TOP 5 BARGAIN
TOW TUGS
WORDS AND IMAGES : PHILIP LORD WHICH TOW VEHICLES PROVIDE THE BEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK WHILE STILL PERFORMING WELL AS A HEAVY-DUTY TOW TUG ?
Just because a new tow vehicle is bargain-priced doesn ’ t mean it ’ ll do the job well . There are some other , more affordable , tow vehicles than these five , but these are the best value , best for towing new vehicles on the market for up to about $ 50,000 .
While the best value in the dual-cab ute category , be aware that you can ’ t carry a full payload and tow right up to full capacity in any of them . A fine balance of weights has to be calculated in most of them to not exceed their legal weight limits .
SSANGYONG MUSSO The SsangYong Musso EX series is the stand-out 3500kg tow vehicle that is great at towing for a great price . Even the top line in the EX series ( the $ 39,990 plus on-road costs Ultimate ) is cheaper than anything else here , most of which are entry-level models .
The EX series has a short tub , which is likely too small for tradies ( there is a longer-tray XLV version , though ). You also get a better ( coil-spring ) rear axle set-up for ride comfort , and the EX models are a bit cheaper than the XLV too .
The SsangYong appears to be one of the more composed tow vehicles in its class . There was no yawing or pitching when we towed a 3000kg van and ride quality was also good in the SsangYong when towing , if perhaps a little firm .
Except for when under load at around 3000rpm , the engine is smooth and quiet .
Engine braking is not particularly strong and the transmission will upshift at around 4000rpm , 500rpm short of redline , regardless of whether you are holding a gear or not .
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