2.3td LWB frontera as a tow vehicle?

Nos4r2 · 05 February 2006, 22:13

Any opinions?.

codprawn · 05 February 2006, 22:24

Bloke I know had a 2 short wheelbase ones - he was pretty happy with them but said the diesel was pretty thirsty. Better offroad than most of the Jap stuff and he used to tow a mini digger around with him quite a bit - also compressors and usual builders type stuff.

Hightower · 05 February 2006, 22:57

Depends! What you want to Tow?

As for Frontera's, well have a look at some forums. I think you'll need a toolkit in the back at all times.

Best Deisel one is the 2.8 Isuzu unit I belive.

Go for a Jap one like a Shogun, I have a Kia Sportage and it Tows great. Not the smoothest of rides without a load on the towbar, but never let me down. Soon to be replaced

with a 7' high Monster.

Nasher · 06 February 2006, 08:02

When I joined the company I'm with at the moment I was able to request any vehicle from general motors sold in the UK as a company car. (The car that goes with my grade would have been the Saab 93 convertable)

I was about to upgrade my Shogun anyway, so opted out, however I did talk to the fleet manager briefly about what 4X4s were available. I was told the Frontera was the only GM car that had been removed from the scheme as the few that had been ordered had cost so much to maintain, and had been so unreliable. And thats saying something when you see how bad some of the Vectras have been.

Nasher.

Nos4r2 · 07 February 2006, 20:21

Bugger! I just went and bought one. Lucky I only paid £300 for it really!

Dino · 07 February 2006, 20:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

Bugger! I just went and bought one. Lucky I only paid £300 for it really!

Any grunt left in her mate?

Biggles · 07 February 2006, 21:21

I got one of the last ones. 2.2 TDI. its brilliant at towing, going off road and hasn't let me down yet. 50000 miles from new.

Doesn't accelerate too well but does what its got to do and looks the part.

The low ratio is handy. And I'm lead to believe the last engines were SAAB units.

My mate has one of the old 2.8 Diesel lumps and a Discovery and reckons the Frontera is far better at pulling a load. He is a hydraulics engineer and takes all his tools and bits and pieces around with him. Trust me he pulls some weight, his boot is absolutley full of tools etc.

Nos4r2 · 07 February 2006, 22:28

That sounds a bit more promising Nick!

Should have a fair bit of go left, it's only on 125k-if it's the Isuzu lump I think it is (same as the early trooper) then they are good for twice as long as the body will last...

The 2.3td IS an Isuzu lump isn't it?

Tideway · 07 February 2006, 22:45

I've driven the Vauxhall Brava 4x4 pick-ups off-road and their running gear, cab interior etc are very similar, maybe, identical the Frontera, so this info may be relevent.

The Brava's are crap off-road! The main, scary reason being that on the high mileage ones that we had, they would often jump out of 4wd Low ratio on the over-run i.e. if you lifted off of the throttle. This could get a bit hairy!

Having had this happen while descending a steep, wet grassy slope with a large trailer, I was not v.happy to lose engine braking, especially as there was a lake at the bottom of the hill!

On other occasions we took them anywhere muddy and had to winch em out we often ended up with the front wheels way out of alignment, or the exhaust hanging off... They towed bloody well though.

Then again for £300 notes you can't go wrong, and the Frontera has been around for a while, so can't be too bad...

good luck with it.

t

Nos4r2 · 12 February 2006, 02:29

Well...on my way home with the thing today the gearbox toasted itself

Nothing the seller could have known about-probably a symptom of it being stood for 10 months before I bought it.

On a plus note I just found a g/box for £50...

Dino · 12 February 2006, 13:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

Well...on my way home with the thing today the gearbox toasted itself

Nothing the seller could have known about-probably a symptom of it being stood for 10 months before I bought it.

On a plus note I just found a g/box for £50...

Bloody motor trade