I'm considering swapping from my BMW X1 1.8 sdrive to Seat Ateco or Arona.
The Ateco looks great and has good reports but the salesman said its similar in size to a BMW X3.
so I'm thinking I might try the smaller model Arona .
My caravan is a 2008 Bailey pageant Monarch.
I need an automatic .
Arona XCELLENCE 1.6 TDI NR DSG- AUTO 05PS
Can anyone recommend this as a good match?
Car dealers don't seem to be good at advising re towing caravans.
well the arona is out as its just under 200kgs to heavy to tow your caravan, and to be honest the bmw gets a far better match for towing than either of the cars, stick with what you already have.
According to an article in PC magazine (see here) the maximum legal towing limit of even the more powerful 1.6 diesel version of the Arona is 1200kg. So if your caravan weighs more than that (check on a plate near the bottom of the door - but most do) it's basically a non-starter.
The Arona is based on the Seat Ibiza and VW Polo, neither of which were really built with towing in mind.
The Ateca sounds like the better bet. It's mechanically identical to the VW Tiguan, which seems to be highly rated as a towing vehicle. I would have thought that it would be similar in size to your X1, but I haven't driven either.
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Are you sure about the caravan weight? I've seen the 2008 Pageant Monarch listed with a 1295kg MTPLM.
What is the max tow weight of the Ateca? What is the max noseweight of the Ateca?
We towed our Ranger with an MTPLM of 1184kg with a Focus 1.6 diesel with 110 bhp and that needed a bit more oomph at times but an automatic gearbox might help maintain progress better.
Rob
PS I'd go for a Korando, I'm on my second one, you get a lot of car for very litle money compared to other cars.
The calculation is simple. Using the weights supplied: (1202/1466) x 100 = 82%.
That said, the 85% ratio is probably one of the least important considerations. It has no legal basis whatsoever and as far as I know, is based on very limited research that is now some decades old. Of far greater importance is the manufacturer's towing limit, which will be on the V5 document or the technical brochure (but check that the brochure is for the same year as the car you're buying)! Keeping your actual towed weight (note: not necessarily the MTPLM) of your caravan to less than the car's towing limit is a legal requirement.
I'm not 100% sure if you can buy the Ateca with the 2.0 TDI (148bhp) engine (though I'd be surprised if you can't, they fit it into just about every other VW Group car). But that's the one to go for if you can afford it and plan to tow regularly or for long distances. It's a lot more powerful, more flexible and barely uses any more fuel than the 1.6. (We currently use a VW Passat with that engine and it's brilliant.)
------------- "Don't wait for the perfect moment. Take the moment and make it perfect."
Towing limit 1766kg on the model I've chosen.
I'd like the 2L but only do 3 or 4 trips towing a year all in UK the rest solo- so I should be OK, I think.
The towing limit may be 1766 but the kerbweight of bobabbeyuser's car is only 1466 so it would be unwise to tow a caravan weighing more than the car's kerbweight.
No Stoky, as I said before that's an 82% ratio and you have also confirmed that you're well within the legal towing limit of the car, so all good! Enjoy
------------- "Don't wait for the perfect moment. Take the moment and make it perfect."
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Topic: New car to tow my Bailey Pageant Monarch
via mobile 24/2/2019 at 7:58am
