10 of the best SUVs for towing

Ten of the top cars to lease for towing

Need an SUV that has the towing power of three Shire horses lashed together?

Look no further.

Even if you need an SUV to tow a caravan, a trailer or a horsebox, you'll likely still want something that looks good and works for everyday family life.

There’s no point in having a car lease that doesn’t break into a sweat when towing if a trip into town is miserable. Luckily for you, a whole array of cars on the market are as capable of a comfortable school run as they are dragging a two-berth camper down the motorway.

An SUV is one of the best towing cars.

It’s a heavy vehicle equipped with four-wheel drive and will make light work of whatever it is you’re towing, improving both stability and safety. And most modern SUVs are a delight to drive, with large spacious cabins packed to the rafters with the latest tech.

What makes a good tow car?

There is a little maths involved when it comes to working out which SUV you need in relation to what it is you want to tow. 

The towing limit of the car is one of the most important numbers to pay attention to.

It’s the maximum weight the car is legally allowed to tow. Towing any more than this is a criminal offence, so your best bet is to leave a generous margin when you’re considering which towing limit you’ll need. Leasing a car that is only just up to the job could leave you in hot water.

As well as a car with a big enough towing limit, you’ll also want something with the power to pull it along.

The humble diesel engine remains top dog for a tow car. Many newer cars also come with handy additions that can make your towing life easier, like camera systems for hooking up or air suspension to save lifting your hatch up, so it’s worth shopping around.

Bear in mind that the towing limits mentioned here are braked weight towing figures, not unbraked, and capacity can vary between trims. If you've got any questions or want to clarify that the vehicle you're looking to lease is the right one for you, get in touch with one of our leasing experts and they'll be able to help.

Dacia Duster: 1,200kg

Wave goodbye to the bells and whistles: the Dacia Duster is the most amount of car you can get for the least amount of money.

It’s not trying to be something it isn’t. If you’re after a good amount of space and the ability to tow a one tonne caravan without all the added extras, the Duster is the car for you. It is, in fairness, a better car than the low price might suggest.

If you opt for the comfort trim, you’ll get an 8in media screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 16in alloys, and a reversing camera, while the Prestige spec adds automatic air con, multi-view parking cameras, a couple of active safety systems, and a slightly nicer trim.

And it’s good for hauling up to 1,200kg (depending on which engine you opt for).

Spacious, comfortable, and hardy, this is the workhorse you need if you’re looking for great value and few frills.

Volkswagen Tiguan: 2,200kg

If you need a car that’s geared up to tow, it’s worth looking at a Volkswagen lease.

Not only can the Volkswagen Tiguan tow up to two and a half tonnes, but it’s also available with VW’s brilliant Trailer Assist, which helps you make short work of reversing a trailer or caravan. Handy, if you often find yourself needing to tow either of them.

It’s Volkswagen’s best-selling SUV, with the German manufacturer having shifted over six million since its launch in 2008. And it’s a best-seller for good reason. If you’re after a well-priced, good value for your hard-earned cash SUV, you’d be hard-pushed to find a better one than the Tiguan.

It’ll tow a caravan with ease, make towing a trailer look like child's play, and cross a muddy field without so much as a single complaint.

Perfect.

SKODA Kodiaq: 2,400kg

Practical? Check. Comfortable? Check. Dependable and reliable? Check.

The mid-size crossover market is huge, and it’s only getting bigger. But the SKODA Kodiaq stands out as a very competitive offering among the rabble, and it’s not hard to see why. It ticks every box: it looks good, the drive is even better, and it’s extremely practical for its size, boasting a generous 2,400kg towing capacity.

Sure, it’s not the sportiest offering, but it does have great value for money. 

And if you’re after a stylish and comfortable everyday car with the ability to tow a six-berth caravan or small boat without breaking into a sweat, then it should feature high on your shortlist.

Audi Q7: 3,500kg

Yes, it’s a big, posh box on wheels. But the Audi Q7 is so much more than that.

With its seven seats and cavernous boot, it’s a supremely practical car if you’re often hauling multiple humans around (even if they’re over six-foot). Trailers, caravans, or horseboxes too, with a maximum towing capacity of three and a half tonnes.

The quality inside the cabin is excellent, with plenty of clever cubbies to stow your stuff away and a plethora of charging points. It’s everything you could want from a big family wagon, without having to suffer the looks of a traditional MPV.

It’s not going to win any off-roading prizes, but if you want practicality and versatility in a comfortable premium package, it’s one of the best options around.

Mercedes-Benz GLE: 3,500kg

Comfy, quiet, and practical, the Mercedes-Benz GLE represents the very best of what a premium SUV can be.

With seven seats, plenty of cabin storage, and an 825L boot (stretching to 2,005L with the seats down), the GLE makes a versatile beast for your next Mercedes lease. Though if your friends hit the six-foot mark, you’ll struggle to squeeze them into the rearmost two seats.

There’s a good amount of standard kit on offer, including the twin 12.3-inch screens mounted into the dash, blind-spot monitoring, privacy glass, wood trim with Nappa leather upholstery, heated front seats, active parking assist with cameras and sensors, and traffic sign reading.

And with the GLE able to haul up to the maximum 3,500kg, you’ll have no issues packing the caravan to the rafters on your next family holiday.

BMW X5: 3,500kg

BMW’s big ol’ SUV, the BMW X5 revolutionised the big car market by being the first ‘off-roader’ to behave like a car on tarmac.

It’s now on its fourth generation, and though there’s now a whole heap of rivals out to challenge the X5, it still stands up as a fantastic SUV, with BMW giving it a thorough overhaul in 2018.

It’s bigger, plusher, and comfier than ever.

There’s enough room for seven, the towing capacity hits the maximum three and a half tonnes in some models, and the cabin is absolutely packed with tech. Fancy going off-road?

No problem.

The BMW eats up uneven terrain, while the optional off-road pack will help balance the car, and the added electronics (including cameras and underbody protection) will make sure you come home in the same condition you left.

Bit muddier though.

Land Rover Defender: 3,500kg

If you’re thinking of an SUV with the ability to tow everything short of a cruise ship, the iconic Land Rover Defender is probably the first car to leap into your mind.

And for good reason.

It’s the very definition of a workhorse – but it’s so much more than that. Yes, the hardy materials and practical cabin highlight the fact that this is a car built for off-road adventures, but the on-road drive and comfort level is off the charts.

For more people, the Landy will do more than they’ll ever need it to do.

Which is no bad thing, if you’re looking for a car that’ll get you down the motorway, across a ford, and up a snowy mountain before dinner.

Or a car that’ll let you tow a caravan and deal with the muddy field without breaking a sweat. If you're big on adventures, a Land Rover lease has got your back.

Porsche Cayenne: 3,500kg

The Porsche Cayenne is one of the best-selling Porsche models worldwide, and it’s definitely no surprise why.

Loaded with plenty of equipment in a spacious, comfortable, and well-designed interior, the Porsche Cayenne is certainly worth the higher price tag.

And what’s even better is with its ability to tow up to 3,500kg, it can deal with a large horsebox or twin-axle caravan as easily as it can a smaller trailer.

So if you want something premium, but practical, and that’ll have heads turning everywhere you drive, the Porsche Cayenne is probably the one for you.

Volkswagen Touareg: 3,500kg

Volkswagen’s flagship SUV, the VW Touareg now rivals some of the best premium SUVs on the market – but for a more affordable price.

In doing so, VW has sacrificed some of the Touareg’s off-roading ability, but it has become a phenomenal high-tech SUV for tarmacked roads. Even the ones with potholes. And it can tow up to three and a half tonnes, which is more than enough for most caravans or small trailers.

It’s more understated than some of its flashier competitors, but this doesn’t detract from the brilliant finish.

The interior is comfortable and dominated by VW’s dual-screen display. This is crammed with some of the latest and greatest tech, including a ‘night vision' mode to detect humans and animals in darkness via a thermal imaging camera, roadwork lane assist, active roll stabilisation, and a head-up display.

If you’re after something with the towing power of an ox, the Touareg should feature on your shortlist.

Tesla Model Y: 1,600kg

If you’re after an electric tow car, the Tesla Model Y is an excellent option.

The towing limit has been upped from a tonne to just over one and a half tonnes – meaning the Model Y can now easily cope with a medium-sized caravan or a small trailer.

And while it doesn’t have the same mammoth towing limit as some of its diesel compatriots, if you're interested in car leasing that’s kinder on the planet (and your wallet), a Tesla lease is the way to go, and the Model Y is the car you need for maximum space at a more affordable price.

Being a Tesla, it’s crammed full of tech, boasts a strong 331-mile claimed range (though if you’re towing, you will have to charge more frequently), and is so fast off the mark you’ll feel like you’ve left a vital organ behind.