Really surprised by this outfit, less power than my old car on paper, but in reality it tows really well - but be prepared to work the gears to make good progress. Third is needed for 60 mph on steeper slopes.
Pulling off from a standstill is quite slow due to the long gearing - but tolerable. Having said that, I managed to climb a 15% gradient from a standing start and soon reached 30 mph in second gear.
I'd like to know how previous reviewer (Mike) got 35 mpg with the same outfit as mine, I was looking at closer to 25 mpg! It was quite a hilly route though, and I really hammered it.
First time towing this outfit. Got 26mpg outward, nearly 28 mpg on the way back. Managed top gear on the motorway, although car kept advising to change down. This outfit is right on the limit weight wise, but what car to get next???
i think this car tows realy fine no problems but the cars towing limit is only 1300kg?? so choice of caravan is limited .
Brilliant car solo. Hook up to my van and it's a different story all together. Great care must be taken with weight distribution. Tends to be a little tail happy. Plenty of pulling power but gearing far too high for towing. Very rarely get into 6th gear even on clear motorways. 26 mpg towing. 50 mpg solo.
We have just change to a Honda CR-v 2.2 dtec. Excellent write ups. Hope they are correct. HAPPY CARAVANING
Tows effortlessly with reasonable MPG of around 25.Towed in high winds up to Skye and some steep gradients then onto Outer Hebrides and the East side of Harris which is very steep,but the Avensis coped no bother,great tower.
went well on our first trip out but on the way back was windy and wasn't so cleaver into headwind it struggled and was down at 20mpg no wind decent conditions averaged 26mpg not bad for first run out and never towed before could have done with new pads in alko stabiliser on van which made it worse
Iam new to this outfit, but have plenty of expierence towing. The car tends to whell spin a little when pulling off in the wet, but other than that it tows excellently. Iam averaging 30-35mpg when towing.
We have had our Avensis 2.2 D4d Tr 07 plate for a year now towing an Adria Altea 5 542 DT. It is the most comfortable car i have owned. Very sure footed when towing. We dont use a stablizer because we have found no need for one. Cruise control on the motorway makes towing journeys very relaxed. Lots of low rev torque. Economical for a big car. 30+ towing.
toyota avensus well able for the coachman and no complaints , usually the only trouble i have is keeping to 80 kph as the toyota tends to toke off !!
I tow an adria altea 502 with the 1.8 avensis. I have to say that it's a fine and economical car solo but is just adequate with the caravan. Last year, I did 1200 miles towing and the gearbox bearing gave out. This meant a costly re-condition. I'm looking to change to something diesel.
the avensis 2.0 d4d pulls my ace jubilee very well,i feel relaxed driveing it iget 32mpg.6th gear ok on the flat,no
problem on hills.a nice drive.engine rattles under load or when cold,but quiet when warm.my ace at 1295kg is no problem stays arrow straight,i am well happy with the match.
Avensis is well running up to max ca 90 km/h
is economic driving at 1800 rpm- 9-10 litres/100 km
correction: is running 86 km/h at 1800 rpm in 5 gear
OK performance up to max. speed apxm. 90 km/h
at 1800 rpm in 5 gear it runs 76 km/h = economical driving
the faster the more consumption.
Perfect performance as a towcar and very economical giving just under 30mpg. the one snag for me is connecting the electrics between the car and the 'van ; the rear skirt makes it necessary to kneel down to make the connection. No complaints otherwise.
My 2009 Avensis Tourer 2.0 Diesel TR tows our Bailey Ranger GT60 520/4 no problem.
MPG approx 32/35 depending on road
I tow a Swift Silhouette with an 1.8 Avensis. The car is exceptionally economical towing solo (averaging 43mpg in daily use but 50-52mpg on longer motorway journeys. Towing gives me about 30mpg. It has been totally reliable (I have done 50k-plus miles in five years), always starting first time and it has never broken down. The only repair apart from routine servicing has been a failed windscreen washer pump. It handles well, and tows superbly, although long French motorway hills can be harder work.
Purchased car January 2010 it is the mark 2 style of Avensis on a 57 Plate 2.2 D4-D D-Cat Tourer (Estate) a very nice ride smooth & comfortable drive comments from passengers that’s is it a diesel due to the low noise emitted from the engine. Plenty of low down torque & good acceleration when solo or towing. Caravan before change Lunar Clubman 400-2 at MTPLM of 1200Kg made an excellent match for car and caravan. Average miles per gallon 40+/- solo (motorway speeds) 35+/- Towing. Rating of car 8 out of 10.
The Bailey Ranger 520/4 GT60 tows perfectly with my Toyota Avensis Tourer TR 2.0 diesel, fuel consumption about 35 mpg against 45mpg normal.
Check correct tyre pressures on car!
Having started out in the world of caravan towing I purchased a Bailey Ranger before hunting out a suitable tow car. This rated at four stars on this site and listening to the all knowing friends who have towed before they recommended the Avensis for all round towing and being a reliable diesel based vehicle. I have to say that performance wise this set up is perfect. The car has never displayed any sign of struggling with the load and on a recent trip returned 36 mpg (average) with the van on the back. Needless to say that having recently started out my van is not full of all of the usual array of items which tend to fill up a van but I've no doubt I will get there in due course. Overall though a decent combination without the need to shell out a small fortune.
toyota 2 litre diesel tows my bailey gt 60 510 without any trouble . I have gone up 1 in 6 hill in 3rd with a good run at it. I get about 30 mpg when towing, what more do you want.I had an x trail which was more stable than this car but apart from that it was not a great deal better.
I had heard from a friend that he struggles to tow his caravan however I have no issues. I drive along at 60mph in 5th gear (although car has 6) but when car is fully aden with 5 adults, the car does work considerably harder but overall very happy. Fuel consumption is around 25 -30mpg when towing.
I have towed this outfit for about 8 months now with no problems, its a bit slow on the uptake and it can wheelspin a bit if you try to pull off too quickley in wet conditions, but i have no complaints or problems with the towing capabilitys of this car with this caravan.
The cars not to bad as long as the carvan is not to heavy , im towing a lunar arriva at the moment and its no cause for concerne ,the car is extremly reliable and very good on fuel, bad points it can lack power in quite strong winds whilst towing
Firstly although this review says Argente we were towing the earlier Rialto 480/2 hence the revised weights. The caravan is well inside the recommended towing weight for the Avensis but it does struggle on hills. 5th gear is hardly ever achieved as the power band of this engine starts to kick in at 3000rpm at which point without the caravan you'd be doing 72mph! If your keeping to the flat this outfit is ideal, if not keep to the inside lane and stay with the trucks.
I tow a Swift Charisma 230 with an Avensis 1.8T3X ,it is just on the borderline of the recommended towing limits but I have not had any trouble towing over all types of roads. A larger engine would be handy on the hills but then it would be heavier on petrol. I average 25 to 29 mpg depending on the type of roads
I find the power from the 1.8 engine adequate on normal roads
Have caravan for two seasons,not great on hill starts up or down, but otherwise manages ok on motorway 40/50 mph 4TH gear.24/28 mpg Would not recomend 1.6 for towing would go for the 1.8 litre.
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