Mazda CX-60 - long term review

When Mazda asked if we wanted to run the diesel CX-60 AFTER the hybrid I knew there were a few things I wanted to do with it that I didn’t get to do with the hybrid, and one of those was towing. 

So, I fired off an email to Mazda PR and asked if not only could I have a roofbox, but please could I have a £600 towbar as well. Thinking I’d get refused, Mazda was in fact thrilled that I had asked, and only too happy that I would be showing off the 2.5 tonne towing capacity. Which in the towing world is big. Not as huge as a Land Rover Discovery’s – that can pull 3.5 tonnes – but nonetheless still hugely impressive. In fact, I wouldn’t be getting anywhere near the maximum capacity as the car I was trailering, a Triumph Herald convertible, weighed 725kg at best when new. As this one has half its body missing and has had a load of rust removed, it probably doesn’t even reach 500kg.  

Why am I trailering a 50-year-old car that isn’t even complete? Well, I’m about halfway through a body off restoration and, having had to move from my first location, I now needed to move it again, but this time closer to home. Previously, I’d been crashing at Mark Riccioni’s garage, a man who doesn’t need any more cars in his life as we all know. You’re also probably thinking, why I am even bothering to restore this car, and you’d be right. But it’s the first car I ever bought and a car that needs preserving: according to the How Many Left? website there are only 1,390 Triumph Heralds left, either taxed or SORN. Of those, 937 are 13/60s which is the model I own. Pretty incredible considering there were over 500,000 produced during its production lifetime from 1959–1971. Which is a lot, but not compared to the original Mini, of which over two million were made from 1959–1969. The construction of the Herald is its downfall, as it was too slow to mass produce compared to its rivals. Which is ironic, because today it’s one of the easiest cars to work on and rebuild due to its independent chassis and body. 

I will confess now, I’m not an expert at trailering cars, but luckily I know a man who is: my father in law. He owns multiple trailers and is one of those people that can do anything. Handily for me, he also has all the gear. It’s not a job you can take lightly, there are rules and you’ve got to be sure you’re confident of your load and ensuring it’s strapped down fully. Our morning started off with the challenge of a seized trailer brake and an electrical light malfunction, delaying our start time by two hours. We eventually hooked the trailer up, first by pushing the button in the boot to release the hidden towbar and then giving the round tow knob a tug until it clicks. Then it’s a case of flicking the Mazda into trailer drive mode by using the small switch near the gearknob, which also switches the dash colour scheme to brown. Then we had to load the Triumph up. Fortunately for me, the garage is set on a farm so there’s lots of space to manoeuvre and practise the art of reversing a trailer when left is right and right is left.  

Did the CX-60 cope? With its 2.5 tonne limit you’d expect it to, and the truth is I hardly noticed that I was pulling anything. The diesel engine has so much torque and is so strong and smooth I had to remind myself that I couldn’t go faster for fear of breaking the law and having a car in pieces at the other end. Zero effect on the ride as well. In fact, the only downside is you get a lot of knocking from hidden towbars which you don’t get from the permanently fixed ones – needless to say, my father in law isn’t a fan of that, and neither am I. Another big win was the rear camera, very useful at night for manoeuvring. I went into this test fearing it, but the Mazda made it so simple and easy that I’m desperate to tow more. CX-60, you’ve found your calling card!