just towed my caravan for the 1st time with my XS Auto, must say it towed very nicely, pulled the swift Charisma 550 (MTLPW 1500KG) easily. It's the only auto I have been happy to leave to its own devices, rather than use the tiptronic function and drive it manually. Averaged just over 21mpg towing to Scotland and back, this compares with 23.3 MPG with a Mercedes C220 auto and 23.8 with a Skoda Octavia TDI DSG, lthough these were with a lighter van so i wasn't displeased with the landy, although at an average of 1.21 per litre it's starting to hurt.
Great holiday apart from a suicidal pheasant that dived in front of me at 60mph, I thought I had got away unscathed until I noticed it had pushed the parking sensor inside the bumper, I presume it had headbutted the sensor, been to a garage and it appears the front bumper has to come of to get to the sensor. I have booked it
at a LR speacialst (Les paul in woodford on tusday), Hopefully it will be case of bumper off, pop the sensor back and bumper on.

I must tell the gamekeeper to place more pheasants  At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

"Averaged just over 21mpg towing to Scotland and back"

Cripes - is that similar to what others get? I was hoping to have some improvement upgrading to a Freelander. I tow a similar van with a manual CRV and currently get around 24mpg towing at 65ish - which I think is poor compared to 45mpg solo.

Keeping to the speed limits I get around 25 when towing the caravan.

waaxh03

I once got 7mpg towing a 2 foot tree trunk up a slippery slope to our camp location in the pouring rain because we'd burnt all the wood from the top.

Funnily enough my mates ford ranger couldn't get up the same slope with nothing in tow! Mine: 2012 Golf GTI Edition 35
Family's: 2009 Freelander 2 HSE TD4 Auto, Stornoway

Yorkshire - God's County

I traded in a manual CRV to get the auto freelander, towing the same van I averaged about 24mpg towing it to scotland last year, so was expecting a drop with a heavier vehicle and auto box, so about 21/22 was what i was expecting. you certainly don't by a freelander for its economy.
An update to the front parking sensor, just had a phone call from the garage, bumpers off but the bracket that holds the sensor in has been broken off, new bumper or glue to old one on, no prizes for guessing which option in have chosen.

I get an overall average of 27mpg with about 1/3 towing, 1/3 touring / long trips and 1/3 local short distances with my GS auto.

This is roughly the same as I got with my Kia Sportage XS auto (averaged over 3 years of similar use) but the FL2 tows much, much better of course.

"Keeping to the speed limits I get around 25 when towing the caravan. "

Just towed the van back from Swindon to Lincs after a service and amazed to get 27mpg overall! That was with my current CRV manual. I'd be happy to get this from a Freelander but I suspect it will be slightly lower!

Speed limits vary. Up until last July you could tow legally in France at 130kph - which helped on the long haul south but wasn't good for fuel economy. Now confusion reigns about whether outfits of GTW of over 3.5 tonnes have to stick to 90 or 110kph - different authorities quote different limits!

On motorways in the UK I tend to cheat by just a few mph just in order to keep out of the HGV queue!

Nightblogger wrote:

"Keeping to the speed limits I get around 25 when towing the caravan. "

Just towed the van back from Swindon to Lincs after a service and amazed to get 27mpg overall! That was with my current CRV manual. I'd be happy to get this from a Freelander but I suspect it will be slightly lower!

Speed limits vary. Up until last July you could tow legally in France at 130kph - which helped on the long haul south but wasn't good for fuel economy. Now confusion reigns about whether outfits of GTW of over 3.5 tonnes have to stick to 90 or 110kph - different authorities quote different limits!

On motorways in the UK I tend to cheat by just a few mph just in order to keep out of the HGV queue!

I tow a twin axle Lunar Quasar and average about 21MPG keeping to about 60 ish . I don't think that is too bat the old model Freelander was down at 18 and the V6 freelander towed the van once and got 15MPG.

Hi FL2 Caravaners

I have just come back from Yorkshire, Filey to be exact after spending a week up there.
Reset my trip when i set off towing my Adria plus gear coming in at around 1500kg. Towed for 110 miles up there from south Lincs and got 24.2mpg. Left the trip alone and when i got home after a total of 510 miles which was "up and down dale" as they say all week touring round with just the FL2 and the return trip home towing. This gave a mpg of 28.4. So all things being equal i would say 220 miles towing at 24 mpg and the remaining 290 at over 32+ mpg solo with wife and 2 mini adults.
I think this is about average for my towing trips and reasonable figures for towing speeds of 70mph max on the m/way but not normally over 65 !. I know this is 10 mph over but the van seems to tow better and i can hold 6th gear doing 65 on the flat.

anybody else have similar or better figures ?

FL2 XS manual with air-con on all the time-temp 25 degs plus for 4 days

I got just shy of 25mpg at 60mph towing my 540 to catterick last Friday Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

23/24 mpg towing a 1000kg van to Conway and back normally 60-65mph Tangiers Orange - gone, missing her
Replaced by Ewok what a mistake - now a happy Disco Sport owner

Old 2.2 auto 20 to 21mpg at 100kph (28-31 solo)

New 2.2 e manual 24 to 26mpg (with only 2000miles on clock) (40 to 43 solo)

Towing is normally 90% m'way.

Caravan Hobby 650 KFU (2000kg double axle/2.5m wide).

Previous car Merc ML 320 CDI 19 to 20mpg (26-28 solo) Freelander 2.2e HSE , Privacy, Fully debadged, 19" Chrome SHadow alloys

Hi All

I'm getting between 21-25 mpg with my one.

Thats pulling an Abbey Vogue 650 Twin Axle (Re plate too 1800kg)

Thats also driving through Aberdeen in traffic. 08 FL2 SE TD4 manual,Santorini Black, Factory fitted Black Tinted Glass, Anti-Tesco Trolly Side Protection, bebe confort axiss carseats & Cargo barrier to stop twin's buggy & junk coming through. NO Sweets Crisps or Drinks inside.
WITH TWINS, YOU DON'T HAVE MONEY Now towing a Abbey Vouge 650 1800kg

Tug weight 1958kg + Roofrails & Towbar

Spent 18 days away last month touring northern England and Scotland. Visited 5 caravan sites. Total mileage 2120 of which 1165 was towing and averaged 30.6 mpg for the whole trip. New car tows alot better than previous FL2 and pulls up most hills in 6th gear.