Volvo V70
Volvo V70 D5 aut. and ElddisTow at 28 mpg. More than enough power to enable motorway gradients to be taken in 6 th gear easily. Auto box is perfect match for towing this van. Generally very stable tow but important van is loaded correctly with correct nose weight otherwise van can cause minor instability. I use Volvo detachable tow ball which is easy to fit and remove. I would recommend this pairing.
Beware steep hill starts on wet slippery roads. Very easy to spin front wheels and go nowhere
Volvo V70 TDI and KnausThe car isn't young anymore and is approaching 20 years old and currently has 172K miles on the clock. I've used it for towing for the last five years and can't say I've encountered any real problems with the car and it's performance is impressive.
By modern standards the ride is a little crashy, whether solo or towing and it's not a refined vehicle, engine noise is always apparent but not oppressive.
There is adequate power in the engine to maintain a steady 60mph on most motorways in top gear and really only need to change down on really long or steep inclines. Although it has an autobox I always manually select the gear if I need to change down as the torque convertor won't lock up otherwise and I can generally anticipate the need to shift down well before the software does, by which time the needed power advantage is lost, especially if preparing to overtake slow moving vehicles.
Stability is very good too - there's always a little suck and blow from passing large vehicles but nothing that unsettles the outfit.
Economy is pretty good and returns about 28 - 30 ampg with the caravan hitched up.
It would be nice to have something a bit newer, more refined and a bit more comfortable to pull the van but while ever the old V70 does the job I see no reason to change.
As a side note I have fitted an auxiliary cooler for the autobox, it's a 13 row 230mm matrix plate and fin cooler and it does a very good job of keeping the box cool and ATF temps stay at about 60 degrees even towing up long motorway inclines. It only ever goes higher than 80 degrees if sat in traffic or navigating stop-start traffic through city centres - a very worthwhile investment if you intend to tow with an old auto.
Volvo V70 D5 aut. and HobbyIs a very, very friendly car with this caravan !
Volvo V70 D4 (2.0 twinturbo) aut. and BaileyThis is an excellent combination. D4 engine has loads of power and the 8 speed gearbox means you can both access that power at any road speed and enjoy very quiet cruising, even when towing uphill. Stability is good with this caravan and the relatively low weight of the Bailey means the V70 is hardly troubled by its presence at all. If the Volvo was equipped with AWD (as some are) then it would be perfect. As it is, traction isn\'t perfect in slippery conditions. Even so, towing with an estate doesn\'t get much better than this. Just make sure you use proper dedicated electrics to get the Volvo trailer stability and other benefits, such as automatic disabling of stop/start when towing.
Volvo V70 D5 and BaileyI have used Volvo V70 D5 and Bailey senator Indiane and have had no issues car as power in to spare and the handling is very good
Volvo V70 D5 and Elddis2014 v70 D5 towing Elddis 554 Infinity..car has huge reserves of power making towing this van easy. Very stable at all motorway speeds with little unsettling effect from passing arctics. Brim to brim checks reveal mid 50's fuel consumption easily obtainable solo. Towing 28 to 30mpg if you resist the temptation to accelerate hard. Previously towed with BMW X3 177ps. This is better. Comfort in car is supreme. Engine and auto box makes towing a quiet smooth.effortless affair. Highly recommended
Volvo V70 T6 aut. [AWD] and CaravanI've had my Volvo V70 T6 AWD (4x4) for three years now and I love it! Only downside is fuel consuption. When towing average is 14.0 l./100 km, without caravan about 11.0 l./100 km.
We did a roundtrip for a total of about 1700 km towing from south of Sweden to Valdres in Norway during summer 2013 with our Polar 590 GSE tandem axle, total caravan weight 1550 kg.
Volvo V70 D5 and SterlingTows very well, sits nice and level even when car is fully loaded, good mpg, getting 50 mpg solo, 40 when towing, will tow at 60mph in 6th gear on cruise control all day, very impressed.
Volvo V70 T5 2.0 [PowerShift] and ElddisThe Volvo V70 is the perfect towcar for my Elddis Odyssey 482. The Auto gearbox is smooth and the powershift to 6 manual forward gears is really good for rounderbouts etc.
The internal space for all the gear is excellent. Have just ordered a new one!
Volvo V70 D5 and LunarCruise all the way, never over 60 and you won't realise its there.
Volvo V70 D5 aut. and Ace27mpg diesel is where its at for me no matter what sort of journey. The D5 never breaks a sweat but I never take it over 55mph anyway as any higher and I feel the instability start to build. Just take it easy, use cruse control if you have it and you'll almost forget its there.
Volvo V70 D5 and Baileywe have owned the v70 for the past 9 months and are extremely pleased with it. The performance is outstanding, we have towed back to back against our trust old ford galaxy and the returned the same mpg towing 30mpg - 31mpg which I was surprised at, i thought the v70 would be a lot worse! one down side of the v70 is the driving/towing postion it is a little low (but i amd compareing it against driving an hgv and tall galaxy). i am very carefull not to put any WEIGHT in the boot of the v70 as it is easy to have a saggy bum look.
get on the motorway pull 6th gear and hit cruise 50-52mph and sit there all day now worries. solo driving this car will keep up with just about anything on the road and driven carefully will return 30-35mpg pottering about but close to 50mpg on a run at 67mph. a very impressive car.
Volvo V70 D5 [AWD] and CoachmanTowed quite a few heavy vans with this car, the Pastiche is the heaviest but also the best tow. Minimal sway when overtaking big wagons. Averaging 30mpg towing @ 55>60mph. Think the new design of the Pastiche helps the aerodynamics & therefore stability. Running 80>90 kg nose weight. Very impressed.
Volvo V70 2.4D and Elddisexcellent for towing my caravan you dont know its there even pulling off at juctions its very good
Volvo V70 D5 aut. and Spritefirst time used but great info
Volvo V70 2.5T and Caravanyou would not even know you had a caravan on tow,i out paced a MGF from the lights with the caravan and four people in the car, and yes thay where trying it was a friend of mine, this car will pull a house down, but 12 to 15 mpg when towing, one other thing you can run the 25T on normal unleaded fuel but it will give out a lot more power on super as the ecu will ajust its self to give higher engine output found this out by talking with a volvo tech guy a couple of years ago.
Volvo V70 D5 aut. [AWD] and SwiftI have had the caravan four years but have only recently purchased the car. I towed with a Ford Mondeo TDCi 130 PS before and have to say that the Volvo is a far superior tow car. Having decided that I would like an automatic I was looking to buy a Mondeo but was put off by the twin clutch auto gearbox system. I wanted a traditional oil based system. I now know that I have made the right choice. This is an excellent match, effortless, extremely stable and comfortable.Fuel consumtion averages 33mpg when towing against a normal 44mpg. Best outfit I've owned in almost 25 years.
Volvo V70 D5 aut. and CoachmanVolvo v70 awd d5 geartronic"s" maintains any speed safely and stops very well too. The coachman may be heavy but not a problem, even going down hill with semi auto box keeping us under control. 31mpg towing up hill and down dale and better on motorways. A great towcar
Volvo V70 2.0D and Elddisive towed with the volvo for the last three years which is the R design, no problems what so ever allthough the mt weight of the elddis is actually 1500 kg, averages arround 25 to 28 mpg regardless of motorways or A roads but allways plenty of power in reserve, you just have to watch youre speed because it will just keep pulling, best to use cruise control on the motorway.
Volvo V70 D5 and BaileyI have owned the D5 for the past 12 months, covered 2200 miles with the Bailey GT60 and with no towing issues what so ever! Well balanced no sway on the bends, easily managed the hills and on the flat we never felt it on the back of the car and even averaged 30mpg! A dream to own and drive both hithced and solo.
Volvo V70 D5 aut. and AbbeyGreat towing outfit. The Volvo pulls off on the steepest of hills and high speed cruising is effortless. Fuel economy is also very good.
Volvo V70 D5 aut. and Lunartow a lunar clubman se (1490)kg with a volvo vy
70 d5 185 auto have towed with this car for 5 years and handles everything and still returns 28 mpg towing extremely stable and out performs my previous merc e class 320 diesel
Volvo V70 2.4 aut. and BaileyMy V70 Auto has already done 125000 miles and has started towing a 24ft Bailey Pageant Burgundy. It is also my first experience at towing. I had to keep reminding myself that I had a caravan at all, as it pulled along even on 'creep' at the dealers. Had no problems at all, 50mph all the way from the Midlands to Yorkshire, plus a heavy awing and luggage in the boot too. Was averaging about 25mpg and this is a petrol car. Really impressed and has confirmed to me that my next car will be another Volvo.
Volvo V70 T5 and SterlingAlthough this site states that caravan is 28kg overwieght for the Volvo the car coped extremely well. We covered a total of over 8500 miles in three months last year throuhg Spain, Portugal and France, crossing the Pyrenese twice!! Never once did the combination seem wrong, with faultless hill starts, hairpin mountain bends and above legal motorway speeds. Average mpg for the entire 8500 miles was 19.4 mpg. The Volvo has a very large luggage capacitty and had 2 bikes on the roof. Overall a very good combination.
Volvo V70 D5 and AbbeyBeen towing my GTS Vogue 417 with my V70 D5 for just over a year now and constantly get 34+ mpg towing and 45+ mpg solo.Much better than my 300 tdi discovery and much better performance.
The only downside is front wheel drive has problems with traction on slippery surfaces.
Overall 9/10 and an overall nice car.
Volvo V70 2.4D aut. and LunarI have returned to caravanning after a break of some 10 yrs. The power weight ratio appears to be very good with plenty of power reserves. However, being front wheel drive can a problem when puling away on slope when wet and on camp site in same conditions; the only saving grace is the Dynamic Stability and Traction Control which is standard feature of the new V70; an absolute necessity in my opinion. It may well be that I am may not have the loading of the van balance correctly ( I will be more precise next time) but the van was nudging the rear of the V70 on bends when cruising at or about the legal limit on A and B roads. On motorways with cruise control on, no problems at all, fuel consumption better than expected. Towing through the Cotswolds recently was an absolute delight. I have not had a chance at any serious hill climbs or hill starts, but current experience, I will be surprised if any real issue are presented; that said my Volvo is an automatic, which should hill starts very easy. I will be happy to add to this report as my experience grows with the rig grows.
Volvo V70 2.4D and Hobby2009 V70 2.4D (175BHP) SE Lux + Hobby 540UK
Towing Good & stable at all times. Easy to accelerate to & maintain legal limit. Turning circle improved from prev model, this especially improves reversing. Use of 6th gear on most motorway sections dropping to 5th in steeper inclines, cruise control at 60 on m'way stress free when road quiet. Plenty of torque to get things moving , grip from front wheels good. Fuel economy increasing as miles increase currently 40mpg solo and 28mpg towing but expect this to improve as miles go by. Stable outfit, recommended although not quite as stable as older V70 D5. Fitted Grayston rear spring assisters which tightens up rear under load. Driving solo is great too, great family car.
Volvo V70 D5 and CoachmanWell-balanced, pulls in 6th gear on all but the largest slopes. Recommend self-levelling suspension is fitted
Volvo V70 D5 and AbbeyJust done 1200 miles round south midlands and cornwall in my 2002 V70 D5 towing an Abbey GTS Vogue 417.covered 600 miles with the van and 600 solo.
Average overall was 37.4 mpg and excellent performance.
cannot fault the overall performance of this outfit.
Volvo V70 2.4 and BaileyMY 140BHP VOLVO SEEMS TO ROLL ALONG WELL WITH MY BAILEY CHAMPAGNE ON TOW,MAY BE A L ITTLE THIRSTY AT 20 MPG BUT THE COMFORT IS A1
Volvo V70 2.4 aut. and CaravanI tow a 550/6 bailey ranger weight 1280 with this car. No real problems other than fifth gear is not really possible. I use fourth for most of the time, dropping to third for hills and towns. Comfortable driving though, especially over long distances.
Volvo V70 D5 and AbbeyVery well balanced outfit with plenty of power. My previous V70 had load compensating suspension but there is very little difference
Volvo V70 2.4 and Caravanhas to be good and fast
Volvo V70 2.4 aut. and BaileyI totally recomend the 2.4 petrol Volvo (auto) V70 as a tow car. I had never towed anything util we bought our first Van in 08, and I bought the V70 specifically to tow it. I think it lacks some torque, sure, but that said it accellerates well enough not to annoy other road users, and it is fabulously comfy. Even on a 400+ mile Tow, I get out feeling quite relaxed. Only issue for me is that I lock it in 4th gear as 5th is useless really, and at 60mph it is turning some 2750 rpms, but its still quiet. At that speed in 4th I lso get around 22 mpg. Not bad for a rig weighing in excesss of 3250 Kg's
Volvo V70 2.4D and BaileyI've had this outfit for three years and it's never given me any problems. Always perfect stability, and seldom any need to change down gear on UK motorways. Volvo is 100,000miles plus now and still drives as new, but I would recommend the self levelling suspension.
Volvo V70 2.0D and CompassFurther to above review the data shown is incorrect as Volvo show kerb weight as 1736kg which gives ratio of 89.86%. I knew I had chosen the Volvo for a good reason.
Volvo V70 2.0D and CompassAlthough the system is above the optimum weight ratio the combination is very stable. My wife and I both tow and find the Volvo V70 2.0D a great car. Very comfortable to drive and well built. I tend not to load the van to max 1560Kg e.g. the awning used is a lightweight which helps. I have also modified the engine with a diesel tuning kit which enables the car to remain in higher gear for longer and improves fuel consumption. I get generally around 27-28 mpg towing and above 50 mpg solo.
Volvo V70 TDI aut. and Swifti find this site very helpfull easy to use i have a volvo 850 2.5 tdi p reg and i tow a swift challenger and it pulls like a train and 25-30 mpg one of the best towing cars ive had
Volvo V70 D5 aut. and BaileyI am currently towing a Bailey loire twin axle ( 1612 )with a Volvo V70 D5 185 Auto. At low speeds the Volvo pulls it well as long as it gets traction which in some cases is difficult. At higher speeds the towing is more than noticable as the Volvo has a very soft suspension which means it struggles to give a confident ride on bad roads or in the case the wind is moderate. this outfit returns a mpg of just 20 which I find unacceptable. My previous car was a BMW 320d tourer which towed far better and gave a impressive 26 MPG. I will be changing this car for next sesson!
Volvo V70 2.4 aut. and LunarTo be honest I would not recommend the Volvo V70 2.4 auto (petrol) as a towing vehicle. It lacks torque and response can often be quite sluggish. That said, it bobbles along quite nicely once it gets up to speed.
Volvo V70 2.4D aut. and Bjolseth2009 V70II 2,4D + Bjølseth 650 2004 Jubilee with stabilizer first time reg. spring -05.
Superb power and handling.
Volvo V70 2.4T aut. and BaileyWe are new to caravaning but our volvo seems to tow our Bailey Pageant Provence very well got plenty of power,but beware of front tyres loosing grip on wet roads at traffic lights,roundabouts etc.
We only get 17.5 miles to the gallon and are now looking for a D5 Estate.
Volvo V70 D5 and HobbyV70 D5 SE towed my Hobby 540UK round Ireland, North England & Scotland over all types of roads, rain & snow, stable at all times. D5 excellent even on steep uphill sections. 45mpg driving solo drops to about 35mpg average when towing. Great car, superb seats, excellent d5 engine. What more can you ask for transporting caravan, dog, kids & bikes.
Volvo V70 XC and BaileyPulls Bailey Senator Wyoming series 5 with no problems so far. No snaking. Pulled up 1 in 8 in 2nd gear with no strain. No overheating. Be careful with nose weight. Fuel consumption reduced minimally. Pulls at 60 mph easily on dual carriageway/motorway.
Volvo V70 XC and CaravanMy V70 XC Auto will tow all day with no complaint or problem, even at a steady 60 on motorways. It would be easy to forget that you have a caravan attached.
Volvo V70 D5 and AvondaleI've been towing my Argente 460/2 with my V70 D5 for 5 years and I remain convinced the V70 D5 is th best towcar I've ever had (towing for over 25 years). The fuel consumption on a 1000 mile plus trip averages around 34 Mpg which is achieved by correctly balancing in trailer, using gentle throttle control and driving on smooth French autoroutes!! Driving on Uk roads ups the anti in fuel consumtion ans stress levels!! Bon Route!!
Volvo V70 2.4D and SwiftIve only towed with this outfit twice and really think its a great pairing,the van sits very steady on the road and the car just keeps on going,really great to handle.
Volvo V70 T5 and HobbyVolvo is an excellent tow car and great with family. T5 engine pulls very strongly...even with a caravan can put a smile on your face and annoy drivers behind with acceleration! 28mpg solo and getting 22mpg with caravan, roofbox and bikes on top! Hobby 540 Uk great to tow. This combination feels better than my previous Disco II and Knaus and that was impressive!
Volvo V70 R and Swifti used my 97 v 70 r awd drive to tow a small four birth swift caravan with no problems at all, its has a five speed manual gearbox, i drove on the motorways and a roads in fourth gear with the cruise control set to 55 mph and never had to down shift even on the hills
Volvo V70 D5 aut. and SterlingThe V70 does everything I want with or without the caravan on the back. It is a pleasure to drive.
Volvo V70 D5 aut. and LunarWe did have a 250bhp V70 T5 which was very good at towing but changed to the D5 last year and this is even better at towing quite a hard job to keep it at 60mph. Can recommend it.
Volvo V70 2.0T and LunarI have to say that I am very happy in the way this outfit tows. There is sufficient torque to pull away in most scenarios, the only downside is a hill start on a damp road, as the V70 has plenty of power but with all the weight at the back it easily spins. You just have to adjust your driving style!
Downside: averages 18mpg !
Volvo V70 D5 and HobbyI've towed Volvo V70 & Hobby 540UK combination now for some miles on Motorway, A & B road. Stable at all times, easy to tow / brake / overtake & stop. Fuel consumption takes a dip from 48mpg solo to approx 35 during mixed conditions at legal limit. Get good mirrors for rearward vision & I've fitted Grayston rear spring assisters which help keep rear level. Cruise control a great help on long runs. Great car, superb D5 engine, excellent caravan!
Volvo V70 D5 and HobbyJust purchased caravan so too early to say, will follow up with report after some outings as was looking for report myself.
Volvo V70 2.4 and HobbyThe Volvo is my 4th big Volvo estate as a towcar and is the best to date:- long wheelbase, plenty of power, exceptionally stable even when light. The Hobby is far and away the most stable caravan I have ever towed in my 25 years of caravanning. It doesn't really need a stabiliser and it has a very light noseweight - nothing near the so-called recommended 7% of gross weight - more like 45 to 60kgs. It has never wiggled, let alone snaked, even at max speed in crosswinds being overtaken by 'White Van Man' . The build quality is also the best I have come across and much cheaper than UK caravans for the same spec. On the continent Hobby caravans are the single most popular caravan - now I know why !!
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