My opinion.... I think a 2 litre turbo is probably sporty, but pushing things a bit hard towing a large caravan. The 3.2 litre has more towing grunt, less strain I think, and a wiser option imo
The newer Fords run the Addblue anti-pollution system, so be aware there is much talk at the moment of Addblue supplies getting low, or running out here and overseas. Addblue supplies can be hard to find at times especially in country regions, so you may have to carry some { maybe 20 litres } when you travel. Not sure about Fords, but my brothers Range Rover Discovery cannot be topped up with Addblue directly from the servo pump, but must be put into a special purpose built container in order to be able to fill the in vehicle reservoir ?
Not sure if this is still relevant, I think it is, but newish models of the Fords have something to be careful of. The oil pumps are not self priming, if the sump oil is drained during servicing it must be refilled quickly and not left to drain for more than a couple of minutes or risk seizing the engine upon restarting.
I have a 3.2L Ranger and tow a heavier van than yours. Have driven the 2 litre twin turbo for a day (loan car while servicing). The smaller engine is quieter and smoother and feels more refined with the 10 speed gearbox. Supposedly the performance is marginally better.
I like the way the the 3.2L holds the lower gears a bit better, keeping the revs low, while the 2 litre changes more readily to take advantage of the optimum rev range. There is not a lot of difference, but you may prefer one style over the other.
I have always preferred engine capacity over more highly stressed engines. But maybe that is outdated thinking if the smaller engines are designed from the ground up for higher power to engine capacity ratios. Thinking long term, perhaps the twin turbos will have a risk of higher costs in the event of failure. Think about Ford's strategy. If the car lasts just a little longer than warranty, and the cost of repairs becomes a significant risk, you may well decide to trade on a new one. Cars are no longer designed for a long service life. If I were buying now I would find it difficult to make a choice.
There is a Youtube video that supposedly compares the towing performance of each, but from my thinking it is deeply flawed and should not be taken seriously. The 3.2L is driven in auto while the 2.0L is driven in Sport mode, a major difference. They tow a heavy caravan (too heavy really) and when they make statements like "You would not know it is there" you know it is misleading. And their stated significant performance differences are not supported by what others say. To me, obviously an agenda.
-- Edited by Are We Lost on Tuesday 11th of January 2022 11:13:15 AM
With the 2 litre twin turbo 10sp auto I cant help but wonder if the hi-tech auto transmission may be a weak point, lots of smaller moving parts crammed into the trans and costly be to repair ? To me making a smaller motor/trans work harder to achieve what a larger motor can handle seems a risky idea.
-- Edited by Phlipper on Tuesday 11th of January 2022 03:57:54 PM
With the 2 litre twin turbo 10sp auto I cant help but wonder if the hi-tech auto transmission may be a weak point, lots of smaller moving parts crammed into the trans and costly be to repair ? To me making a smaller motor/trans work harder to achieve what a larger motor can handle seems a risky idea.
Thanks for all advice. We decided to go with old school 3.2
Well done Nick,but don't be tempted to remap engine for more power.They already are stressed.Great engine,but a couple of chaps I know who do remaps etc said that they refuse to make that engine produce any more power than it does ex factory. Cheers
-- Edited by yobarr on Monday 17th of January 2022 05:27:23 PM
