Is there a 4x4 pick-up that offers family comfort and can tow a horsebox?

I am being nagged by my wife and two daughters to change the family car to a 4x4 pick-up truck because they want to tow a horsebox. Is there a pick-up truck on the market that has family car comfort? I run a 5 Series BMW, which is fast and comfortable. We do about ten motorway trips a year on the M4. The rest of the time the family car is just used for supermarket trips. We do about six thousand miles a year. What could you recommend?

Asked on 19 January 2013 by LD, Surrey

Answered by Honest John

It's not possible because to have a one tonne or more payload they need stiff rear leaf springs, so ride comfort will always be bad. They make up for this by comfortable seats. Currently the best are the new Isuzu D-Max and the new Ford Ranger. With the Ranger, think carefully about going for the 3.2-litre over the 2.2-litre because, even for towing, you might not need the 3.2.

I have not driven the new D-Max other than to park it (my sister in law's husband has one in Thailand) and there's a test of Ranger here: www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/ford/ford-ranger-2.../.

Tags: towing pick-ups family cars

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