Which 4x4 for commuting, carrying the children to school and towing a horsebox?

I need a car that will take my children to school, take me to work, drive up a muddy (especially awful in winter) track to take hay to my horses, and pull a trailer with two horses in it. I don't want a huge thing that I can't park in the multistorey, or that will generate hate mail. I had thought of a Freelander 2 but have read that they are considered expensive compared to similarly capable cars. I like Land Rovers - I have a 43-year-old Series 2A but it's not exactly a commuter vehicle! What do you think I should be looking at? I have about £17,000 to spend.

Asked on 4 August 2010 by jabbathehut

Answered by Honest John
Your problem here is the weight of the horse trailer with the horses in it. Though you are obviously going to be driving slowly, it will weigh more than 2000kg, so you need a 4WD capable of towing more than 2000kg. Maybe a used Hyundai Santa Fe manual. But for this job you can't sensibly avoid a big 4WD.
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