Best practical tow car for trailering & tip runs... (5k)

[ironictwist]

You know the sort...The trusty steed that will NEVER let you down.

Thinking aloud for what I would like to be the practical car in my life & I imagine this criteria will appeal to a fair few PH'ers.

It must be...

- Obviously reliable
- Able to tow a trailer laiden with an MX5 or Chimaera.
- Frugal would help?!
- Budget, 5k max.
- Estate or 4x4 - I love the look of 4x4's...But then you've also got some excellent FAST estates too?
- Has to "PH" worthy, nothing dreary & dull like a "Ssangyong" contraption.

I've narrowed it down to:

Mitsubishi Shogun Mk2 - I know...A bit but you could move house with the thing if you want! They look like such tanks too! (Plus I've already owned one)

S4 Avant - When I went on the PHN Alpine Tour last year, this was the support car. It ticks all the boxes, can tow with ease. Quick. Spacious. Great noise & can handle!

S6 Avant - You tell me? I havent got a clue?

V70R's! - Live out trafpol fantasies as you belt it along at however many leptons in your Laser Blue V70R I do have a soft spot for them!

Classic Range Rover - We all want one...But you've gotta be brave right?

E34/E39 5 series Tourings - The old E34's with their 4.0 V8's are tempting...But then you have the solid & refined cabin of the E39's?

E36 3 Series Tourings - Quite a popular tow wagon from what I see from various PH'ers?

Toyota Hilux Surf - Same appeal as the Shogun's, they look the business But the 2.4's are painfully slow?

What have I missed? & more importantly what would you go for?

Edited by ironictwist on Wednesday 6th April 21:45

[eltax91]

A nice Disco could be had in budget. Comfy and refined in td5 form. Fairly reliable too. Will tow or carry anything you like.

[eltax91]

A nice Disco could be had in budget. Comfy and refined in td5 form. Fairly reliable too. Will tow or carry anything you like.

[ironictwist]

eltax91 said:

A nice Disco could be had in budget. Comfy and refined in td5 form. Fairly reliable too. Will tow or carry anything you like.

I just can't quite get on with the looks of the Disco's...Not really sure why but they just dont appeal. Practically they tick every box I admit

[andymach23]

Subaru Legacy or Outback. Full time 4 wheel drive and low ratio gear box maybe aa well. Usually will have 1800kg towing capacity.

[george h]

http://pistonheads.com/sales/2598929.htm

Might not meet the frugal requirement

[Cyberprog]

Nowt too much expensive to go wrong with a rangie classic, it's the later P38's and onwards that the electrical gremlins love.

[hornetrider]

Thanks to the Barge thread I'm fully enamoured with E39s and E38s now, having never owned a BM before in my life. I bought an E38 last month and its ace, but I test drove an E39 528i Touring before buying and it was a good bit of kit. Can be had for peanuts too. 5k gets you a very good E39 indeed.

[LMC]

You never even mentioned the Forester These are, contrary to popular belief, very fast, rugged, handsome and frugal.










The bit about them being frugal is open to interpretation.

[hornetrider]

Just get a load of this.

[BadgerBill]

With your criteria, I'd probably get a late MY05 SAAB 9-5 Aero estate. 250bhp, big enough, reliable, tows 1800kg braked...

...oh, hang on. I did!

BB