Best cars for towing a horse trailer put to the test

What is the best car to tow a horse trailer? H&H investigates... — SONY DSC

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Torn between a 4x4 or a pick-up for towing your horse? Motoring expert Graham Courtney has been out testing the latest towing vehicles to help you narrow down your choice

Most of us who want to know which are the best cars for towing a horse trailer, whether you’re thinking of buying new or second hand, also need that car for everyday use, be it on the farm or the school run. With the help of H&H’s motoring expert Graham Courtney, we’ve test driven and reviewed a range of the best vehicles for towing, including 4x4s, pick-ups, estates and family SUVs.

Verdict: Lexus has been named as the UK’s most reliable car brand in the What Car? 2022 Awards. If you buy new, you can extend the warranty to 100,000 miles or 10 years. The Lexus RX 450h is good to drive, reasonably economical if you’re careful, and well equipped. The all-wheel drive transmission makes towing very assured. If luxurious 4×4 motoring is something you fancy, this is a good place to start.

Verdict: Mazda isn’t a name a lot of people think of when it comes to buying a towing car – it’s a pity as they don’t know what they’re missing. This CX-5 is a typical Mazda in that it’s good to drive, well equipped and has an excellent reliability record. It’s a handsome thing, too. It’s roomy and, thanks to a good towing ability, it will make for a terrific family all-rounder and workhorse. If you can manage a slightly lower towing limit, you can do without the all-wheel drive – and if you’re prepared to ditch some of the goodies, take a look at the entry level SE-L. The petrol engine is smoother and quieter and you’ll save around £7,000, but there’s no reduction in driver appeal.

Verdict: This car is safe, well equipped, comfortable, lively and has a decent towing limit. What’s not to love? The Volvo XC40 is at its happiest when either cruising along the motorway or using battery power around town. However, if you regularly do long, fast journeys, your mpg will suffer because you’re carrying around a hefty battery as part of your load. As a day-to day car for work commuting, going to the tip, school run, shopping and weekend towing or an outing to the beach, it’ll be perfect. Make use of the hybrid system and it will also be seriously economical. It’s one of our favourites.

Verdict: In terms of a 4×4 SUV, this could very easily rank as one of the best towing vehicles that’s available for the money. Granted, some are better equipped and more lavishly finished off, but the Duster is still smart, relaxing to drive and with a good towing ability. Throw in the fact that it will easily double-up as a Monday to Friday commuter machine, holiday holdall and school shuttle, and it’s easy to understand why the Duster has built a loyal band of followers. As all-rounders go, this Dacia is hard to fault.

The Volkswagen Touareg has a choice of two V6 3.0 litre diesel engines and a thumping petrol 3.0 litre which develops 335bhp. But for those of us who need a good all-rounder for day-to-day transportation and weekend jaunts with the trailer in tow, I’d be perfectly happy with the entry-level 228bhp diesel. The six-cylinder engine has a lovely grumbly note to it, but when it comes to effortless towing, the VW Touareg is up with the best. Put it this way, it’s easy to forget you’ve got the trailer hooked up. With a 3,500kg towing capacity, it can tow a 1,000kg trailer, with two 500kg horse and 50kg of kit per horse, with 1,400kg spare.

If you need to head off the tarmac into the rough and soggy stuff, none comes better. However, most Defenders will spend some of their life trundling through town traffic, negotiating country lanes and being a general workhorse. It is available in either a three- (short wheelbase) or five-door (long wheelbase) guise. All-wheel drive is standard, naturally. For those who need space rather than seats, there is a hard-top version. I prefer the five-door Defender 110 with its six interior seats.

Th Isuzu D-Max is a tough, uncompromising, all-wheel drive pick-up that has brilliant towing ability, making it one to consider when looking into the best towing vehicles. It’s surprisingly good to drive, with a decent level of equipment as standard, and feels safe, too. With a 3,500kg towing capacity, it can tow a 1,000kg trailer, with two 500kg horse and 50kg of kit per horse, with 1,400kg spare.

Estates make for great family cars as there’s usually plenty of boot space to throw in suitcases for holidays, school kit, horse feed and bedding – plus they’re usually pretty economical compared to much of the competition. In general, estates tend to have lower towing capacities, but if you’ve only got one small pony that needs taking to Pony Club rallies, then an estate car might be all you need.

Verdict: “We’ve included the Genesis G70 Shooting Brake in our round-up of the cars for towing horses for the simple reason that it’s different. Yes, it will do the job of towing a horse box as well as working really well as a day-to-day commuter/school run shuttle or holiday transportation, but it also gives you the option of having a car that encourages people to ask “What is it?” It tends to be more of a family car that will tow, rather than a workhorse that suits for the Monday–Friday routine, but it you are looking for an alternative model that has a premium feel and, because it’s from the Hyundai stable, should be very reliable, it’s certainly worth considering. Good value, too.”

The version tested is a fully loaded car, but if you don’t need 4×4 transmission and opt for an economical petrol engine instead, you can lop around £10k off the price shown here. If you prefer the sound, economy and performance you’d get from a six-cylinder diesel engine, head for the 330d xDrive Touring. It’s one of the finest estate cars ever built and, if you don’t go for a loaded model like this one (the options came to over £5k), the price is almost identical.

The BMW 3 Series has been a hugely successful car for the simple reason that it is wonderful to drive, well equipped and, if you avoid diving too deeply into the options list, it is actually decent value. Throw in the fact that it looks really smart (I prefer the Touring’s looks to the saloon) – and it’s easy to see why it is so popular. Add into the equation that it is also great for towing a trailer and you end up with a versatile winner.

It also depends on what trailer you have and how heavy it is. Many car/trailer combinations are only suitable for towing one horse – but if you only have one horse and the car in question needs to double up for the daily commute and family holidays, then it might still be the best car for you. For this reason, we’ve included a wide range of cars in this guide – all of which can safely tow at least one small horse in a standard trailer.

TOPICS

Towing vehicles: Our motoring expert puts a selection to the test

Best cars for towing a horse trailer: tested

Best SUVs for towing

Lexus RX 450h F-Sport

Mazda CX-5 Sport

Volvo XC40 Recharge T5 PHEV

Dacia Duster Expression dCi

Volkswagen Touareg SEL Tech 3.0 TDi 4Motion

Land Rover Defender 110 240PS SE

Best pick-ups for towing

Isuzu D-Max V-Cross

SsangYong Musso Rhino LWB

Best estates for towing

Škoda Octavia Estate SE L 2.0 TDi

Genesis G70 Shooting Brake

BMW 320d xDrive M Sport Plus Edition Touring

What is the best car for towing a horse trailer?

How much towing capacity do I need?

All cars have a maximum recommended towing weight. It’s important that the weight of the trailer and its load does not exceed this as you’ll be putting yourself, passengers, the horses and other road users at risk. You are also at risk of prosecution for driving with a dangerous load.

To work out how much capacity your new car will need, you first need to find out the unladen weight of your trailer. Add on the weight of your horse (or horses), the tack, any food or hay, water, rugs and boots (the ones for travel and riding), plus anything else you might put in your trailer.

Unladen weight of trailer + weight of horse + weight of kit = The minimum towing capacity you require

For example, a 1,000kg trailer, with two 500kg horses, plus 50kg of kit per horse, would require a minimum 2,100kg towing capacity.

You might also like:

10 trailers to consider if you’re looking to buy, with examples from all the major brands

What you need to know about towing limits for horse trailers to keep your horse safe

Terrified of towing? Follow this advice to get you from A to B safely

Top tips for buying a second-hand trailer

6 truths about towing a horse trailer

15 things you’ll understand if you have a trailer rather than a lorry