Best cars for towing caravans - the best tow cars to buy today
If you're towing a caravan, horse box or trailer, you'll need to make sure your car is up to the task. Here, we've put Britain's best tow cars to the test...
Towing places far more extra demand on a car compared with regular driving: towing a caravan adds perhaps one and a half tonnes and more than doubles the car’s total length. You can’t assume that just because a car is good to drive every day that it will tow well, too.
A heavy car with a strong engine is a good place to start, but the specs will tell you only so much. The only way to really know if something will make a good tow car is to put it to the test.
We work with the Camping and Caravanning Club because they know caravans — and we know cars. Our test tourers are provided by Swift Caravans, and we’ve divided our judging into four classes, based on kerb weight — which is why aside from our Towcar of the Year, our list below isn’t in ranked order. We’ve also added small and large electric cars to the mix, reflecting their increasing popularity as tow cars.
Each car is put through a violent lane change and emergency stop tests at three different speeds. Acceleration is judged from 30-60mph to assess overtaking ability and experienced testers — including a ex-police drive, a Camping and Caravanning Club technical expert and a former What Car? editor – carry out high-speed stability tests at up to 70mph, plus a hill-start on a one-in-six slope and a low-speed slalom.
Practicality is assessed by club members who look at whether there’s sufficient space for holiday luggage, how easily towing mirrors can be fitted and how the tow bar and electrics are installed. The fitment of a trailer stability system and a puncture repair kit early brownie points. Of course, we also factor how each car drives when not hooked up to a trailer, plus price, value, running costs, safety, equipment, warranty and reliability are also factored.
| Make and model | List price from | Rating | PCP deals | Leasing deals |
| Skoda Kodiaq | £39,045 | 4 | Best PCP deals | |
| Nissan Qashqai | £30,635 | 4 | Best PCP deals | |
| Volkswagen Passat | £40,875 | 5 | Best PCP deals | |
| BMW X5 | £77,010 | 4 | Best PCP deals | |
| Skoda Elroq | £33,970 | 5 | Best PCP deals | |
| Kia EV9 | £66,645 | 4 | Best PCP deals | |
| Range Rover Sport | £77,620 | 4 | Best PCP deals |
Best cars for towing caravans
Skoda Kodiaq
Our choice: Skoda Kodiaq 2.0 TDI 193 4x4 SportLine DSG (7 seats)
Kerb weight 1854kg 85% match 1576kg Max towing weight 2400kg Towball limit 100kg
The Skoda Kodiaq is an exceptional tow car, impressing with its stability, control, and performance – so much, in fact, that we named it 2025 Towcar of the Year.
During our testing, it remained composed and handled emergency lane changes with ease. Its powerful diesel engine provides plenty of torque for overtaking – and towing up hills – and the four-wheel drive system fitted to our top pick, the Kodiaq 2.0 TDI 193 4x4 SportLine, means it feels right at home on tricky terrain, such as grass pitches.
It’s equally impressive as a daily driver, providing a comfortable ride and a spacious interior that’s perfect for families. Indeed our top pick has seven seats. The interior is ergonomically sound, with physical controls alongside a responsive infotainment system.
While it lacks the prestige of some luxury brands, the Kodiaq represents the most complete, practical, and well-rounded package for caravanners.
Towing 5/5 Solo driving 5/5 Practicality 4/5 Buying and owning 5/5 Overall 5/5
Nissan Qashqai
Our choice: Nissan Qashqai DiG-T MHEV 158 N-Connecta
Kerb weight 1422kg 85% match 1209kg Max towing weight 1650kg Towball limit 100kg
The Nissan Qashqai is the ideal choice for those towing lightweight caravans. Our pick has a 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine with fuel-saving mild-hybrid petrol engine and a manual gearbox. But despite the small engine capacity, it tows tasks with surprising agility, accelerating smoothly and maintaining composure at motorway speeds.
It remained stable in our emergency tests: stable and delivering impressive stopping distances, outperforming many rivals in its class, even if hill starts required careful clutch management.
When it comes to practicality, the adjustable boot floor makes it easy to arrange luggage and the reversing camera makes hitching up easy. The interior is quiet and well-equipped for the price, with the N-Connecta trim providing the best balance of cost and features such as wireless phone charging.
Although it has minor drawbacks, such as an awkward breakaway point (where the safety cable attaches that activates the caravan's brakes if it becomes detached on the move), the Qashqai is an eminently sensible, economical, and comfortable choice.
Towing 4/5 Solo driving 4/5 Practicality 3/5 Buying and owning 4/5 Overall 4/5
Volkswagen Passat
Our choice: Volkswagen Passat (1.5 eTSI Elegance)
Kerb weight 1573kg 85% match 1337kg Max towing weight 1600kg Towball limit 90kg
The Volkswagen Passat was our 2024 Towcar of the Year, and remains a formidable choice. During our tests, it offered exceptional high-speed stability and steered accurately during emergency manoeuvres, with strong brakes that brought both car and caravan to a halt confidently.
The mild-hybrid 1.5-litre petrol engine is a decent performer, and the automatic gearbox changes gear almost seamlessly – although hill starts can be slightly taxing on the clutch.
The estate-only Passat excels for everyday useability, with an impressive 690-litre boot and plenty of passenger legroom. It’s comfy, although we recommend the optional adaptive suspension which allows you to tailor the balance between sporty handling and supple comfort. Official fuel economy places the Passat on the right side of 50mpg, and the Passat quiet at speed and loaded with safety tech.
Towing 5/5 Solo driving 5/5 Practicality 4/5 Buying and owning 5/5 Overall 5/5
BMW X5
Our choice: BMW X5 (xDrive50e M Sport)
Kerb weight 2495kg 85% match 2121kg Max towing weight 2700kg Towball limit 140kg
If you’re looking for something large for heavy-duty towing, the BMW X5 sets the standard. The plug-in hybrid xDrive50e – our top pick – is remarkably quick, delivering effortless performance even when the battery is discharged. It remained unflustered during our high-speed stability tests and emergency lane changes, too. To a certain extent, that’s down to the adaptive air suspension which maintains a level ride even when heavily laden. The rear-view camera makes hitching simple, too.
The X5 is equally impressive in daily use, providing a luxurious interior with a user-friendly twin-screen infotainment system. The X5 is one of the best large SUVs to drive, and can shift from sporty to comfortable with ease. The plug-in hybrid even offers a useful electric-only range of up to 62 miles.
While the X5 certainly isn’t cheap, it undercuts the Range Rover Sport, and the CO2-reducing plug-in hybrid setup helps cut company car tax bills. For those seeking an upmarket, high-performance SUV that can pull substantial loads in comfort, the X5 is difficult to beat.
Towing 5/5 Solo driving 5/5 Practicality 4/5 Buying and owning 4/5 Overall 5/5
Skoda Elroq
Our choice: Skoda Elroq (85 Edition)
Kerb weight 2119kg 85% match na Max towing weight 1000kg Towball limit 75kg
The Skoda Elroq proves that electric cars can make for excellent tow cars. It might be a small SUV, but the substantial weight of its battery is a boon when it comes to stability, even at motorway speeds. In our tests, it handled emergency lane changes with precision and offered plenty of power, with 282bhp ensuring effortless hill starts. It also recorded one of the shortest recorded stopping distances in its class.
In daily use, the Elroq is nimble, comfortable, efficient and boasts an impressive 355-mile range under official figures. It has a spacious interior, with handy storage solutions like a net for charging cables.
A larger boot would make it even better suited to long-distance touring, but the overall package is compelling, particularly given its sub-£40,000 price tag – which avoids the luxury car tax for used examples.
Towing 4/5 Solo driving 5/5 Practicality 3/5 Buying and owning 5/5 Overall 4/5
Kia EV9
Our choice: Kia EV9 (AWD GT-Line)
Kerb weight 2664kg 85% match 2264kg Max towing weight 2500kg Towball limit 125kg
The Kia EV9 is a powerhouse, cementing its status as top dog when it comes to heavyweight electric tow cars. With a substantial kerb weight and a massive 516lb ft of torque, it’ll tow a heavy twin-axle caravan with ease.
In our testing, we found it was exceptionally planted at high speeds and felt secure during emergency manoeuvres. In fact, it only really lost points for its awkward charging socket placement, highlighting the reality that public charging infrastructure is often ill-suited for car-and-caravan combinations.
Still, this seven-seat electric SUV offers a cavernous and practical interior with plenty of space for passengers across all three rows. Despite its size, visibility is very good.
For those committed to electric towing, the EV9’s impressive performance, stability, and sheer practicality make it a superb choice.
Towing 5/5 Solo driving 5/5 Practicality 4/5 Buying and owning 4/5 Overall 5/5
Range Rover Sport
Our choice: Range Rover Sport (P550e Autobiography)
Kerb weight 2810kg 85% match 2389kg Max towing weight 3000kg Towball limit 120kg
The Range Rover Sport P550e Autobiography is the flagship plug-in hybrid in the range, and is a pinnacle of upmarket towing, and if budget allows, it’s the best luxury tow car available.
The plug-in hybrid setup combines a smooth petrol engine with an electric motor to produce 542bhp, resulting in effortless, high-speed performance that rivals the best in the luxury SUV class. Stability is flawless with the caravan kept firmly under control even during sudden emergency lane changes during our testing.
Beyond towing, the Range Rover Sport excels as an everyday vehicle, offering an impressive 70-mile electric range, sporty handling, and an ultra-comfortable ride which strikes a fantastic balance between rugged capability and high-end luxury. If your pockets are deep enough, it’s the no-compromise choice.
Towing 5/5 Solo driving 5/5 Practicality 4/5 Buying and owning 4/5 Overall 5/5
Read more: Best family SUVs
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