Be REALLY carefful with Renault and towing weights and check the quoted Gross Train Weight, not just the maximum towing capacity. I have a Grand Scenic and it was only when I came to buy a caravan that I discovered that the quoted max towing weight of 1300 Kg is for the car loaded with DRIVER ONLY. The Laguna may be different but I have seen reference to this with other Renaults on this forum.
Basically, the problem is that my car has a low Gross Train Weight of 3050 Kg. My kerbweight is 1530 Kg which leaves a total of 1520 Kg available for the caravan, all its contents, driver + 3 passengers, all luggage, tow bar, any other fitted accessories like a sunroof, and car spare wheel (this isn't included in the quoted weight as it as an optional extra - really - I checked with Renault!).
So taking all this into account, realistically I can only tow something with an MRO of around 950 - 1000 Kg unless I travel solo, which isn't really the idea!
Luckily, I've found that the Bailey Ranger 470/4 will do what I need, but if you already have a van, beware as you could be making a costly mistake.
I would have loved to have owned one of these cars. My mate has had a succession of Renaults as company cars and they have all been excellent. They seem to be really well bolted together and give unstinting service.
However, going by eyesight alone, you don't see many of them on the road towing caravans nor arriving on site with a caravan in tow. For me this speaks volumes and only serves to bolster AndyR's contribution.
this really gets my back up because the day after i bought a laguna 1900 diesle estate 2003 mk 2 model they got slated i was gutted
so imagine my supprise when i hooked up my 18 foot avondale and set of to devon on my jollys on the motorway and the country rds no problems
what a fantastic tow and 32 mil;es to the gallon thats with me the wife and two kids and all the gear for two weeks. i dont know whats going on are they trying to keep this a secret i think these vehicles are great and would recommend did i mention when not towing 50 to the gallon at speed and i do have a heavy foot
this really gets my back up because the day after i bought a laguna 1900 diesle estate 2003 mk 2 model they got slated i was gutted
so imagine my supprise when i hooked up my 18 foot avondale and set of to devon on my jollys on the motorway and the country rds no problems
what a fantastic tow and 32 mil;es to the gallon thats with me the wife and two kids and all the gear for two weeks. i dont know whats going on are they trying to keep this a secret i think these vehicles are great and would recommend did i mention when not towing 50 to the gallon at speed and i do have a heavy foot
My Grand Scenic is a fantastic car too - apart from the low tow limit. Just out of interest - what's the kerbweight and gross train weight for the Lagun?
I've just had a look at the Renault website and a new 1.9 diesel Laguna Sports Tourer (estate) Privilege weighs in at kerbweight 1385 Kg and gross train weight 3150 Kg, giving you 1765 Kg to play with for your van + all contents. Your particular model may be different of course, so you really need to confirm these figures from the plate on the car (usually in the driver's door sill).
That's an extra 245 Kg of usable towing capacity than I have, and the caravan I'm looking at has an MRO of 970Kg approx. I don't know what the weight of your caravan is, but if your weights are similar to those above, you'll have no problem towing a similar caravan.
Check in your handbook, as you'll find two towing weights quoted: a maximum towing weight (driver only) and another for "all other situations". The "all other situations" weight is what Renault say you can tow if the car is full to capacity with all passengers + maximum load allowance.
This is very misleading, and in my case led to a caravan dealer refusing to sell me a caravan as he said the car handbook stated that I could not tow it. I got a letter from Renault confirming that this "all other situations" figure could be ignored as long as the gross train weight was not exceeded.
If it's all very complicated, sorry! The Caravan Club's technical advice line know all about this and can advise. It's peculiar to Renaults, apparently.
We've got a Renault Laguna 1.8 16v alize and have found it a superb car to tow with. I admit it can sometimes be a bit slow up hills where you dont have the chance of a "run up" but apart from that its a lovely car. Someone said that it speaks loads because you don't see many turn up on campsites. I guess its because Vectras and Mondeos are a more popular choice, but that doesn't mean that they are better cars. The big downside with Renault is that they are more expensive to repair than Fords and Vauxhalls. In my opinion Renault have better technology( when did you last hear of a Ford or Vauxhall win a grand prix??)By the way I dont work for Renault, just trying to give an honest opinion which may help someone make an informed choice.
We detest our Laguna lol, trying to replace it when we can. Hate the card key system, you cant attach the key to a key ring. You have to make sure the card key doesnt get wet as they can be temperamental, ours has been fine as we've always been aware of this. Suspension is diabolical on ours, we dont tow a caravan though. We went from a Passat to the Laguna and the difference in quality is noticeable, even to a woman like me!
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Topic: towing with a renault laguna estate
