Tow Cars (on a trailer)

[Stewart J]

Thinking about down sizing our present car to a so called "city car" to tow on a trailer, we spend 6 months of the year in So France or Spain I am coming up 70 OH not happy with our scooter so a very tentative looking at the market place.
Visited Carlisle on another matter today so looked at the offerings in a few garages, Citroen, Peugeot, Toyota, Seat, and VW.
We have whittled it down to the Seat Mii, Hyundai i10 and the VW Up, the others have their goods and bads but the three mentioned score for us on interior room especially in the rear and bigger engine output options.
It will be July/August before we commit so looking to fellow Funsters options/preferences/horror stories and are there any others we should look at.
Pre-registered/Demo vehicles seem to be the way forward with some big savings on new.
Present car is a Golf Match 1.6 TDI and at 7 years old is the longest we have ever owned a vehicle 50K on the clock, cracking car but to heavy to tow.
TIA

 

[Richard n Ann]

We've had a VW UP! 'upsie' since 2014. Excellent small car, great suspension not too hard like other small cars. Cruises on the motorway very well at low revs.

Nothing i don't like really, it's only the 60bhp version, which is fine but not so good for overtaking. There is a 90bhp version I think

 

[Pausim]

Very happy with our VW Up. Comfortable and I enjoy driving it. Surprised by how much we can pack into it too, which can be important if you are trying to keep the weight of your mh down and use it as a luggage trailer.

 

[canopus]

We have had a Seat Mii since 2012. It’s the sporty 75bhp model with cruise control, alloy wheels and sat nav. We pull it on an A frame and it’s a great little car we’ve not done 25000 miles in it yet. The VW Up, Skoda Citigo and Seat Mii (all VAG) are built in the same factory. You pay more for the Up.

 

[Camdoon]

Been a Hyundai-ite since 2008. 5 seats - 5 years guarantee - great cars.

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[mpdcymru]

We are on our second Hyundai i-10 (having also owned 2 Santa Fe models, 2 Sonatas and 2 stellars). The current i-10 is a pre -reg model that we bought in April last year. Very pleasant driving experience, plenty of room for 4 (and OK for 5 if the three in the back are not too large!).

Never towed one so cannot comment on that but canot see it being much different to any other car once it is on a trailer.

 

[pandas]

another vote for a VW 'up' although we used it with an A frame. 4 door version is better for us with the grandkids whilst at home.

 

[Langtoftlad]

Very happy with my i-10 1.2SE, been rock solid...
...apart from what I thought was a gearbox problem, very rough, notchy, crunching, not nice...
...took it to my mechanic [who's been looking after my cars for 25 years], luckily he knew what it was straight away, a little cable adjustment and the gear change is as smooth as silk - brilliant.

 

[Lenny HB]

If you are looking at the Hyundia i10 have a look at the Kia Picanto, same car, the Kia versions are normally better speced and cheaper. I have a Venga it was better sepeced than the Hyundai version and 1k cheaper.

 

[Camdoon]

... Very pleasant driving experience, plenty of room for 4 (and OK for 5 if the three in the back are not too large!)...

Point being that it can legally carry 5 rather than 4 which is the normal number of seats in this sector. OK for bringing someone back from the beach but not going trans-continental

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[DDJC]

We looked at the Kia, Hyundai, Citroen, Skoda and Peugeot. Found all of them deficient in a key area for us. Just when we were deciding on compromise, we looked at Suzuki.

And we went for the Suzuki Ignis. It looks like a rather belligerent, squeezed 4x4! Turning circle is on a sixpence. If your budget allows, go for the SZ5. Only 4 seats, but there is only 4 of us. 1200cc. Roboticised auto gearbox. 860 kilos off the factory floor. Tardis-like inside, big enough for 4 adult sized adults. The 2WD can have a detachable tow bar fitted (we've got one on ours), but if you go for the 4WD or hybrid version finding a fitter to put a stock towbar would prove problematic. Space under the boot floor for full size spare alloy wheel, but not with 4WD. Ours now has the Towbars 2 Towcars A frame fitted as well. Very neat fitting. Its dark now, but if people are interested, I'll post pictures of detachable towbar and a frame fitting.

Our plan was to be as versatile as poss. We can pull it on the A Frame in UK/Ireland and tow it on the trailer in Europe. When we get to the campsite, we uncouple the trailer, position the bus and then let the Suzuki maneuvre its own trailer into position, out of the way or drop it off to the car park.

 

[Kevan]

We tow Skoda Citigo on a-frame and smart car on trailer abroad, just bought new bespoke twin wheel trailer with motor mover, on our way back from twin lakes, tows like a dream.

 

[soreeyes]

We trailer a Skoda Fabia 1.2 DSG as it is more spacious .

 

[Speve]

We have a Fiat Panda 4x4 that we have trailered to and from Spain for last four years very nice little car with a 1.3 Diesel engine they are also available with the petrol twin air I would not hesitate to buy another. Goes anywhere and seats five with two dogs and space saver spare in the back.