record (no corrosion). It is a 56 plate and can tow 2.8t, so plenty for my Bateson Ascot and horse (about 550kg). I have heard good things about the Sorento, hence getting one.
 
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