Tow Car of the year 2024 - up market?

It's ridiculous, who's realistically going to be towing with a Bentley or even a Porsche - very few of the club membership.. I realise we are moving towards EV's but the cost most of this years line up will out of the reach for many. A little out of touch one feels!  

Every time I venture out the roads are overun with Bentleys and Porsches all tugging twin axle Bucccanneers and the like .

I fear that this year's TCOY results are simply indicative of how the management of OUR club want things to evolve .

After all, if you can shell out £220 k for a tow car you won;t be worried about the cost of a pitch, will you ?

Two things I would say about the Bentley is firstly was it included as a bit of humour? Secondly I am surprised that Bentley made one available for testing?

With regard to the Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid Platinum Edition. There was a guy many years ago who used to contribute to a few forums and he had a Cayenne when they first come out so there people out there willing and able to pay that sort of money. The Club have always claimed that they will become good secondhand buys in the future as the reason for testing cars in that price range. 

With regard to people being able to afford such cars I can relate a little observation from one of my neighbours. For years they have had two cars, probably, both, ten years old. They were never used a lot so perhaps he was not particularly interested in cars or their age. All of a sudden a 73 reg Kia EV6 arrives on their drive circa £62500! Have they won the lottery? It seems not, but talking to him he mentioned that it was through a salary sacrifice from work. Perhaps this sort of scheme is more common than we think which puts the price of some cars within reach of more people?

David

Salary sacrifice is a huge benefit if you are working and a higher tax payer. Essentially you “sacrifice” some of your pay (gross) and the company leases you a car using that money. As the company lease it (if they are VAT registered), they can do so ex VAT and get any tax breaks associated with the CO2 emissions of the car. 

As an employee, you loose the gross salary, but as a tax payer your take home pay is not so affected. However, you do pay tax on the car as though it’s a company car (which effectively it is). But with an EV, that’s at an extremely low rate (tax year 23-24 it’s taxable value is just 2% of the cars list price) and you pay tax on that at your marginal rate. 

If you want a new car on your drive, it’s generally a cheap way to get one..

 Surely the TcofTY is so that those who do the judging can have a jolly good time running around in as many expensive cars as they can get their hands on and all at the members expense. They certainly don't live in the real world, just like many politicians.

We once met a couple who towed with a Bentley. They drove it to the site bar each evening where the lady of the pair put away copious amounts of gin and their dog was left in the car where it took great delight in chewing the steering wheel 😄

Morning

Just out of interest, we've had this year a Concord motorhome with a Bentley as a run around! Two of our seasonal pitch holders tow with Porsches, both cars less than 3 years old and one who tows with a Mercedes G Wagon. Then there's the new caravanner with a brand new Range Rover Velar towing a brand new Coachman twin axle. All that on a £20 per night site, so maybe the TCOY are only slightly not in the real world.

JK

Like the idea of a Bentley as a 'runaround' JK - but the Velar is a very much 'cut-down' Range Rover and not that expensive by large new car standards.

Price from:£76,560 Not many could afforf that either !

I think you'd be surprised at the amount of people who think nothing at that amount for a motor GT, it's easy to do on lease or pcp.  Personally I wouldn't entertain that sort of money for a Landrover of any kind, so many people you meet on site with reliability problems. We had a new Evoque here last year that had to have a complete new engine and drive train after only 3k miles! Irrespective who foots that sort of bill I'd have a Merc or Porsche for similar cash all day long.

JK