eldudereno

At the moment I'm leaning towards a Mondeo tdci 130 but I also have one eye in the court of an Audi A4 1.9tdi 130. What are the diesel Audi's like when they're approaching 100k miles?

Due to the weight of the caravan I'll be towing I'll also need a reasonably heavyish towcar similar to my first 2 choices.

Any suggestions?

logiclee

What caravan are you towing? And what age A4 are you thinking of?

The pre01 A4's were light with a kerb weight of around 1300kg depending on spec. Some A4's have a higher kerbweight but audi impose a 1300kg tow limit.
Later models are heavier but it's best to check tow limits and nose weight limits as VAG models are a minefield, some models are stuck with 60kg nose weight limits. On the other hand shouldn't have many problems with 100k miles but towing will put added strain on the worn clutch etc.

A TDCI Mondeo Ghia on the other hand weighs in at over 1500kg with Ford setting a tow limit of 1800kg although you wouldn't want to try it.
I believe nose weight limit on the Mondeo is 75kg. Better to drive than the old A4 as well.

Cheers
Lee

eldudereno

Thanks for the reply Lee.

I'll be towing a Hobby Prestige which has an unladen weight of 1060kg and a fully laden weight of 1350kg.

The A4 that I'm interested in would be post '01.

Reffro

As a joker in the pack as it were, how about a Skoda Superb, same engine as the Audi, but a substantially larger car, 50mpg fuel economy, and 1450kg tow limit, on a car with a kerb/max weight of 1550/2000kg. Its a big car, incredibly comfortable for all the family, huge boot, and great engines. As an alternative, you could look at the 2.5 V6 TDi, with a 1650kg max tow weight.

Price wise they are available for 8.5k, though you may need to look a bit.

logiclee

The later A4's should be OK but it's best to check the exact model you are looking at.
The Superb as sugested above is a good choice as well as it's really just a long wheel based Passat.

I'll throw another car in then depending on your budget. The new Octavia Mk2 is getting good reviews among the caravanning magazines. You can get the latest VAG 2.0TDi 140 engine and kerb weight is up to 1545kg for the more powerfull diesels.

Cheers
Lee

KGB

I'd suggest a Mondeo Tdci 130 Zetec, 2004 53 plate facelift model in silver, in fact i'm looking to sell just such a car yours for a bargain £9500!!!

Seriously though, not used mine as a tow car but with the performance they have i'd reckon they'd be ideal. On a 250 mile journey on a mix of roads including a private one at 90mph the trip computer said we were getting 62mpg. Only downside has been the depreciation, 18 odd thousand 18 months ago, getting offers of 9.5k now

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Citroen C5 HDi..........they AKWAYS ride level with their superb suspension set up, no worries with weight or towing.............not towcar of the year for nowt!

Alcazar

logiclee

If you've been offered £9500 for it ****** their hands of straight away.

Tade in value for Nottingham area would be about £9k from a Ford Dealer and around £8400 from a Supermarket.

Still £9500 not a bad price for a private buyer though.

Cheers
Lee