Can you recommend a hybrid estate that'll be suitable for dogs and towing?

I'm looking to replace my Mistubishi Outlander PHEV. I need an estate car with hybrid/plug-in, large boot (I've got dogs) and, ideally, occasional 4WD. I do sometimes use the car to pull a caravan, and I do sometimes do long journeys - but not all the time, and I'm still not convinced about an all-electric car (doubtful about the infrastructure). I don't want anything too expensive either! I wondered about another Mitsubishi, a Honda or a Skoda - but would really appreciate some advice.

Asked on 12 February 2021 by Lynda Birke

Answered by Andrew Brady
There are some great plug-in hybrid estate cars on the market. We'd recommend the new Skoda Octavia iV or the bigger Superb, if you need more space. Both are very practical, will be cheap to run and should comfortably tow a caravan (provided it's not too big and heavy – the Octavia has a braked towing capacity of 1500kg while the Superb can tow 1600kg). Alternatively, consider a hybrid SUV – the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V are two very good choices.
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