Can you recommend a used car for towing a small caravan?

We're buying a small Caravan (about 900kg) and would like to upgrade our 2007 Honda Civic 1.4 automatic. We have a budget of £5000. We'd like to balance a strong enough engine with reasonable fuel economy and servicing costs. We're not wedded to any particular body shape but ideally would not have a huge car to drive around when not towing. My wife prefers automatics. Are you able to offer any advice please? Thank you!

Asked on 15 July 2020 by RobMarr

Answered by Andrew Brady
Generally, it's advised that you shouldn't tow more than 85 per cent of the car's kerb weight. That means you'll need a car with a kerb weight of at least 1060kg (and a towing capacity of 900kg or more). Most cars the size of your Civic should be able to tow a caravan the size of yours. A diesel makes a lot of sense for towing (thanks to the low-down torque on offer), but these aren't suited to lots of short day-to-day journeys. We'd recommend a Kia Ceed, Vauxhall Astra or another Honda Civic.
Tags: towing caravan
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