Can you good towing folk with autos tell me when pulling their van do they use D or sports mode/command shift or is it just a case of playing it by ear to conditions?
Thanks Martin

Leave it in D. The gearbox should recognise you've got a trailer attached to the vehicle and remap the gear changes to maximise towing performance. Obviously if the car is struggling for any reason then using Command Shift could help but it shouldn't be necessary.

Thanks

I used to use Command Shift when towing in hilly sections, sometimes the Freely box was a bit to keen to drop a cog when in CS it would quite happily pull in the current gear. CS works well going down hill also  p****d off with a Digital Keyboard Warrior

ad210358 wrote:

I used to use Command Shift when towing in hilly sections, sometimes the Freely box was a bit to keen to drop a cog when in CS it would quite happily pull in the current gear. CS works well going down hill also :thumbsup:

when towing my autro box adapts after about 50 miles and tows a treat ! then when I drop the caravan off it take about 50 miles to re-adapt back !
the auto I have to say is brilliant for towing

oldgeezer wrote:

when towing my autro box adapts after about 50 miles and tows a treat ! then when I drop the caravan off it take about 50 miles to re-adapt back !
the auto I have to say is brilliant for towing

In six weeks I shall be towing in Austria, north of Insbruck - very hilly about 2300 above sea-level, I cannot wait,

My Tiguan had towed in Switzerland several times and in Italy on other occasions, it was very, very good - did mange 33 mpg towing (on one leg of journey, wife was pushing ) so SD4 has hard act to follow. I doubt it will reach the mpg however, impressed with its characteristics so far.

So I hope you enjoy your towing. Please let us know how you get on. I shall take on-board your post and use the advice given about sports modes etc. 'There is thunder' then 'There is the warble of a V8'

SD4 HSE Fuji White (my car): sidesteps, door protection
Golf 2.0 tdi White (wife's car)
Triumph Stag (my 1975 V8 toy - 37,600 miles... Just started its 2nd restoration... had it since 1986)

Tiguan Summit (gone, but nice car)
Porsche Boxster (gone, it was too fast)
SLK (gone, did not like it - lost loads £s)
Discovery Cairngorm (gone,very tractor like)
+ loads of other cars

Well towed up to North Yorkshire last week and returned today and must say I really enjoyed the experience.
Driving was mainly motorway/dual carriage ways never Put it into sports mode as never felt the need to.
Returned about 23.5 mpg(5 passengers) really happy with that as spent quite a while in slow traffic,and it's where the auto was a pleasure.
All in all found it much more relaxing
Martin

I was going to submit the same post. I have been getting tired of the auto in D jumping up and down through the gears and hanging on to gears for what feels to be far too tong, have had a much more comfortable run in Command shift, quite handy when it still changes down by itself.
The comments re the box "learning" it is towing are quite interesting, I got fed up of it well before the 50 miles were up.

Has there been any response or recomendation from LR on this. Gone, 07 TD4 SE, Santorini Black, 18" Evoque wheels.
Now 12 SD4 HSE Auto, Orkney Grey, 19" Wheels, Privacy Glass, twin electrics tow bar

7iron
That doesn't sound right ! My shift is seemless and very difficult to detect gear changes even when towing ! Mine doesn't hang onto gears too long either.

Normal driving changes up by 2000 rpm & towing changes up by 2400-2600 rpm. I never go over 2800 as there is no need.

I must admit that when I have driven SD4 compared with my td4 I have really noticed how abrupt the box is and that the gear changes almost snatch but there are others on here that claim there is no difference !
I have had 3 different SD4's as lone cars sometimes for a while and the auto box ,s have always been what I would call harsh.