Which used car do you recommend for family life and towing a boat?

We have a Volkswagen Caravelle as a day-camper and all-round family lugger ,and a MINI. My wife has a new job and will have to visit rural sites in the Lowlands and Highlands all year round. We need it to be a commuter and a family load hauler (including a dog) and to tow boats. We'd like to at least make a nod towards something a bit more environmentally acceptable but would have range anxiety about electric as the transport routes include B-roads and next to no dedicated road service stations. We live eight miles from the nearest town and have to cart our kids around in the evening too. What type and model would you recommend for a £17-£22K budget.

Asked on 8 November 2021 by David Shannon

Answered by Andrew Brady
It probably depends on the weight of the boats you're looking to tow. I'd imagine you'd need something fairly grunty to tow a boat across rural Scotland... in which case, the nod to environmentalism might have to go out of the window. How about an SUV like the Skoda Kodiaq? It's a very practical car with plenty of space for the family (including the dog) – and if you buy one with the 2.0-litre diesel engine and four-wheel drive, it can tow up to 2000kg.
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