# 2011 Autotrail Savanah



## Toekneebee (Jan 10, 2016)

Thinking of upgrading my 2.8 Diesel Elnagh Marlin 65D (2004) for a 2011 Autotrail Savanah and just wondered if anyone can give me any advice on this vehicle.
This Model has the 2300cc Diesel Engine and one of my concerns is would this be adequate for the size of the vehicle and what approx MPG can I expect.
Any thoughts/info on this model would be gratefully appreciated.
Reviews I've seen so far are less than promising but I really like the layout and everything about this model.
Thanks
Tony.


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## peribro (Sep 6, 2009)

I previously had a 2010 Autotrail Cherokee which is a similar van to the Savanah. It had the 2.3 cc engine which I found perfectly adequate including for towing a 950kg car behind. I would generally get about 22mpg without towing and 21mpg whilst towing. I drive quite hard though so I'm sure that it's possible to get at least another 2mpg on those figures. One thing to watch out for though is damp - my van had several issues although they were all sorted out under warranty. In general though we were very pleased with it.


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## GMLS (Dec 2, 2010)

We have a 2012 Scout (which I think is a bit longer than yours) with the 2.3l engine. Ours is the slightly uprated 150bhp version and gives us around 28mgp is we stick at 60mph or 25 if we push it nearer 70mph. Very pleased with build quality and any warranty issues have been dealt with promptly without fuss.


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## philoaks (Sep 2, 2008)

Hi Tony,

We've got a 2013 Dakota which again is similar size to the Savannah. Ours has the 2.3 130bhp engine in it and I find it more than adequate. We also tow a Toyota Aygo on occasions and again it copes well. I probably end up doing a few more gear changes than you would with a bigger engine but it's no problem.

Consumption wise, I tend to drive around the 60 mph mark and regularly achieve 26 - 28 mpg. When I'm towing this drops to around 22 - 24. 

Although the van has quite a good payload you need to be careful about the weight on the back axle. If we fully load the van and fill the water tank (which is mounted behind the back axle  ) then it is easy to exceed the maximum weight on the axle, even though, overall, the van is still below the maximum permitted weight. From 2014 onwards Autotrail started fitting a second drain tap to the water tank to reduce the water level to a "travelling" point to reduce the risk of this happening. The van is plated at 4250 kg so I'm guessing that you have a pre 1997 driving licence

It's something that you quickly get used to but the length of the overhang is something you need to be careful about. It's surprising how much the back end swings out when doing tight turns. 

We had ours from new and had a number of minor issues, all of which were resolved without question by the dealer. None of ours were damp related but, as Peribro says, it is something you need to check for.

Phil


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## Toekneebee (Jan 10, 2016)

philoaks said:


> Hi Tony,
> 
> We've got a 2013 Dakota which again is similar size to the Savannah. Ours has the 2.3 130bhp engine in it and I find it more than adequate. We also tow a Toyota Aygo on occasions and again it copes well. I probably end up doing a few more gear changes than you would with a bigger engine but it's no problem.
> 
> ...


Hi Phil
Thanks for the info which is really useful, I passed my test in 1970 so think my licence (clean) is adequate for this model.
Cheers
Tony.


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## philoaks (Sep 2, 2008)

Toekneebee said:


> I passed my test in 1970 so think my licence (clean) is adequate for this model.


Yes, no problems there. One of the advantages of being in the 60+ club like me  Only thing to be aware of though is that at 70 we'll both have to go through a medical to retain the right to drive over 3500kg on our licences.

Good luck with the search.

Phil


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