Can you recommend a towing vehicle for a small budget?

I want to buy an SUV which tows at least 2-tonnes, it must be auto and ideally have 4WD as well. I tow a horse trailer which has a 1600 kg MAM and travel about 250 miles per week to work. But I only have about £4000-6500 to spend. I have looked at the Kia Sorento (would be about a 2004-2006 model with 80,000-100,000 miles at this price), Hyundai Santa Fe (can find slightly newer than the Sorento), also Tiguan, Shogun (possibly a bit too much for what I need), Land Cruiser (same as Shogun, but a lot pricier). I have avoided anything Land Rover due to reliability issues I have read about. Are there any you would recommend for this purpose in this price bracket, any you'd strongly avoid, or any I may have not considered? Thank you.

Asked on 12 June 2020 by Catherine B

Answered by Andrew Brady

You're certainly thinking along the right lines - we'd be avoiding Land Rovers at this price, too, and the Kia Sorento/Hyundai Sante Fe/Mitsubishi Shogun/Toyota Land Cruiser all sound like more sensible options. Have you considered a SsangYong Korando? They're very popular with the towing fraternity due to their two-tonne towing capacity. You should be able to find a fairly tidy 2012 model within budget. We'd also recommend a Honda CR-V. Certain models can tow up to 2000kg. It should be a very reliable choice, too.

Tags: towing

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Related models

Honda CR-V (2007 - 2012)

Roomy and versatile. Very comfortable, pleasant and relaxing to drive. not at all cumbersome. 2.2 i-CTDI diesel is excellent.

Hyundai Santa Fe (2006 - 2012)

Relaxed motorway cruising. Comfortable ride. Excellent on very rough tracks. Available with seven seats. Good value. Much improved from 2010 with new 2.2-litre diesel.

Kia Sorento (2003 - 2009)

Has the hardware and ability for serious off-roading. Easy-going, pleasant drive. Useful tow car. Owners like them. Excellent value.

Mitsubishi Shogun (2007 - 2019)

A rugged hard-worker that can tow heavy loads without breaking sweat and conquer terrain that would faze nearly all of its rivals, spacious cabin and seven seats, reasonably affordable and most version well equipped.