Tow car / 4x4 / comfort - possible to have it all?

[edz]

Here ya go plenty of grunt, great looks comfortable perfect .

[nab]

I'm a Pajero fan, but as above spend some time driving a few different ones. You'll soon get a short list and then can hopefully test drive them with your camper on the back...

[DrewXT]

Highline Amarok auto with a power tune... Around the 480nm mark, can get a good example with leather seats, and accessories fitted for low-mid 30's

I'm biased though...

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[cheif carlos]

but as Gronk said not much improvement on neddies - not sure what the solution is..

Captiva 135kw and 400Nm
MUX 130kw and 380Nm


GU 4.2 with 12mm fuel pump,  Garrett Turbo and Laminova Intercooler
or
Good used GU Patrol with Brunswick V8 Chev Diesel Turbo Intercooled...

I see a difference between the Captive and MUX/Colorado 7, one being towing capacity and ease of towing. I think the gears on the heavier vehicle will be between suited to towing and the slightly more space will make moving equipment easier.
That said my wife bought a Colorado 7 over an MUX as both of us found the gearbox and engine slightly smoother and the fact reversing camera only available on the top model of the MUX, but more so the engine and gearbox.
We tow a CC at 1.5-1.7t ok with our C7, I am one who to rate a car good for towing only needs to put foot down about 1/4 to 1/2 going up a steep hill, not need to put the foot through the fire wall to get up the same hill

Bird time to get your mind off your GU's they are about to become a dinosaur

[Fathom]

Just to look at it a slightly different way...
I have a FF Camper, probably about 1.5t ish. Loaded.
My Challenger tows it just fine on the highway in regard to torque etc.
My Patrol (less kw and Torque than the Challenger) has much more chance of slowing down on hills etc.
But as the Troll weighs about 8 million tons, I can hardly feel the camper on the Troll, yet I feel every bump the trailer touches in the Challenger.
In short. On the beach, off road, etc. Despite it having less kw and torque I'd pick the Troll all day every day.
Up the highway/straight roads. The Challenger.

Rather than being about toque. It's probably more about usable torque/ gearing.
So driving them will most likely give you a better idea than specs on paper.

[Onion]

2nd hand Prado?

The Missus would love one.

[Onion]

If your happy with your Captiva what about just putting smaller rims with more rubber on it.
Does it have low range?
 

No low range. They're an AWD, not a 4WD.

[Onion]

A strange suggestion as it means going to an older car is the Nissan Pathfinder Ti 550 R51.  With 170kw and 550nm they might suit.

Will check it out.

[Onion]

Have a look at the Discovery 3's. Or if you're willing to stretch the budget a bit, an early model D4.

The neighbour has had a couple. Based on his experience you couldn't pay me to have one! But for some reason he keeps buying them... Another mate has one and loves his also. They must be good - when they're running 

[petrolburner]

With the supplied budget I would be looking at a used Pajero.

Carlike handling, good off road ability and by all reports a pretty reliable vehicle. My parents have a late model one, it's pretty comfy and tows their tandem axle pop top at the limit.
I think you will get a lot newer one for your money than buying a Prado.

[ScarpsD40]

Another option, Navara STX V6TD. The only downside I've found is dust in the tub, but this is an issue in most dual cabs. If searching, make sure it's the 6cyl Spain Built after 2012.
I sold my 2012 Grand Cherokee Laredo which was a beast on road, but disintegrated off road.

[DropBearRacing]

I have recently bought an MUX, it's the middle of the range LSU, it came with a reversing camera and a heap of other comfort items. We tow a Customline Adventure Walkup, wife, 3 kids, dog etc, the camper is about 1.5t loaded plus all the other crap we take and the MUX handles it like a dream. We live in the snowy mountains and have plenty of mountain pass to traverse. There is plenty of useable torque in the MUX.  We just did a trip over to Merimbula and back towing the camper and with an extra kid. Coming back up the Brown Mountain I almost forgot we had the camper attached.

I drive a Pajero for work everyday and take it to places most people only dream of 4WDing. I am constantly amazed at where I can point the Paj and get out again. 

I highly recommend both vehicles. The only reason I went with the MUX over the Paj is the 3rd row seats in the MUX are split which gives me more options for carrying items inside the vehicle.

[GBC]

Power to weight ratio comparisons are out the window because you are comparing a lightweight passenger vehicle with full size ones that have proper 4wd systems, chassis, wheels and gearboxes. The 2 stroke LJ Suzuki has one of the best power to weight ratios of any 4wd ever built - not what you want to tow with though.
Final output figures in peaky passenger cars are lightyears away from being relevant to tow ability - torque curves are what you should be looking at to get any sort of meaningful idea of how a vehicle is going to tow.

[Bird]

Do it  , but without the Laminova. They don't flow enough air....

... that depends on the radiator you use for it and where placed

With the supplied budget I would be looking at a used Pajero.

Test drove a VRX few years back up the road from work here (think its where Speewa got his), and I'd have one if I didn't wanna go do any serious wheeling anymore. VERY comfortable and VERY smooth... If it towed as well as it drove, it would be brilliant.

The only issue is the rear tyre wear with the 180B style squatting..

[Merts]

To add to GBC's comments, my vehicles over the past few years have included an 2.5 litre turbo diesel NH Pajero, 2.5 litre petrol Xtrail, 3.2 litre DID NS Pajero, and currently a 2.4 litre DID MQ Triton. They were all quite good towing moderately sized trailers, but the 'proper 4WD' diesels, including the old Pajero were all much better towing heavy stuff than the X-trail, even though it had the best power to weight ratio (by a fair bit).

The MQ has barwork all around, LT tyres, drawer system, extra battery etc. etc., so it's pretty heavy just by itself. When I hitch the camper on the back, you know it's there because it takes a little longer to accelerate to any given speed, but apart from that you would hardly know it's on the back. As far as a daily driver goes, the X-trail was the winner for comfort and ease of use, but for off-road and towing, there is no comparison. The 'proper' 4wds are the clear winners.

[GeoffA]

........
Bird time to get your mind off your GU's they are about to become a dinosaur

...about to??

 

[Bird]

... you know it's there because it takes a little longer to accelerate to any given speed, but apart from that you would hardly know it's on the back.

you could say that about nearly any car once the trailer is rolling, the hard work is done

[Merts]

you could say that about nearly any car once the trailer is rolling, the hard work is done

I think you missed my point.

I've towed heavy things behind quite a few different vehicles, and with some of them, you are constantly aware of the load behind.
As the MQ is fairly heavy, and has plenty of torque at 'normal' revs, you don't notice the load behind as much as you do in a lighter vehicle with less torque at cruising revs.

[rotare]

The only issue is the rear tyre wear with the 180B style squatting..

Like any vehicle, whether IRS or live axle, if you plan to tow a lot or often a good idea is to invest in some heavier springs and airbags (particularly for the Pajero).

Have done this and I tow 2.5T regularly with my Paj, and don't get uneven tire wear.  A spring upgrade over the soft factory ones are a pretty common mod, so there's a good chance that most second hand Pajero's have had this done already....

[Bird]

Like any vehicle, whether IRS or live axle, if you plan to tow a lot or often a good idea is to invest in some heavier springs and airbags (particularly for the Pajero).

Have done this and I tow 2.5T regularly with my Paj, and don't get uneven tire wear.  A spring upgrade over the soft factory ones are a pretty common mod, so there's a good chance that most second hand Pajero's have had this done already....

kewl .. thought there would be some sort of solution out there.

[kylarama]

We had an NM Paj for 8 years. Fitted with pedders HD 50mm lift springs and shocks. Even loaded up with 3 kids, luggage and Jayco in tow. Never had sagging or uneven wear. Trade off was a harsher ride.


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[Onion]

Another option, Navara STX V6TD.

Interesting indeed. What are they like offroad?

[RebsWA]

To the OP, good luck finding your ideal vehicle.
I gave up on that a few years ago and got a his and hers solution.
His is a solid, competent 4wd tow come recreational vehicle that does everything we ask of it but minus a few creature comforts.
Hers is a sedan car with all the necessary creature comforts.
Works for us and did not cost as much as some most of the large comfy 4wds available today.
A plus is we have plenty of shed or garage space.

[ScarpsD40]

Interesting indeed. What are they like offroad?

You mentioned in your OP that you wouldn't be doing any extreme off road work. Mine's done the Flinders Ranges and quite a bit of the Vic High Country and has some minor battle scars to prove it. Several trip reports here on myswag if you search ScarpsD40 to Mt Pinnabar, Corryong, Blue Rag to name a few. My days of bush bashing are long gone but I do like the views after a good steep climb.
Apart from the dust issue which applies to most dual cabs, for extreme off road descents, this model with the auto gearbox sometimes pops out of first gear to second in low range. This is part of the gearbox design to make sure you don't damage or over stress the gear box. In the same model Pathfinder they have added an electronic hill descent system, to cater for this. There is a mechanical fix for this on the Navara forum, but I found an easier solution of, on those one or two steep descents I may come across each year, to just pull the handbrake on half and it acts somewhat like a manual hill descent control by applying moderate but constant braking without locking up the wheels. To complete my touring rig, I'm seriously considering ripping the tub off the back and installing a custom pod as this will solve the dust issue. Really looking forward to longer trips to the NT and WA where this won't be a problem and the grunty V6TD can tow the 1.4t loaded Tracky CT on long hauls.
Two of my mate drive V8T's and I love it when they follow my dust up a hill

[silverfox1111]

Scarpsd40
Your recommending a car that jumps out of gear?!
My jeep has done similar  if not the same trips as your navara (high country, flinders) & I've never needed to use the handbrake for going downhill. As you'd know the jeep has hill descent control.
Also the fuel economy of the jeep will be one of the best with the same or similar power & weight figures.
If I recall correctly from your posts when you had the jeep, you only sold it cause you had doubts about its longevity. You never stated any probs with it. Yours was an impressive set up.
In saying all this, my next car will be a duel cab ute so i can have a better touring set up now that it's just the missus & me. Cause jerp don't make one, the navara will be one I'll be considering. ?
Silverfox