What Car? Q&A - Can these cars tow my caravan?

Q: I want to buy a five-year-old Audi A6 to replace my old Rover 600. I'm considering either a 2.0-litre or 1.8T model, but don't know if they will be able to tow my 1000kg caravan.
Jason Cross

A: That generation of A6 has a maximum towing weight of 2100kg, so you are well within in the limit.

If you use the 85% kerbweight rule for safe towing, you are still safe (this says that any vehicle you tow shouldn't have a maximum gross weight of more than 85% of your car's kerbweight - it is intended to make sure that, if the trailer should 'snake', your car has enough weight not to be dangerously affected by the trailer's action).

A 1000kg caravan is not particularly heavy, so both cars should be able to cope.

Generally, both brake horsepower and pulling power are required for effective towing, and we recommend buying the car with the best combination of both. Diesels are a sensible option for this, because they provide good performance without the need for a massive engine.

Depending on how much towing you plan to do, and how much you have to spend, have a look at the A6 1.9TDI, which will be a bit more expensive to buy, but better suited to hauling a caravan.