This is my second year with this van and car and have yet to find a fault regarding the match in fact i bought snake master for unit due to the 2008 unit having old style hitch and still no need to attach it, looking to upgrade to S-Max 2.0 tdci soon
2006 Cmax 2.0 tdci pulls our 2003 Challenger 480 with ease, cmax power and high driving position make towing effortless. Replaced my Mondeo estate and is as good a towcar. We have a motormover so no worrys with clutch.
Superb combination, very safe, very stable with more than enough power. To say I'm delighted with this combination would be an understatement. Both the car and caravan fabulously reliable and well made.
I couldn't believe how powerfull this car was until i towed with it for the first time, loads of torque, great up hill, and a nice driving position.....Faultless 10/10
I was quite worried about the towing ability of my Ford Focus 1.8 petrol, pulling our new Bailey Ranger 460/4. However I need not have worried as the two seem to fit together quite well. A bit of a struggle going up very steep hills, but it manages ok. I was really pleased because I love my Ford Focus and didn't really want to change it.
Ford C Max 1.6 diesel 2005 Ghia towing Trigano Silver 340. With trepidation, first time out last week, wife and myself. Initially awful, could feel lots of pulling and bouncing, yet nose weight gauge said 75kg. Then moved personal roll bags from caravan to car, put awning on floor at front of caravan, usual kitchen stuff located at rear of van, van locker had wheel, gas, etc. Measured Nose Weight as 65. Much much better, very stable, travelled over 200 miles, at steady cruising on motorway (cruise control) returned 38mpg at 52mph and 32mph at 60mph. Very pleased with these outcomes. Will get car serviced this week (well overdue) and may get better performance.
absolutely no problems towing
Have recently bought C-max 2.0TDCI. Have been out twice with van. I was more than happy with the cars performance, however one has to be careful with loading.
We've had the car for over 2yrs (2006 model) and tow an Abbey Aventura 314. The car is fully ladened with two folding cycles, full awning and all the usual gear and it tows like a dream except on poor roads (near home)when the firm suspension can unsettle the caravan a little, but on the other hand on smoother roads it creates stable towing even on twisting and/or undulating roads. On main roads and motorways it can be difficult staying within the speed limit such is the pulling power of the engine and I am impressed with this car as a tow car - it is the first Ford I have ever owned in over forty years of driving. I am however, less impressed with Ford's attitude when a second power steering unit failed in less than 4000 miles and therefore it could very well be the only Ford I own.
I got into caravanning after I had bought this car. Given the choice I would get rid of it in a heartbeat (That's because I hate the car, not its towing ability). I tow a 1994 Swift Rapide 440 GXL. Its MTPLM is only 1000kg so it tows quite well considering. The outfit comes along quite nicely on the level but show it any sort of gradient and you start to give the gearbox some stick! I wouldn't recommend this car as a first choice but if you already have one like I did, then you should do fine with it.
Almost perfect combination at 86%match-as the fact sheet reveals no problems anywhere!Do us sensible people really need a big 4x4 to tow???
The test is really usefull and confirm my impression driving. The car C-Max 1.6 110CV TdCI with automatic gear (continuous variable transmission) has, with my Elnagh 480, good performance in all situation. This also climbing San Marino hill.
Consumption average @80/90 Km/h 9,1liters for 100km.
Ford C-Max 2.0 TDCI pulls our Sprite Alpine 4 with ease, absolutely anywhere. Can get a little noisy. But no problems pulling anywhere.
I totally disagree with the above comment i tow an avondale carlton miro 1180 this a dreadfull car for this outfit as an lgv driver i appreciate what towing entails. On anything other than level groung the car is dreadfull constantly down changing on slopes it is appaling Somebody commented that good at towing at 65mph on motorway strange as the speed limit is 60 mph Overall a poor car
We have a 2008 model towing a Bailey 510/4, we find keeping over 55mph on motorways ok, but below that and its a bit sluggish. We manage to get a respectable 38 to 42 mpg and that is when we go into the derbyshire hills, (that has got to be good). Overall a very good towing machine, Keep your fuel guzzling 4x4s.
Ford Cmax towing a bailey senator vermont 1350kg
Exellent tow car,As good as they get
bailey gt60 540/6 1350kg with c-max tdci 2.0
Excellent tow-car strong aceleration,even up hills on motorways,not much 6th gear use though its geared to 2000 revs at 70 mph!-Recommended!
I concur with all the others. Clutch problem can be overcome by not slipping it when manouvering. Just use a light touch to get the unit rolling then clutch fully up when/if you are doing 10mph. Mine quite happily pulled an Adria Adora plus 532UP (1400ishkg) up a slight incline on a motorway at tickover in 1st! Brilliant all round car.
I have towed with my C Max for the last three years, no problems, I use an Al Ko stabiliser and the van stays perfect, just stick to your correct speed.
Igot my 1.8TDI INMAY 2008 it has been a good vehicle sofar Itow Avondale Quontock and it has been a good outfit but i to have suffered with the smell from the clutch when under stress .Ispoke to my dealer who told me it was the make up of the compound in the clutch plate and i had got to live withit ,other than that its a good all round unit it pulls well when loaded and handles well to o I to would give the cmax 8 out of 10
This is an excellent towcar after having only towed with 4x4 s in the past I was very suprised how stable the car is (Al-Ko towball stabiliser) plenty of power for hills and overtaking and 6th gear is very useable.I find that when towing I average 33-35mpg and without caravan about 48 it is very easy to manoever especially as the caravan is quite long (21ft) cannot fault it .
Towing my Swift Classic Doublette (1300kg) , My C max does so with ease, even when fully loaded. Did a run this weekend to mid wales over the Brecon Beacons and experienced no problems. Got just under 40mpg too according to the trip computer! I was amazed.
Like other owners, I've experienced clutch problems when manouvering and have had to replace the clutch. I'd buy the same car again, except this time it would have to be an automatic.
Changing from a TD4 Freelander to the 2 litre TDCi C Max brought a surprising increase in performance, space and economy. And, averaging around 32mpg towing and 42mpg solo the match is excellent. 6th gear is very useable on the flat or with very slight inclines. the clutch get get a bit hot when a lot of manoevring is necessary though, but this is a very minor grumble!
Bought a 57 plate Mk2 'Style' C Max with the 1753cc TDCi engine. I have just returned from Cornwall on a 310mile each way towing trip plus solo mileage clocking up 1035miles in two weeks. I tow a 2001 Bailey Ranger 470/4.Car ran fine, but only likes fifth on the flat,slightest incline and it down to fourth but pulls well. Averaged 24mpg going down trip but 34mpg on return. Car has now covered 5k so may have slackened off on return journey. Only issue was the amount of black smoke that appears between gear changes both solo and towing, but car not using any oil etc... averages around 44mpg running solo. Also clutch seems ultra sensative with clutch smelling whilst postioning caravan on site even though I was very careful. Been told it is to do with the clutch being of Dual Mass type as opposed to the traditional type?
Overall I have towed with a lot of cars, the best by far being a Mondeo 2.0 TDCi (130) and I would give the C Max 8 out of 10.
I tow a baily ranger 550/6 with myself and wife as well as 2 children (aged 11 and 14). I find the car tows unbelieveably,it never struggles no matter how steep the hill and I average about 35MPG when towing.
Great Little Towcar!! Our Caravan is a Swift Rapide 490GXL MIRO 1060KG. Stable with Strong brakes the C-Max tows better than i ever expected,on long up hill drags it needs 4th Gear but its quite happy at 65Mph on the motorway and seems un troubled by HGVs and cross winds. Overall a very good car,thats well suited for caravan towing.
I supose I am not the person to ask about Ford cars as I have had two 'Friday' cars in a past lifetime and thus not totally convinced with Ford.
However, The Ford C-Max TDi was the best all round value for money taking into account the amount of cash I had to spend.
I purchased the 1.8 TDi as this has the older cast iron engine block and a well proven engine and gearbox. It meant that it would be working hard at 98% every time we had the caravan on tow, but we thought we had to take the chance.
WoW' what a choice. I have never driven a workhorse like it. My last three new cars have all been European, Pergeot, followed by Citreon and my last new car was a Renault....sorry, but no comparison. All Fords are now German built and much more reliable, with a real thirst for pulling well and working hard.
We have only had the car for one year as yet, but up to now it has towed our 1500kg Compass caravan right through the Highlands of Scotland to Ullapool. (We followed a Volvo with a lighter van on than ours and had to wait for him on almost every hill when he was in first gear and we only once had to drop down to second on a sharp 90 degree right-hander on a very sharp incline. We have also towed down to Gt. Yarmouth, and The Isle of Whight, all from our home in Wakefield, Yorks and not one grumble so far. M.P.G. is almost as manufacturers when solo, though naturally a good deal lower when we are towing as we are on top weight all the time. Good Luck if you are thinking of owning one of these great cars.
The 2.0 TDCI pulls my bailey ranger 550/6 with 2 adults and 3 children and all the essentials(clothes,food,awning and the like) with ease. We travelled from the Scottish border to France this year and averaged 30 mpg and had no problems at all, even with torrential rain and quite high winds on the way home.
I find the 2.0 cdi brilliant. It is powerfull and very comfortable to drive on a long run. I often take it down to france and have no problems. Only thing is clutch can get a bit hot when manouvering.
Kerb weight on the Ghia is 1524KG. which gives 91%. Traveling over to southern Spain, the car is absolutly perfect. As you suggest up and over the mountains you have to remember that you have the caravan on tow. It does not struggle at all. At 25 upto 32mpg towing,and upto 58mpg solo the motor is brilliant. Who needs a big car or 4 x 4, when my little C Max is so good,not only powerful but very stable in cross winds and when being overtaken.
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