Car suitable for towing horse box

[CambridgeAh]

Hi could anyone recommend a 4x4 suitable for towing two chunky ponies in a horse box?

Would love a Defender but think it’s out of our budget unless very old. I think I would prefer something newer if it’s more likely to be better for the environment.

Thanks 🙏

We have a Ssangyong Rexton. It's great for towing and a nice enough drive if you are just using it as a regular car too. We looked at quite a few cars before we go it but liked the Rexton the most. The only downside is there don't tend to be many around!

After much research, we've just bought a secondhand Jeep Grand Cherokee which can tow up up to 3,500 kg. Very solid.

Merc ML but ££££!

I have a Kia Sorrento which I love - It only tows 2800kg though so would depend on the weight of the ponies.

@EmmaC78

I have a Kia Sorrento which I love - It only tows 2800kg though so would depend on the weight of the ponies.

Sorry think it might be 2500kg actually.

If you buy second hand, try and buy a car that doesn't have a tow bar already fitted; that way you can be fairly sure that is hasn't done a lot of hauling already.

I have a Kia Sorento too,an older one. The pre 2009 automatic,which mine is,tows 3500kg easily. Mines 14 years old now and I'm dreading the day that I have to replace it,as the new ones don't have such a high tow capacity and are fancier and more expensive.

You want something that can tow a minimum of 2,000kg, depending on how often you change vehicles, more might be better as chunky ponies turn into bigger ponies and/or horses.

How bigs your budget? I have an old Defender which is also a rolling restoration project, as their value is going up and up so what it costs kind of doesn't matter as I intend keeping it pretty much forever. I also like the vinyl seats and rubber flooring as it's easy to sweep out/wash the mud off. I also like that it's relatively small compared to modern cars so easy to park when I go to the shops.

I rather like the newer Volvo xc 90s which have a decent towing capacity. The older ones don't, so you would need to check that.

If it's a lower budget what about a discovery or one of the Japanese 4x4s. A lot of my friends rate their Kia's for towing. Otherwise it's a pick up truck, but I found them very wide - their length wasnt a problem for me as I started towing ponies with a Volvo estate.

Thanks everyone. You have certainly opened my eyes to quite a range of vehicles, this is brilliant. @Hampotsandonions good tip about the tow bar thanks.

@CrotchetyQuaver I do like the idea of a project - or at least, a vehicle that could hold its value. Do you work on the car yourself?

Lol no! I'm very fortunate to have a brilliant Land Rover mechanic within walking distance of our house! I couldn't even consider doing it without them...

How heavy is your trailer?
I had a lightweight Bateson Ascot which gave more options for tow vehicle compared to a heavy Ifor.
2 chunky Welsh cobs in my trailer had a combined weight of around 2,000kg - whereas in an Ifor it was more like 2,500kg

All the tow-ers I know have Korean or Japanese 4x4s: Mitsubishi Shogun (the LWB one), Ssangyong Rexton or older shape Kia Sorento. The odd Hyundai Terracan but that only goes up to 2,800kg I think.

Most of the pick-ups (Ford Ranger, Nissan Navara, Mitsubishi L200, Toyota Hilux) tow up to 3,500kg, except the VW Amarok which goes to 3,000kg.

Another vote for ssangyong rexton

Hi all, thanks for your help before.
I am coming back to this now, because I have bought a second hand Ifor Williams 506... 🙌
I have been looking for a SsangYong Rexton, but they are tricky to find, unfortunately, and a car dealer friend tells me spares can also be a challenge to source.
DH wants a 7 seater. One option we are considering is a 2017 Skoda Kodiaq, which can tow up to 2000kg, or (for slightly over our budget) a 2017 Discovery Sport... but that seems to be similarly limited in capacity.
Would either of these work or do you think we should keep looking? Any thoughts welcomed! Thanks

I’ve answered my own question by lots of googling. I think we might try for a Kia Sorento

We have a Land Rover discovery sport and I can’t feel the trailer on the back. Husband did a lot of research and has a friend who knows his land rovers and recommended the discovery. It is our 2nd one and I am very happy with it.
We had a Hillux before and it was amazing for taking equipment to shows and to tow with but not the easiest car for day to day.

We have a ssangyong rexton, you can get them with 7 seats. We've had 3 now I think, and have never had a problem getting spares. When we got the first one a few years ago it was a VERY long time until we saw another - months. Now we see one most days as they've become a lot more popular. Tows better than a Discovery, Shogun, Jeep or the Trooper back in the day.

Thanks again. @MarySanderson, if you don’t mind me asking do you have any experience buying used Ssangyong or did you generally buy new and trade in?