Which Fourby - towing !!!

[Disco_S.two]

The standard Td5 is in a very low state of tune. Apparently this was done because the quality of diesel in some markets could not be guaranteed.

I just got the ECU remapped to stage 1.

You can dial the manuals up to 500ish Nm but this needs physical mods like bigger intercooler, axles, CVs, etc.

The standard autos are limited to 390Nm before the transmission goes into limp.

Waz

[cac]

Waz, does this mean the higher states of tune were available from the factory in other markets with better quality diesel???

[Suek]

Sorry Garrycol, but I'm certain that as a tow truck a DiD Paj will obliterate a TD5 disco. 121Kw & 373Nm vs 101Kw & 315Nm. And if you want an Auto, you will get a 5 speed in the Mitsi which will only help more.
A D3 with the V6TD under the bonnet would be a different story of course.
Dan.

Unless he wants to tow something larger than 2500kgs.

My Td5 is 125kW and 380Nm without any physical mods.

Just sayin.

Waz

I agree.. the Td5 is a far superior vehicle for towing than a Pajero.. and am surprised that anyone would think anything different..

Even if someone wanted to pull something less than 2500kgs it is much kinder on your car to use a vehicle that is capable of pulling more than the amount you are.. which is why I have the Defender.. (3.5T tow capacity as is).. and yes we tow and advice people on what to use for towing all the time as a part of our job..

[Aussie_Dan]

the Td5 is a far superior vehicle for towing than a Pajero.. and am surprised that anyone would think anything different..

I never said that the Land Rover wasn't a good tow vehicle but in factory spec (before any computer updates / chipping) the Pajero is a better performer, will still squeeze into the original posters budget and will comfortably tow what he needs.
Last year we did the big Adelaide to Darwin trek with our camper on the back and taking note of what all the nomads are using to tow their monstrous sized vans around we noted that the most common tow vehicles were clearly the D4D Prado and the DiD Pajero with a roughly 50 / 50 split. There also Patrols and Landcruisers but nowhere near in the proportions that Prado's and Pajero's were being used. Other makes and models (including all the utes on offer) were few and far between....
I'm not at all saying that a Land Rover would be a bad choice but they are clearly not one of the most popular vehicles out there for towing duties.
Cheers, Dan.

[Suek]

I never said that the Land Rover wasn't a good tow vehicle but in factory spec .....
I'm not at all saying that a Land Rover would be a bad choice but they are clearly not one of the most popular vehicles out there for towing duties.
Cheers, Dan.

No but you did say:

Sorry Garrycol, but I'm certain that as a tow truck a DiD Paj will obliterate a TD5 disco. 121Kw & 373Nm vs 101Kw & 315Nm.

And I never said that the Paj wasn't a reasonable tow vehicle, I was merely responding to your original post where you stated that as a tow vehicle the Paj would obliterate a TD5.. and yes you will see lots more Prados and Pajeros being used as tow vehicles but I don't think that is because they are better I feel it is more an indication of finances as those cars are not quite as expensive as say the Patrols Land Cruisers and Land Rovers which removes them as a choice for much of the market. Hence the reason why I am not driving an Audi Q7..

Cheers
Sue

[hopeful hac]

personally i dislike crusers and i an planing to buy a 4.8 gu my self because i cant afford a td42 . but your wants and need are different to mine if your not planing to go crazy with a lift and tyres than a factory turbo 100 might be a good choice. its new enough to be reliable yet old enough to be affordable. though i dont know what they are worth. for towing nothing beate cubes for low end torq. if you like your curent car what about an engine conversion

[garrycol]

I never said that the Land Rover wasn't a good tow vehicle but in factory spec (before any computer updates / chipping) the Pajero is a better performer, will still squeeze into the original posters budget and will comfortably tow what he needs.

I agree on paper the Pajero has more power and torque but the TD5 provides it where it is needed and on the road is a far better tow vehicle - once more; for a few $$$ is will one hell of a lot better.

[Cornbeef]

So you have obviously owned both the paj & the disco of similar vintage to come up with that statement & ignore factual numbers or are you just shooting from the hip ^^^^^^
Happy Trax Cornbeef
ps its OK dude i do the same when people compare Cruisers to my pootrol

[fmindum]

Geez - lots of emotion out there... gotta love it - funny how badges mean so much. Still no closer to making a call on this debate, and i guess given I have to dispose of the Troll first, and there's no saying what I'll get for that, I'm kinda up the creek for now I'm hoping between the Troll and my Suzuki 1200 Bandit, also up for sale, I'll squeeze up around $18k, but that'd be tops. Ain't going to find any 100 series for that, (other than out of Parabadu) I'm not hearing anything much from Jeep owners, and I'm finding that at the end of the day, regardless of badge, there's as much chance of buying lemon as there is of buying the car of my dreams (or at least comparable to my dream's budget). I have also not discounted the 95 series 3.4 Prado - had one years ago, and I'll say here and now, it crapped all over the Troll in terms of grunt (and had one extra seat, providing you're carting around midgets.) We used to tow an old 70's model Jayco Swan with ease. I can't see our current 2000 Swan being that much heavier, and the 3.4 certainly seem to be in the price range and there are plenty around, many under 200 kms... Maybe that's the go ?? Not the economy of diesel, but nowhere near as thirsty as the Troll I'm sure, or an 80 series, good off road, plenty of after market kit, etc..... Hmmm. Someone buy my car !!!
Funny-it's getting clear to me that he who hath the most toys doth not necessarily win.....

[Harb]

Just go the F250 and you can tow whatever you want at whatever speed you want

[Cornbeef]

^^^^^^^ the man has a point
Happy Trax Cornbeef

[uninhibited]

factory turbo 100 might be a good choice. its new enough to be reliable yet old enough to be affordable.

You'll do well to find a good example of one for under $30k.

[Disco_S.two]

Waz, does this mean the higher states of tune were available from the factory in other markets with better quality diesel???

I don't think so. In fact I think dealers still only do the standard map. My map was from TRT in South Australia. (I think he uses a Bell Auto Services map)

Waz

[cmar]

About the Kia, sorry - no chance - just one of those things. With a few mates in the industry, patricularly manufacturing of chassis components, I've really been put off some of these badges. Much lower standards in terms of welds, grade of steel used, etc

Interesting comment, as you rightly pointed out, everyone has their preferences and is entitled to their own views but sometimes the factual evidence just doesn't fully support some of the myths and "beliefs" out there, and also times and manufacturers change.

Ford need to do something about their quality control

http://www.motorsm.com/complaints/categ ... 70&cls=611

As for build quality and structural integrity

http://www.ancap.com.au/crashtestrecord?Id=354
http://www.ancap.com.au/crashtestrecord?Id=401
http://www.ancap.com.au/crashtestrecord?Id=453
http://www.ancap.com.au/crashtestrecord?Id=370

Kia crash performance better than Pajero and Jeep Cherokee, (albeit only 1 star) and similar to Toypta prado.

But I'm happy because al long as the market holds these beliefs I can buy a nice low Km, second hand, well built, mid size 4X for touring, at a fraction of the cost of a Prado or Pathfinder. No they are not perfect, accessories and parts, can be a bit hard to find, and some of the dealer service is truly atrocious ( saw some evidence of this on my own car, and why I mostly do my own services) and I feel sorry for the original owner who would have taken a hammering at trade in, but at least they cost less to begin with. I have owned 4X by Rover, Ford, Toyota, and Nissan in the past, and the build quality and reliability of my current ride far exceeds a couple of those.

Anyway good luck with you search for the perfect off road tow car. If I had my choice and HAD to pick from the "big three" in a Territory sized car, I'd probably go for a Pathfinder (although the front diffs are weak) as my previous experience with Nissan was prety good, or a Pajero diesel and beef up the suspension. Pajero V6's are a bargain secondhand but thirsty, even more so when towing, although they tow well. Prado is also good but just mostly too expensive by comparison for what you get for the same money.

[Suek]

The Kia does seem to have a good rating in terms of crash safety but it can only tow 2T (auto) or 2.5T (manual).. but the ball weight is only 150 kgs.. it's going to be very restrictive finding a caravan with a ball weight of less than 150kg (and that ball weight is an unloaded caravan, once you start putting stuff in it the ball weight starts to rise..