2025 towing vehicle recommendations

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Wheresthehoofpick

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Our 2009 Touareg is dying. I have spent hours researching and I am no further forward.

We occasionally tow an old IW 510. Two fat cobs so I think 2200 combined weight. When we do travel it is a 4.5 hour journey. We need a 4x4 for access when we get there.

Need to get to the yard on icy/ snowy days.

Have a family car for daily use.

We live in a city with ULEZ

What would you buy with 10/ 15k?
 
My Disco (11 year old HSE Luxury, 3 litre diesel) is worth about £15k, it’s compliant with some low emissions zones (it is fine in Bath but not Bristol) it’s a total work horse, has never been sick or sorry and it’s nice to drive. Easily tows in any situation. Good in snow and ice (I use it for the school run when it’s icy as my other car is rear wheel drive).
 
My Tiguan tows 2.5 tonnes, has 4x4 and done about 41 mpg. You need to shop around with the rigs as they all tow different weights!
 
Wheresthehoofpick said:
Our 2009 Touareg is dying. I have spent hours researching and I am no further forward.

We occasionally tow an old IW 510. Two fat cobs so I think 2200 combined weight. When we do travel it is a 4.5 hour journey. We need a 4x4 for access when we get there.

Need to get to the yard on icy/ snowy days.

Have a family car for daily use.

We live in a city with ULEZ

What would you buy with 10/ 15k?
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Why is the Touareg dying? Would it be worth fixing, better the devil you know etc. We tow with a 2006 Shogun. Not sophisticated in any sense but incredibly reliable. They stopped making them around 2017 so a later model should be within budget. Unlikely to be ulez compliant, for a diesel to be ulez compliant it needs to be one that uses AdBlue, Euro 6 I believe. Have a look at the Rexton. Or a newer Touareg?
 
I tow with a 66 plate BMW X5 3.0l Diesel, I actually thought about selling it recently and it was valued at £12k if that helps.

The tow capacity is 2700kg, it's always towed really well, don't feel the weight of the trailer and it's a nice heavy car so feels stable towing with. Never struggles up a steep hill etc.

I get around 38-40mpg on motorway miles, it does have an 'eco' mode that gives better mileage.

It's not what I consider a 'proper' 4x4, it's essentially designed to be a nice SUV, but it's always got me off a muddy field when needed and I've never struggled down the lanes in the snow and ice. I'm sure it would be a lot more capable if I bothered to put winter tyres on it. I like it as it does double up as a decent everyday car too, it doesn't drive like a tank, the MPG isn't horrendous and it's a nice easy car to drive around. I've previously had Range Rovers and Ford Rangers to tow with but feel this car does a better job of multitasking as a towing car and an everyday car.

The biggest credit I'll give it is that I've put 180k miles on the clock and it doesn't miss a beat, it's never cost me a hefty repair bill, just keeps chugging along.
 
Get another Touareg! We had one, it died, we got something else (Volvo XC90) and there was no comparison! We got another slightly newer Touareg and it’s brilliant! 🤩
 
I have a 2025 Tiguan as my tow car. I love it, it’s great for my one horse.

HOWEVER under no circumstances buy a VW or an Audi plated after 2020 and retrofit it. You can’t drop the VWAG firewall to code it in and the car sees the trailer as an obstacle reversing and slams the emergency breaks on.

I bought a 74 plate mark 2 pre reg and first time out it did exactly that. My 2019 plate was retrofitted and was fine.

VW ultimately got the dealer to replace the car with one off the factory floor with a towbar. They agreed the car was missold as it was to replace the 2019 plate. So they were amazing to deal with and think I would have been stuck without them.
 
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