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Hi I'm looking at an X-Trail, MX5, Outlander or Sportage for towing a boat. What years would you recommend CVTs for towing, ie 2010 onwards? Any preference of the above cars? Thanks

Hi there,
Overall we don't usually recommend towing much with a CVT, but from 2010 the transmissions are getting a lot better than they used to be.
The Mazda CX-5 is not CVT an has a braked towing capacity of 1800kg.
The Sportage is also a 6-speed Sport shift and has a towing cap of 1600kg.
The Outlander is CVT and has a braked towing capacity of 1600kg.
The petrol Nissan X-trail CVT (up to 2014) has 2000kg braked towing, while after 2014 the X-tronic CVT has a lower rating of 1500kg. Diesels look to have conventional transmissions fitted.
Depending on the weight of the boat, I would recommend trying a non CVT option first.