Towing

I am looking at a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee with 156,000 km on the odometer. I plan to use it for towing a double horse float and gear around the country, but I have heard differing reports about them regarding problems with the diff and computer locking etc. Are they ok?

I BOUGHT a new FG Ford Falcon XR6 cab-chassis with an aluminium tray in 2008. It is fitted with the one-tonne suspension and sold as one-tonner, but it sags in the rear end even when it's loaded to less than the GVM. I confirmed that by putting it over a weighbridge and it weighed 2480kg. The Ford dealer told me I needed heavy-duty springs, but because they are not covered by the warranty they would be at my cost. Is there a problem with springs from Ford, and should they correct this problem under warranty?

I'M LOOKING for a four-wheel drive that is reliable, economical and capable of towing my 20-foot caravan on a trip around Australia. My budget is $20,000. What do you recommend?

I AM looking to buy a 2004-2006 four-wheel drive to tow my caravan. My list is down to a Nissan Patrol diesel auto, Mitsubishi Pajero or Toyota Prado, but I am concerned about the comments that the Patrol engine self-destructs. I have been told that from 2004 on, this problem no longer exists. Can you confirm that this is correct?

I DRIVE a 2006 Nissan Pathfinder 2.5-litre diesel and my wife has a 2002 Ford Fairmont V8. Though they tow horse floats and a 2-tonne caravan occasionally, both are in good condition and have been driven gently at the speed limit. I am soon to retire and we will need only one of those vehicles, but which one? We will be doing several big trips with the caravan and both vehicles have done about 150,000km. Ignoring the difference in fuel costs -- the Pathfinder wins hands down -- which vehicle would have the better chance of longevity?

I'M LOOKING to buy a diesel automatic dual-cab utility to tow a caravan, which weighs 2 tonnes unladen and about 2.5 tonnes laden. My preference is a Nissan Navara ST-X, which has a towing capacity of 3 tonnes, but I'm wondering if the 2.5-litre diesel is strong enough to do the job. What do you think?

WE HAVE a 2006 Liberty 2.5 petrol auto station wagon and a 2006 Jayco ``Finch'' camper trailer. Do you see any problems with towing it?

Kia has dropped its 4WD abilities in favour of making its new Sorento an SUV.  Kia has sold almost 900,000 globally since it introduced Sorento in 2002 (9000 in Australia since it started here in January 2003) and Kia Australia president and CEO Terry Im says the new Sorento's arrival is just the start."The company is scheduled to introduce 20 all-new or upgraded models between 2009 and 2012 - this is our fourth new model in Australia just this year," he says.  "The development of the new Sorento clearly demonstrates the depth of Kia's engineering and manufacturing capability."The Korean-built two and four-wheel drive SUV - on sale now - now boasts seven seats but is now a monocoque body with no low range.  The new-look design - which follows the family look of the breed, drawn by design boss Peter Schreyer - has dropped the drag-co-efficient from 0.425 to 0.38. Kia admits it may lose some sales to other ‘proper’ 4WDs, as well as those looking for a heavy-duty tow vehicle, as the braked towing capacity for the lighter new-mode Sorento has also been reduced to 2500kg for the manual and 2000kg for the auto.Seven seats, stability control, dual front, side and full-length curtain airbags for all three rows are all standard range-wide, which will give it a Euro NCAP five-star rating, although an ANCAP rating of the same number will have to wait for the addition of a front passenger seatbelt reminder.The car has grown by 95mm in length but has 10mm from its wheelbase and 15mm from the overall height of the outgoing car.  The company claims it is quieter - with more sound deadening materials and foam injection into keys areas - as well as being lighter and stronger, thanks to the use of 70 per cent high tensile steel.The brand has downsized both the petrol and diesel engines but has improved fuel use without sacrificing outputs.  The 3.3-litre petrol 180kW/309Nm V6 engine has been replaced by the familiar (to Kia and Hyundai buyers) Theta II 2.4-litre four-cylinder, with variable valve timing - the four-cylinder produces 128kW and 226Nm, but with a claim of 16 per cent better fuel economy at 9.2l/100km.The diesel and its own six-speed auto are big news for the company, with the engine down from 2.5 to 2.2 litres but all-alloy in construction with double overhead cams and 16 valves.  The variable-geometry turbo works with third-generation common-rail injection to produce 145kW and 436Nm, while claims of 6.7l/100km for the six-speed manual and 7.4 for the six-speed automatic, more than a litre better than the out-going diesel.The six-speed auto was four years in development - which has yielded more than 300 patent applications by Kia - and is 12kg lighter and more compact than the five-speed.  The Sorento has an on-demand 4WD system that has a manual 50/50 locked mode, which releases above 30km/h; the system as has hillstart assist and downhill assist, which brings the car down a steep slope at 8km/hrThe double-wishbone front suspension has been replaced the lighter, smaller and cheaper MacPherson struts, while the rear end gets a sub-frame mounted multi-link suspension with coil springs; the diesel models also get an automatic self-levelling system.  The new model gets four-wheel discs - front rotors are ventilated - with anti-lock and brakeforce distribution and the aforementioned stability control as standard.The base-model Sorento Si is available from $36,490 for the two-wheel drive petrol model - the 2WD drivetrain is available with the four-cylinder petrol engine (Si only) and offers a slightly lower weight: 50kg less than 4WD models.  The Si gets 17in alloys, front fog lights, remote keyless entry, auto door locks, cloth trim, 60/40 split 2nd and 50/50 3rd split-fold seats and folding power-adjustable side mirrors.A leather-wrapped steering wheel, cruise control (with wheel-mounted controls), trip computer, power windows, reach'n'rake adjustable steering, a six-speaker MP3 compatible single CD sound system with USB/iPod input, dual-zone climate control with CleanAir ioniser and vents for 2nd and 3rd rows.The four-wheel drive manual turbodiesel is $39,990 (the auto adds $2000), with the mid-spec SLi turbodiesel - which Kia believes will represent the biggest slice of its annual sales target of 2000 - is an automatic-only proposition at $45,990. The SLi ups the wheel-size to 18in and adds a rear view camera (with screen within the centre electro-chromatic rear-vision mirror), rear parking sensors, automatic lights, leather trim, roof rails, LED rear taillights, alloy pedals and scuff plates and fan controls for the 3rd row.The Platinum tops the list with a smart key, the panoramic sunroof, an external amplifier, centre speaker and sub-woofer for the sound system.  The Sorento flagship Platinum auto turbodiesel starts from $48,990.   The company has full iPod integration across the range but has no integrated Bluetooth or satellite navigation available yet, although the company is working on the latter.The shift from the 4WD to the SUV genre for Kia's Sorento has done the Sorento no harm.  While the grey nomads might not like the reduction in towing capacity and the transfer case will be missed by the rock-hopper, most people in the market for a medium SUV will like much of this new offering.The first impressions from behind the wheel of the new car is that Kia has toughened up the structure, if not maintaining the rough'n'tumble off-road image.  More svelte, with the longer, more stylish nose, the front of the new Sorento has an attractive edge, unlike the rear which looks a little out of balance and nowhere near as nice.The smaller diesel is smooth and quiet, with a strong bottom-end - once the turbo has wound up a little - and the surge doesn't taper off until well up the rev range.  We didn't sample the six-speed manual but the diesel-six-speed auto combination worked well - as long as the engine revs didn't drop away too far.  The ride is on the firm side but has some compliance and isn't skittish, the body control is similarly good and it is only tyre grip that sees the front wash wide under pressure.The launch drive was far from frugally-minded but both the SLi and Platinum versions had figures in the low 9s on the trip computers.  The third row is more useful than some but there's minimal storage space with it in use for passengers - something not unique to this car - but in five-seater mode there's decent luggage space, without being cavernous.The rear pillar is very thick and there's a solid blind spot at either back corner, which will make sensors and a reversing camera most welcome.  The Sorento has a more solid feel than its predecessor and the new smooth and quiet diesel will put it on plenty of shopping lists.

I'm about to upgrade from a Mazda Bravo 2.5 diesel 4x4 to a Mazda BT-50 4x4 and would like to know what they're like towing. Some owners say they're brilliant towing boats, but I need to tow a caravan or camper trailer off-road and some people say they aren't really adequate for this type of work. Can you give me any advice?

Isuzu Ute has made steady if unspectacular progress since it debuted in this market a year ago, recently recording its 2000th local sale. But you can't help thinking it has a long way to go to establish the strong presence in this country it wants.As a one-model brand it is likely struggle to attract customers to its showrooms, particularly when its only model isn't terribly new. The Isuzu D-Max ute is quite a decent vehicle, but there's nothing about it that screams ‘buy me’ if the recent drive of an LS-M four- wheel drive dual-cab is anything to go by.For starters the D-Max is in essence the Rodeo once sold by Holden under that badge, so there's nothing really new to get ute buyers all worked up. In a corporate divorce Holden quit the Rodeo and took up the Colorado, a very similar vehicle also made in Thailand.The LS-M D-Max carries a sticker price of $40,600 and has a three- year/100,000 km warranty. But only those who particularly liked the Rodeo and knew the D-Max was the same vehicle might choose to seek out an Isuzu Ute dealer. Based on the test drive Isuzu Ute needs a new model to get noticed, the current D-Max, while competent, feels a little dated by comparison to other four-wheel drive utes on the market.Fit-out and equipmentWe spent a week in an LS-M, which is the same as the range- topping LS-U but without the bling that comes with the 'U'. Painted silver-grey with plain black bumpers, guard flares, mirrors and door handles it looked dull and dreary. The feeling carried through to the interior, which was awash with grey plastics and fabrics that created a rather sombre feeling even though there were also some silver highlights.In general the build quality seemed of a decent standard, but at the same time the interior fit and finish was a little off the mark expected of a Japanese-designed, Thai-produced ute in this market. Exposed screws had surface rust; some of the dash fittings simply didn't fit very well.It had plenty of standard features, like air, cruise, leather wheel and shift knob, trip computer, CD/MP3 sound, power windows and mirrors, but they were all contained in a rather dull package.Isuzu offers just the one engine, a surprisingly economical 3.0-litre double overhead camshaft common rail injection turbo diesel four that peaks with 120 kW at 3600 revs and 360 Nm from 1800-2800 revs when hooked to a manual gearbox. That manual is a five-speed unit with a relatively long throw shift and long clutch travel.The test ute had four-wheel drive, which offered the choice of two- wheel drive for regular driving, and high and low-range four-wheel drive. Selecting the wanted drive was simply done by pressing the appropriate button on the dash.On the road it was smooth and steady, nothing to write home about, but it got the job done.Isuzu Ute claims the LS four-wheel drive dual-cab manual would do a combined 8.4 L/100 km and that impressive figure was backed up by Big Wheels when the test ute got 8.5 L/100 km on test.Like all Japanese-designed Thai-built utes of its type the Isuzu Ute rides on a separate ladder chassis, with torsion bar independent front suspension and leaf spring rear. Steering is power-assisted rack-and-pinion and brakes are a combination of front disc and rear drum, with the assistance of ABS antilock and EBD brakeforce distribution electronics. More safety is delivered through the dual-front airbags.Tradies most often tow a trailer behind their work utes, and the D- Max, with its three-tonne towing capacity will handle their trailers with ease.