Hyundai Santa Fe or Toyota RAV4 for towing?
I want to buy a 2005 Toyota RAV4 4x4 2.0 D-4D (for lower tax). Are they underpowered with this engine? I need it to tow a large caravan. What do you thunk of these cars? I was also thinking of a 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe, but I have heard they can give terrible expensive clutch/flywheel trouble.
With regard to the RAV4, because they are permanent four-wheel drive (as opposed to part-time in the Santa Fe) would they be more expensive on tyres, tracking, suspension, etc?
Patrick Ryan (Tipperary)Feb 2012 Filed under: towing
Expert answer
Hi Patrick,
On its own, the RAV4 2.0 D-4D is a fine car, with loads of power. It has plenty of low-down torque for towing too, though how heavy is your caravan? The manual Santa Fe has a higher towing capacity and it's a heavier car too, which will help in certain situations. Added to that, the Hyundai has more power and torque - (assuming you're talking about the newer 2.2-litre model) though obviously you pay for that with fuel consumption and tax.
Both cars have a good reputation for reliability though in fact it's the Toyota that has some history of issues - particularly with RAV4s used as tow cars. Apparently early versions (pre-2003) had transmission problems, though we'd hope the 2005 model is better.
Still, based on what you've said, we reckon the Santa Fe is the better bet in this instance, especially the newer model launched in 2006.
Let us know how you get on.
Shane O' Donoghue - Complete Car Adviser@Shane_O_D