#1 Hi, I am new to caravanning and have am waiting delivery of a Lunar 534. MPtw is 1350KG(or something like that). I messed up when we ordered it because at the moment we have a Seat Altea XL 138bhp with only a maximum towing weight of 1400kg(Manufact Rec) and therefore near 97%.... So, after appologising to my wife for my big mistake we are now looking at a new Kia Sorento CRDI XE... the XE is quite a bit less cost than the XS/XT/Titan... However, there a number of less features on the XE... could someone please give me some advice on whether the XE will do the job or that we should consider the XS which I know was voted towcar 2008????? any advice would be very welcomed... Thanks Steven #2 I have been taking a keen interest in the Sorento of late with a view to buying one. The XE/XS ect i think will just relate to equipment levels. The higher up the range you go the more goodies you will get. As a towcar all the reports say it is brilliant. A couple of my friends tow with one and absolutely love it. I don't think you will go far wrong with the Sorento. #3 I have been taking a keen interest in the Sorento of late with a view to buying one. The XE/XS ect i think will just relate to equipment levels. The higher up the range you go the more goodies you will get. As a towcar all the reports say it is brilliant. A couple of my friends tow with one and absolutely love it. I don't think you will go far wrong with the Sorento. Thank you for help.. Steven Nov 11, 2009 15,157 3,724 50,935 #4 Yes Julian is correct about the equipment levels and general spec. The most significant difference being that for the higher spec model you get Automatic Torque on Demand/or Transfer. This basically means that the car drives in rear wheel drive most of the time, but when slippage of the front wheels is detected it seamlessly engages 4wd. If combined with the 5 speed auto box the driver input is minimal. With ATD/T you select fixed 4wd low ratio with a dash mounted switch. The non ATD/T cars have the same twoing and off road capabilty but your dash switch requires you to select High 4wd, low 4wd or 2wd. #5 Yes Julian is correct about the equipment levels and general spec. The most significant difference being that for the higher spec model you get Automatic Torque on Demand/or Transfer. This basically means that the car drives in rear wheel drive most of the time, but when slippage of the front wheels is detected it seamlessly engages 4wd. If combined with the 5 speed auto box the driver input is minimal. With ATD/T you select fixed 4wd low ratio with a dash mounted switch. The non ATD/T cars have the same twoing and off road capabilty but your dash switch requires you to select High 4wd, low 4wd or 2wd. Clive, Thanks for the reply.. I think I know where you are coming from as he did say in the dealership that most of the time I would put in 2wd mode(plus more economical), but can select the 4wd hi and lo options by switching too manually... I did consider the XS and XT models but as I said in my posting I made a mistake with my exising SEAT and so the next level up from the XE, ie. the XS was about another 3k. So, given a few less luxeries and having to change from 2wd to 4wd lo/hi, I have just purchased a 2009 Lunar 534 mad load 1350kg I am asuming that I have still made an OK choice with the Kia XE.. Also on the caravan I have opted for the factory fitted ATC feature, will this also help the overall safety of the Van?... Thanks #6 I have a Sorento Titan Auto and its the best tow car ive had the only difference in the model your looking at is trim and xtras such as no sun roof Im sure if you go for the Sorento you will be delighted and it will tow your van with little effort. #7 Hi Steven, your mistake may not have been as serious as you imagine. It looks to me as if you have worked out your towing ratio by comparing the MTPLM of the caravan with the maximum tow weight for the car. This is incorrect and you should compare with the kerb weight. I have had a quick look at Seat's web site, and this gives kerb weights for the 2009 XL Stylance as 1469 and 1504 Kg for the manual and DSG versions respectively. These values give 92% and 90% towing ratios rather than the 97% you quoted. Manufacturer's kerb weights are notoriously inaccurate, and the actual figures are likely to be better than this (but you would need to check on a weighbridge.) I am sure many on here tow with higher ratios than you would have, based on the above figures. Power wise I would not expect you to have any problems. I am not saying the Sorento may not do the job better, but your wallet would probably appreciate it if you at least gave the Seat a try (especially in these 'credit crunch' times.) Enjoy your holidays, Trevor M Nov 11, 2009 15,157 3,724 50,935 #8 Clive, Thanks for the reply.. I think I know where you are coming from as he did say in the dealership that most of the time I would put in 2wd mode(plus more economical), but can select the 4wd hi and lo options by switching too manually... I did consider the XS and XT models but as I said in my posting I made a mistake with my exising SEAT and so the next level up from the XE, ie. the XS was about another 3k. So, given a few less luxeries and having to change from 2wd to 4wd lo/hi, I have just purchased a 2009 Lunar 534 mad load 1350kg I am asuming that I have still made an OK choice with the Kia XE.. Also on the caravan I have opted for the factory fitted ATC feature, will this also help the overall safety of the Van?... Thanks Steven, you have made agood choice, the Kia XE is a fine car and will tow your van without any trouble whatsoever. Even pitching up onwet CLs my XS with TOD rarely cuts into 4wd. What i tend to do to prevent churning the grass is to engage 4wd low and she just crawls the van into place without any grass damage. Good Luck Other Clive #9 Hi Steven, your mistake may not have been as serious as you imagine. It looks to me as if you have worked out your towing ratio by comparing the MTPLM of the caravan with the maximum tow weight for the car. This is incorrect and you should compare with the kerb weight. I have had a quick look at Seat's web site, and this gives kerb weights for the 2009 XL Stylance as 1469 and 1504 Kg for the manual and DSG versions respectively. These values give 92% and 90% towing ratios rather than the 97% you quoted. Manufacturer's kerb weights are notoriously inaccurate, and the actual figures are likely to be better than this (but you would need to check on a weighbridge.) I am sure many on here tow with higher ratios than you would have, based on the above figures. Power wise I would not expect you to have any problems. I am not saying the Sorento may not do the job better, but your wallet would probably appreciate it if you at least gave the Seat a try (especially in these 'credit crunch' times.) Enjoy your holidays, Trevor M Thanks Trevor for coming back to me. Would the percentages and weights etc not cause snaking and stability problems or do you still think I may be ok. we have also had ATC fitted at the factory by Lunar on the 534, 2009 model van.. thanks steven #10 Hi again Steven. Regarding your last comment, I do not think I am qualified to give a 100% guarantee one way or the other, but I am sure many people tow safely with a 92% ratio of caravan to car weight. It would be interesting to hear the experiences of others who tow with a similar set up to yours. If Lutz spots this thread, perhaps he may have a view. If not, you could start a new thread with his name in the title - I have always found his views very informative. Enjoy your holidays, Trevor M #11 Hi again Steven. Regarding your last comment, I do not think I am qualified to give a 100% guarantee one way or the other, but I am sure many people tow safely with a 92% ratio of caravan to car weight. It would be interesting to hear the experiences of others who tow with a similar set up to yours. If Lutz spots this thread, perhaps he may have a view. If not, you could start a new thread with his name in the title - I have always found his views very informative. Enjoy your holidays, Trevor M thanks again Mar 14, 2005 15,458 1,843 50,935 #12 Hello Trevor, Based on the figures I have seen posted by you and others, it seems that you are contemplating towing with a high ratio of over 90%. I also note that you are new to towing, and these two facts together are of some concern. Most novice towers will start with a much lower towing ratio, and as they build their experience, they may feel able to handle higher ratio's, But ratios alone do not determine if an outfit is good or bad. Many other factors come into play, and it is a broad range of characteristics that affect the tow-a-bility of an outfit. The maximum permitted towed mass is set out by the vehicle manufacturer. This must not be exceeded along with the Gross Train Weight and axle loadings. Generally it is better to keep the overall weight of a trailer as low as possible. Some suggest only 85% though this has no legal bearing and is a guideline only. The way the load is stored in the caravan will affect its towing. It is good practice to keep heavy items low down, and as near to the axle as possible. The detailed disposition of the loaded items must be adjusted to create enough nose load to keep the outfit stable, but must not exceed the either the limit of the caravan hitch or the tow bar assembly on the car. Don't forget that the trailers nose load is supported by the car, so this forms part of the cars paylaod. Don't over-load the car. Good vehicle maintenance and tyre checks are also important. One of the biggest contributing factors in instability is excessive speed. This is down to the driver, who must also read the road conditions ahead, and avoid sudden braking and changes of direction. As Trevor has very succinctly said many people do tow quite safely with high figures, but in most cases they have gained years of experience which allows them to 'feel'the outfit and understand how to cope with it. #13 Hi Steven we had a 2003 manual Sorento XS and changed recently for a 2008 (1 year old) Sorento XE. We gave up the permanent 4 wheel drive, leather upholstery, sunroof and cruise control. Have I missed any? A big no! We use CLs and go away most weekends. Since end January when we took delivery, have engaged 4wd on 2 wet sites with no problems. Cruise control was nice, but happy to use my right foot. Newer one is much more powerful and tows our Wyoming with ease. We looked around and made a huge saving by buying a 12 month old Sorie from a Kia dealer who had used it for 12 months and put 14k on the clock - paid #14 Hi Steven we had a 2003 manual Sorento XS and changed recently for a 2008 (1 year old) Sorento XE. We gave up the permanent 4 wheel drive, leather upholstery, sunroof and cruise control. Have I missed any? A big no! We use CLs and go away most weekends. Since end January when we took delivery, have engaged 4wd on 2 wet sites with no problems. Cruise control was nice, but happy to use my right foot. Newer one is much more powerful and tows our Wyoming with ease. We looked around and made a huge saving by buying a 12 month old Sorie from a Kia dealer who had used it for 12 months and put 14k on the clock - paid #15 steve i bought a sorento new in 2007 just bought a 09 plate XE Sorento its a great pulling car Ally #16 steve i bought a sorento new in 2007 just bought a 09 plate XE Sorento its a great pulling car Ally Thanks Ally, we have now purchased a new 09 Sorento diesel manual.. hopefully take delivery next week.... Thanks Steven Advertising Cookies Policies Privacy Term & Conditions Topics