5 Best Used Cars for Towing

The new XC90 is a real state of the art tech-fest and boasts unbelievable performance and economy figures when bought in hybrid form, but this comes at a real premium. Instead, it may be better to look at a used XC90 in the older model. The 2.4 D5 model is the best to look at. This model boasts a healthy 2,250kg of braked towing capacity and the car comes with an extra row of seats in the boot, which makes the car good for 7 people, although we’d advise leaving the most-rear row for children as legroom is less than comfortable for adults. The XC90 boasts a 5 star Euro NCAP safety rating as you’d expect from Volvo, as well as a luxurious interior and comfortable ride. Luckily, the older Volvos have taken quite a bit of depreciation by now, so you can pick up a lot of car for not a lot of money.

We’d recommend spending between £7,500 and £9,000 on an XC90 to get a bargain, but if you have a bit more to spend, between £13,000 and £15,000, you can get a real gem in the newer (but not newest) model.

This is the most affordable option on the list and it’s still a capable and thought through car for towing. The Rav-4 offers smaller driving dynamics than most 4x4’s on the market. This makes it a breeze to take down to the local supermarket and navigate through urban areas, so it’s a car that everyone can live with on a day to day basis. The model that existed from 2006-2012 now sets itself as the one to buy for value-for-money towing on the used market. The 2.2 diesel engine can return up to 49mpg which is exceptional in this class and although we mentioned it’s a smaller 4x4, it’s still good for towing and can drag a healthy 2,000kg.

Spending anywhere between £5,000 and £7,500 is where you will pick up low mileage examples of the previous model, which is still under 8 years old. 

Now discontinued, and existing as the ‘Discovery Sport’, the Freelander was in production from 1997 all the way up until 2014. 3 different models were available and all served their purpose rather well. With 400Nm of Torque, the 2.2litre diesel engine in the Freelander certainly had plenty of pull and was good for a maximum towing capacity of 2000kg. The Freelander also benefitted from a 4 wheel drive system derived from the Discovery, which is certainly a bonus. It’s a capable off-roader and a practical family car at the same time, all while returning a modest 47mpg.

For around £11,000 - the price of a brand new small-hatch with limited equipment - you can get into a tidy example of the Freelander, with reasonable mileage and a nice leather interior.

Another tried and tested tower in the UK is the Nissan X-Trail, it’s another big 4x4 available with 7 seats and built to last. The car was largely unchanged from 2007 to 2014, so if you can pick one up with lower mileage but a bit closer to the 10 year-old mark (and cheaper) then definitely go for it. The 2.0litre diesels were by far the most popular models and they offer 173bhp and an 0-60 time of just 10 seconds, which isn’t really relevant as this car certainly isn’t built for drag racing, but it’s still quite quick for a car of this size and gives an indication of the power on offer. We’d recommend staying away from the petrol models, if you can find any, they were dropped in 2009 because, well, nobody bought them.

For a good X-Trail we’d recommend spending around £13,000 - for this you can expect a comfortable specification on a 2011 model with relatively low mileage. The dealerships we work alongside all offer warranties on their cars, but the X-Trail was a reliable 4x4 so you probably won’t need it. It’s worth mentioning that the maximum braked towing weight for X Trail is 2,200kg - which is certainly substantial but whether it’s enough for you is subjective.

For towing weights over 3,000kg, the Discovery is the one for you. It is one of the most decorated cars in terms of awards-won, particularly for towing and has a history and heritage as a solid workhorse. Capable of dragging anything from a trailer to a caravan to a twin-horsebox, the Discovery serves its purpose valiantly. The massive 3.0litre engine is the one to go for if you often tow. This engine has a substantial 252bhp and 599Nm of torque, which is extremely impressive. If you fold the rear seats down you get a massive 2558 litre of luggage space that you’ll struggle to fill, you might not even need the trailer after all?

Similar to the Freelander, you’ll need to be spending around £10,000- £11,000 for a good example of the Discovery. The good news is that the Discovery proved to be rather reliable and although some may wince at the 32mpg figure, it’s really not that bad for a car which weighs over 2,500kg.