Which tow vehicle for our new (2nd hand) Avan Cruiser?

[Ern_Reeders]

We went from a Forester to an MU-X (pron. 'mew ex'!) and so far are very happy with it. The main reasons were to get a bit more grunt and ground clearance for outback trips; not so focussed on HD off-road stuff. Like you we found that the back of the Foz sagged with the towball weight (only about 70kg) but more esp. with the back loaded. Air bags not possible; struts with adjustable preload not available.

In many ways it's pretty close to a Pajero but around $5k cheaper and a bit fresher in design. Isuzu have been making 3 l TD wagons like it for years under various brands and model names and they have a record of being solid simple and reliable. It has underbody protection up the front and a diesel water trap and warning system. There's a broad spread of useful power that's well matched to the Aisin 5 speed auto.

We've taken it briefly into sand with no drama. Most of the kms so far have been on the highway and we did Melb - Hervey Bay and back and found it comfy and easy to drive. Av. 8.2 l per 100. We opted for the LS-U model and the dealer agreed to swap the wheels to the 16"ers that the base model sports - for cheaper tyres and a better range.

The suspension is shall we say adequate. Anyone serious about desert tracks or offroading would soon be looking at an upgrade and that's normal for 4WDs. An immediate mod for towing a CT could be Polyair bags.

HTH.

[gregmacc]

Hi Ern ... In the end we didn't even get to look at the MUX in the flesh, although it was on our shopping list. We signed-up for a Prado GXL 2 days ago. Thanks for your reply and enjoy your new truck. I'm sure the insights you have provided will be helpful to someone.
Cheers
Greg

[Ern_Reeders]

Good luck with the Prado. I'm sure it'll do everything you want.

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Waiting for the weather to clear and filling in time futzing around on the web