Mid-range torque accounts for more than power when towing, and both of these diesels have plenty. The mightier version, which we test drove, has 428lb ft of torque, and should tow any sensibly matched caravan with ease. We have tips on how to choose a tow car on our Tow Car Awards website, covering legal towing limits, car driving licence restrictions and matching a car to a caravan. Our experience with the pre-facelift Touareg suggests that the new one will prove to be a stable tow car, as well as a quick one. It’s still a very heavy 4x4, with a kerbweight of 2185kg (including 75kg for the driver), which gives an 85% match figure of 1857kg. Moreover, a trailer stability programme is standard. The car we drove was fitted with air suspension with continuous damping control, a £2170 option on the SE and Escape models, and £1590 on the top-spec R-Line. This includes automatic levelling, so it should prove to be a worthwhile option for caravanners, though it is pricey. The system also allows drivers to switch the dampers between ‘sport’, ‘normal’ and ‘comfort’ modes. On the smooth German roads of our test route, the ‘comfort’ setting felt plush but may prove to be too soft for its own good with a caravan in tow. ‘Normal’ felt like a better compromise.
Over my dead body: that was my first thought just over two years ago when some mates in the trade suggested a 2005 E53-generation X5 3.0 Sport as a cheap rally service barge, tow vehicle and daily workhorse. ” I asked with a worried frown, as I was looking at a 100k-miler for the £6000-£7000 I wanted to spend. “Doesn’t matter,” said my pals. “They don’t go wrong.” My first choice, a Land Rover Discovery 4, was still way too expensive and everything else of that age and size was agricultural. I had a quick word with James Ruppert, who also had a petrol X5, and my mind was made up. At the time I was running a Kia Sportage KX-3, bought new on PCP, but it wasn’t big enough for all the rally gear I carried and I’d decided that PCP wasn’t great value for money. Because I’m happy fixing things if they break, it made sense to go back to something older and cheaper. Repayments were costing £330 a month, so in less than two years, I’d break even on an X5 if nothing went horribly wrong.
I ended up paying £6900, plus £270 having the inevitably kerbed wheels refinished back to factory spec. I managed to find one with the factory removable tow bar and fitted a reversing camera hooked up to the built-in screen for £50 as a DIY job. Two years on I love it and have no plans to sell (although I still fancy a Disco 4). It’s powerful, refined and fun to drive, it tows 3.5 tonnes and I’ve now warmed to the lovely, timeless design. I get around 28mpg and I’ve spent about £500, including labour, on a couple of oil changes and a new condenser and dryer for the air-con system. The first 3 Series I drove was the E30 generation when it was new, so seeing James’s beautiful E21 was a real treat. It has that genuine patina of a car that’s seen plenty of life while looking like it has plenty of life left in it.
My van isn’t a new addition, having featured on these pages for the past few years, but I did more with it in 2017 than ever before. After a major refurbishment, my Syncro was put to the test on a round-France camping trip, during which it performed reliably. I had wanted to sneak in a couple of runs up the quarter-mile at Santa Pod. Unfortunately, the clutch went just a few miles into the drive there and left me stranded. The issue was partly a legacy of a recent day of off-roading, because a small gap in the bell housing had allowed all kinds of mud and dirt to foul the clutch. But it has now been fixed. Roll on next year’s Concours d’Inelegance. You may remember reading a couple of years ago in this article that I was ready to chop in my trusty (and increasingly rusty) Ford Fiesta for a bigger family workhorse.
