What Car? Q&A - How do I find out the weight of a car?

Q: Can you help us to find out the kerb weight of a 2006 Mondeo 2.0 TDCi 115 hatchback? We need to know it because we are thinking of purchasing one to tow our caravan.
Lorraine, via e-mail

A: The weight of the 2.0 TDCi 115 varies slightly depending on which trim you go for.

The LX weighs in at 1495kg, the Zetec at 1501kg, and the Ghia and Ghia X are both 1514kg.

Remember, when picking a vehicle for towing, it's recommended that you never pull anything that exceeds 85% of the towing vehicle's kerbweight - in this case 1270kg for the LX, 1276kg for the Zetec and 1287kg for the two Ghia models.

So your caravan's actual laden weight (your caravan with all your belongings in it) should never exceed this weight.

The reason is purely one of safety. If your trailer is caught in crosswinds or in the vacuum caused by passing lorries or coaches, you want to have a car that's heavier than the trailer.

This will allow you to retain control of the outfit - you would never want to be in a situation where the 'tail wags the dog'.

That's when the caravan begins to 'snake' - in other words, swing dangerously and uncontrollably from side to side, a phenomenon that's extremely hazardous for yourself and other road users.