Towing

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fineo, Aug 4, 10:03am
looking at getting a Caravan (English Import).
Question is, will a 2ltr sedan with a CVT transmission be okay to tow it ,or should I go to something with a larger motor.?
Manual gearbox not an option, wife only comfortable with Auto.
Thanks in advance
tamarillo, Aug 4, 10:11am
Possibly depends on model but cvt boxes are not generally thought of as good for towing, tend to be a bit weak. But what is vehcile?
franc123, Aug 4, 10:14am
What size/weight is the caravan? Engine size isn't so much the issue, its whether the particular transmission (CVT's do vary in how well they can tolerate it) in the car you are considering will be up to it long term.
thejazzpianoma, Aug 4, 10:42am
A great place to start is to look up the UK caravan clubs tow car of the year information. Just google that.

CC rating isn't a good guide, Some 1400cc cars will tow fine and some 2.0 ones are pretty rubbish. There is just too much varied technology around and we don't know what your budget is or anything.

In general my preference is the likes of a VW Passat or any of the VW group cars (Skoda, Seat, Audi etc) pick one with a wet clutch DSG transmission and you have a formidable tow machine. They all come with trailer stability control which can save your ass like nothing else when something goes wrong. Later ones have trailer backing contol and other goodies as well.

The key thing is to buy something that is designed to tow.

Best of luck
thejazzpianoma, Aug 4, 10:43am
Also. definitely no towing with a Nissan CVT, but even CVT's in general are best avoided for your purpose.
tim41, Aug 4, 10:48am
In general my preference is the likes of a VW Passat or any of the VW group cars
really who would have known?
msigg, Aug 4, 11:51am
Well CVT will tow OK, as per frank you would want to keep the caravan weight down, maybe under 1000kg. They use alot of Nissan Xtrail in the UK for towing, we had a diesel for a month and it was great. Long term I would want either diesel or something a bit bigger in petrol, All depends on the weight of the caravan. Something heavier than 1000kg I would get a bigger engine with a normal Auto trans. Hey years ago friends used to pull a small caravan around the south Island with a nissan pulsar, that car is still going strong.Check your vehicle recommendations from the manufacturer.
franc123, Aug 4, 12:09pm
Correct, towing IS permissable with Nissan CVT's, the later XTrails with the Xtronic trans are a much better option, these are rated at 1600kg towing with the genuine accessory bars from memory, nice vehicles overall too.
atom.ant, Aug 4, 12:48pm
as above said. CVT and towing is not a (in general) a good combination. A lot depends on the make/model and year of the car
kevymtnz, Aug 4, 1:26pm
forget VW the answer to tow legally, find the weight of the caravan and add 20%, this is the min requirement of the tow vehicle
sw20, Aug 4, 1:48pm
Actually that is wrong, there is no law that requires you to adhere to any weight recommendation. You must however be able to stop from 30km/h in seven metres while towing.
tweake, Aug 4, 1:51pm
no such thing in this country.
mojo49, Aug 4, 2:02pm
We have a top of the range UK caravan, dual axle, 8 metres stem to stern. weighs close to 2000kg fully loaded. I tow with a 2007 3.8L V6 top of the Pajero Exceed. It weighs about 2500kg. I like to tow with something heavier than what I am towing. Don't need the Pajero power but I like to tow using the 4WD option for extra stability. Probably an overkill, but the Pajero also has all the comfort of a luxury car as well as the weight- towing benefit. I used to tow with a 1997 Landrover Discovery, which was similar in weight etc to the Pajero. Still use the Disco for a work vehicle.
fineo, Aug 4, 2:09pm
Well will do some rethinking. Thanks for all your input.
jeff1234, Aug 4, 5:01pm
Most of the xtrails in the UK will be Manual. People seem to be forgetting that when drawing comparisons to justify CVT's! There was another comparison for UK recently, most of the cheaper stuff in Europe is still manual.
phalanax, Aug 4, 5:13pm
A 2000 cc engine towing a caravan. glad im not following them.
matarautrader, Aug 5, 4:02am
vtecintegra, Aug 5, 4:31am
That's completely changed over the past couple of years - while there are still more manuals available in most of Europe to here it isn't like things were even ten years ago
tfc3, Aug 5, 5:05am
I tow a UK caravan with a 2.4 cvt, no issues. It is important to follow service recommendations. Check out www.cvt.co.nz.
I have been towing with this car for 4 years and 45000kms.
martin11, Aug 5, 5:16am
Until you have an accident towing well above the vehicle manufacturers weights your insurance company can decline the claim .
msigg, Aug 5, 5:18am
There you all go , straight from the horses mouth. No more nonsense talk. Good on ya.
electromic, Aug 5, 5:56am
It is not just CVT's but some regular autos too. My mazda atenza with a 2.3l engine and 4 speed auto is rated to 1000kg braked and half that unbraked, it has a weak auto. The same shape car 2 years newer is rated to 1500kg braked. Vehicle choice is important and depends on the size/weight of the caravan. I personally prefer a commercial vehicle for towing but have towed with jap, euro, british, and aussie cars.
sw20, Aug 5, 5:59am
Got a link to a disclosure statement that has that in writing?
msigg, Aug 5, 12:18pm
sw20 my dads father works for a trucking company in south auckland, their weigh bridge is sometimes used to weigh the tow vehicle and the boat/caravan or whaterver that was in the accident to confirm a weight for insurance companies.
mojo49, Aug 5, 12:54pm
A decent transmission oil cooler is essential for reliable towing with an auto. I have seen so many stopped over the years with a cocked auto.