I'm researching a tow vehicle for my first caravan (yet to be purchased). I want a compact one but still with enough grunt to tow easily. I'm going for a diesel (unless persuaded otherwise). I was looking at a Jeep Cherokee 2.8 diesel which ticked a lot of boxes in being not too big and seeming to have enough power to do the job but seem to be getting a bit of negative feedback on their reliability so any feedback would be appreciated. Another strong option seems to be the new Pajero 3 door which has a 3.2 L diesel. Both these vehicles are auto only, is that good or bad for towing???

Hi I'm Mike , Sandras dreams husband, have you looked at the Hyundai Terracan with the 2.9 Turbo Diesel engine with auto gearbox, we have one , it is very good value @ about 41000 dollars & the fuel economy is excellent & the towing ability is a piece of cake, it can tow up to 2500kg. We tow a boat with ours & will shortly be getting a camper trailer to go away in & I have no doubts it will do the job very well. Good luck Mike

Hi Im Tony the smarter part of the dustoffs,I am towing a 2.5 tonne van with a Nissan Navarra 3 litre turbo diesel,it is a2006 model and has been discontinued in favour of a 2.5 litre common rail turbo diesel which produces 10 kw more than the 3 litre model. These come in man or auto for more info see Nissan website .

At 5.2m long the navara is too long for me, i want a more compact vehicle that is more city friendly when not on the road or towing..................

At 5.2m long the navara is too long for me, i want a more compact vehicle that is more city friendly when not on the road or towing..................

G'day ... You have probably started your search by deciding on the approx weight of your intended van. Having done so, I too would be wary about the Jeep ... have seen a couple on the road with transmission problems. Although I am a very satisfied Patrol owner (an ageing 1995 4.2EFI with >120Km of pulling a 2.7t rig), if I were looking at medium sized vans, (& mediun sized 4WDs) I would look VERY closely at Prados. Toyota make excellent vehicles. I have seen lots of the new Navaras doing great work though .. maybe another look might be worthwhile. Nothing wrong with modern autos for towing. Cheers & good luck .... Cupie

Go for a Cruiser or Patrol - cheers

after all this i have bought a motorhome.................left field approach and will tow a small 4wd for times that i need it, otherwise will use pushbikes which i love or perhaps a trail bike to get about when stationary, otherwise can flit about on the blacktop as the desire takes...........any comments are welcome, lets keep these discussions flowing...............J