[john-vfr]

Does a towbar count as a plus point or a negative if you are buying a car. Do you think "great I can tow my trailer "etc or think "it's been working hard towing and the suspension and clutch are knackered?"

[UKF30]

I would never buy a car if it has towbar at the back which means it has been pulling

[Rhino707]

Originally Posted by UKF30

which means it has been pulling

Very often *not* the case.

[UKF30]

Originally Posted by Rhino707

Very often *not* the case.

why would anyone fit it If not pulling mate

[Chr15b]

Bike rack?

[Dadwhitey]

I've had the electric towbar fitted from factory and it hasn't been used yet in 16 mths of ownership , it my backup tow vehicle .

I might never use it by the time I sell or trade it in .

[Rhino707]

Originally Posted by Chr15b

Bike rack?

Yes! That's why I've got one and the only 2 colleagues of mine that I know have tow bars also have them for that reason only. It's a pretty common reason for having one.

[Tengocity]

I have a tow bar, have done 91k miles in it. Never towed anything ever!

Used for my bike rack, and not even that often. I'm looking at £100 per genuine usage so far!

So I really wouldn't worry about it too much. And anyway I'd hazard that the kind of person that tows regularly is exactly the kind that hasn't done launch starts every other day...

When you buy used you can never be 100% what the previous owner was like, so you just have to view the car in front of you and decide whether it's been looked after or not.

So whether it's a pro or a con comes down to whether you want a tow bar or not.

[djcowlin]

It would put me off, to be honest. I say that having had to replace a clutch and DMF on a VW Passat that had been towing a horse box...

[john-vfr]

It's as I thought really. Some are not bothered and some are. I had an electric factory fitted one on my e91 and used it for my garden rubbish trailer about six times. I fancy putting one on my f31 for the same usage, it keeps the crap out of the car, or do I sell the trailer???? Wife is on holiday in a week with her sister so I can get it fitted without justifying the cost while she is away and if it's detachable she may not notice it for 12 months!!!! By that time I could say it's been there all the time. I bought the car last year when she was away and didn't tell her till she got back.

[RalphyBMW]

If you are talking aftermarket, and concerned about resale, just remove before you sell?

[Beancounter_74]

I've got a factory tow bar on mine and to be honest, I think it's a positive thing.

I do use mine for a bike rack and a horsebox (empty only) occasionally, as to be honest, the towing weight isn't big enough to pull much more than an empty horsebox safely in my opinion.

I believe the advantages of a factory one over an aftermarket are that some of the cooling is upgraded at the factory to cope with the extra workload (?). Maybe this would concern some people if buying one that was fitted aftermarket....

[robbiep]

Got a factory-fit towbar on mine. It has towed 4 or 5 times in three and a half years, a small single-axle trailer.
And yes, I'd also be wary of buying a used car with a towbar fitted.

But if you need a towbar, then get one fitted. Not much point in being all precious about it if the car isn't going to do what you need it to do whilst in your ownership