Best Jeep for Towing!

kellym

kellym

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Jan 19, 2005
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I have a Nissan Terrano SWB and have been towing with it for the last three years and its been a loyal servant! I am due for a change next month and am really unsure what to change too???
I drive my vehicle to work every day 25 miles in and out of town - so need it not just to pull horseboxes and do all my equestrian stuff. The Rav 4 , Nissan x trails, freelanders and Suzuki all look good jeeps for around the town plus light towing. But as I have a 16.3hh solid horsey and occasionally travel two horses would they really be the best option?
The Shoguns I quite like but would like to hear from anyone who keeps them and runs them every day?
I'd like some feedback just from everyone who drives their horse around to local shows and what they use and can recommend? As Im really lost as to what Im going to change too :cool:
all responses appreciated , kel
 
If you are pulling two horses you will need a fairly sturdy tow car, probably in the form of a Discovery/Shogun.

The Freelander, which my dad, will legally pull a 401 plus my 16.2 ID but it may not be the safest way and I would only do it if I had to.

These types of cars are always expensive to run. although the Kia Sorento has great reviews and isnt as dear I am lead to believe.

Jen
x
 
I know nothing about weights, but I had a Nissan Terrano LWB which towed my IW 505 with 1 horse in it fantastically, never had any worries about it, my husband also pulled the cattle trailer with varying amounts of cattle inside very smoothly.

It has now been replaced with a lorry for me :D and a Mitsubushi L200 for my husband, he tells me this pulls well, it has a same coloured back on it, so it looks like an estate car.
 
kellym said:
I drive my vehicle to work every day 25 miles in and out of town - so need it not just to pull horseboxes and do all my equestrian stuff. The Rav 4 , Nissan x trails, freelanders and Suzuki all look good jeeps for around the town plus light towing. But as I have a 16.3hh solid horsey and occasionally travel two horses would they really be the best option?
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absolutely not, i would not tow a horse with any of those vehicles. You could get away with an x-trail if you downgraded your trailer to 2000kg otherwise you'd be towing illegally. The rav4 and suzuki vitara couldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding ;) i'd be looking at either the ssangyong rexton, hyundai terracan or kia sorento if you are looking for a decent towing ability and fuel economy.
 
hi there thanks for all your responses - I 100 % agree about the lighter jeeps and would prefer something solid like my terrano to get me about and in/out of town. The L200 I tried a chums and found it much harder on fuel over a week than my terrano plus really light back end of motorway. The Kia Sorrento has got great reviews so Im going to look into them further thanks for that. Kelly
 
have towed with shogun and discovery and both have been fantastic for towing 16.2hh lardy bum and a 17.1hh chunky boy.

Would look at something with some grunt if you going to be towing larger horses, shogun and disco both been good but even i can tell they do 'feel' the weight they are towing so to say so wouldn't like to tow with less.

Fuel wise our disco is not as bad as people make out.
 
thanks for that I will check those jeeps out also and keep you posted what I end up buying! I'd just like something with a bit of grunt that can pull my horse plus another sturdy chap if needed. A point on the pick up jeeps I didnt realise was that there turning lock isnt great plus they are very long when your locking onto the horsebox! I was trying a Navara jeep last night and found these issues .:)
 
I tow with a Daihatsu and its fantastic. I regularly tow mine and my friends horse with no probs and its surprisingly ecomomical, even when fully loaded.

It is a smooth and comfortable drive and with trailer holds the ground well and still has some going power! However as a general run a round it is not keen on going fast!!

Good luck in your search!
 
I pull with a Shogun 2.8. Great towing vehicle but even with a beast like this I can feel the weight when got two chunky horses behind. Very reliable though and will always pull fully laden out of a muddy showfield when others are slipping and sliding! :D. Actually not all that bad on fuel consumption when towing and when doing motorway journeys without the trailer, but for a round-town runabout the fuel consumption is pretty hefty- but all the big 4x4s are fuel-monsters! Would have no hesitation in getting another Shogun.
 
I have a 3 door SWB 3.5D Shogun and it is fantastic. Very powerful for towing and great off road.

I use it for work every day and it is very comfortable. Good acceleration even up fairly steep hills and not too noisy. I have the automatic with black leather seats so the dirt just wipes off and it is very smmoth to drive. The turning circle is very goos as it is a SWB.

It is only 3 door but that works for me and there is room in the back for three teenagers - they just need to be nimble to get in!
 
If you already have a Nissan why not consider a Navara. I tow with my partner's and it is fantastic and although it is expensive on fuel like any of the hard core 4x4's it feels much more like a normal car to drive than the likes of a discovery or a shogun. It will happily tow up some of our enormous cotswold hills with two large horses on the back and I was told of for driving too fast with a trailer minus the horse the other day as it is quite easy to forget you have anything on the back! I bought a shogun last year and wouldn't recommend them. Everyone told me they weren't great but I wouldn't listen and in the end it blew up on me so I sold it. It was R reg though so the newer ones may be better. Similarly to you I drive 30 miles to work every day and a 4x4 for that mileage was just ridiculous.
 
I love my ancient Daihatsu Fourtrak Fieldman but they don't make them anymore :(. You just can't jerk the trailer when changing gears, it is so smooth.

I was always recommended to buy something at least 2.5 ltr in engine size, and turbo diesel by default! Do be aware of the cost of servicing and parts for the various 4x4s on the present market. Ask your local mechanics for impartial advice, not a showroom.

Also, it might not be the best time of year, but visit shows and see what the majority of trailer owners are using and be bold and ask them what they think of their vehicles.
 
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