Which Tow Car?
Land Rover rules supreme in the towing stakes, but which model is right for you? Dave Phillips investigates…
IMAGINE THE Oscars if the same actor or director won the top gong every year for a quarter of a century. There would be an outcry and the movie world would cry “fix!”. But when it comes to automotive awards it is a given that the prizes for tow car of the year will inevitably go to the Discovery. Nobody complains because there’s nothing to compare to the Disco.
That’s the way it’s been since Land Rover’s famous middleweight burst onto the scene late in 1989. It’s been punching above its weight ever since and the fifthgeneration model, launched last year, has proved to be a worthy successor to its illustrious predecessors. The Disco keeps picking up those awards because it is the darling of the caravanners. According to the National Caravan Council (NCC) two million British people take caravan holidays every year. The Caravan Club alone has an impressive 850,000 members.
But my favourite statistic from the NCC is that if all 500,000 touring caravans in Britain were put end to end they would stretch from Land’s End to John O’groats three times (3000 miles). That should bring a wry smile to anyone who gets stuck behind a slow procession of the blighters en route to the coast this summer.
But back to the subject in hand, caravanners love Discos because they can easily tow their boxes on wheels without breaking into a sweat; they’re immensely stable; the diesel engines are torquey and economical; and they are truly versatile. There’s room for a lot of passengers and luggage in a Disco.
I’d agree that for towing a caravan a Disco with its maximum towing capacity of 3500 kg is ideal, but if you’re just taking a trailer of junk to the recycling centre, you don’t actually need anything that big. The Freelander’s 2000 kg capacity is ideal – and well capable of hauling most single-axle caravans, too.
If you’re shopping for a Land Rover as a tow vehicle, the maximum capacity of Defenders, Discoverys Range Rovers and RR Sports is usually 3500 kg (3.5 metric tonnes) for braked trailers (maximum 750 kg for unbraked). The Discovery Sport is rated at 2000 to 2200 kg and the Range Rover Evoque is the lowest, at 1500 kg.
Series models are slightly more confusing and it is best to check the chassis plate of the model concerned. It can vary, but as a rule of thumb 3500 kg is again considered the maximum towing weight for a 109. The SWB 88 is usually 2000 kg. Some LWB 109s may have 4000 kg stamped on them, but this is often the result of it starting life as a commercial vehicle with air brakes fitted.
In all honesty, these figures for Series vehicles are largely academic, as few would relish hauling a 3500 kg trailer with a 2.25-litre naturally-aspirated diesel engine in modern traffic unless you enjoy heading a long procession of frustrated motorists at 40 mph...
So, which Land Rover is best for your towing needs? All things considered, it is hard to argue with the experts. The Discovery is incredibly capable both as a brilliant tow vehicle and as a versatile people carrier or, with the rear seats folded down, a capacious load carrier. On top of that, there is a Discovery for every price bracket, ranging from £1000 Tdi models through to £50,000 for an all-new fifth-generation model. The most popular ones with enthusiasts are probably the Td5-powered Discovery 2 (1998 – 2004) or the Disco 3/4 (2004 – 2017).
But don’t forget that the first-generation Range Rover Sport (2005 – 2013) is built on the same platform as the Disco 3 and is every bit as good for towing – as well as a nifty performer when it’s unhitched. They don’t come as cheap as Disco 3s, though.
And if you don’t need that 3500 kg capacity, consider the economic benefits of a late Freelander 1 or early Freelander 2 with a Td4. There’s plenty of torque and you can expect 40 mpg when towing.
Finally, never rule out the Defender. It is a stable, reliable tow car that behaves well even in high winds and, of course, holds its value better than any other Land Rover.
The choice, as always, is yours.