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Hi John,

Your Octavia's boot is rated to 600 litres, we believe, which is difficult to match unless you go for a much larger car. The Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer, for example, holds a little more than that, but it's out of budget. Same story for the VW Tayron eHybrid (PHEV), which has a bigger boot again.

Those cars are still relatively new, so you can't afford used versions yet, either, though we did find a selection of second-hand Skoda Superb PHEVs on the market within budget. They're massive in all directions and might well suit your needs, so long as you don't mind going for a car that's two to three years old.

The VW ID.4 and Skoda Enyaq have comparable boots of well over 500 litres and are in budget – though there's much more choice in the ID.4 lineup for that money.

Last but not least, and assuming you have nothing against buying an SUV, the Hyundai Tucson PHEV has a boot of about 560 litres and is within budget.

Let us know what you think of these suggestions.

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Hi Wayne,

The 2016 Passat 2.0 TDI is one of the more reliable diesel models of its generation, though as with all of them you need to keep your eyes open for things like clogged DPFs and AdBlue issues.

Another known issue with the EGR cooler or valve causes rough running and poor economy and that's expensive to fix, but it won't affect all cars.

Finally, as most examples will be of high mileage, insist on a detailed service history and, if you go for one of these cars, invest in rear suspension bushes if there's no sign of them ever being done, as it will massively improve how the car rides and handles.

All cars of that age will need some maintenance, but the Passat is certainly one of the more dependable choices – so long as it has been properly maintained.

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Hi Doteen,

A car's history and how well it has been serviced is important no matter what fuel type it is. The added complication with modern diesels is that their DPFs – and other components - can clog up if they're only used for short trips. I don't believe where you buy the car has any bearing on that. It's all about how the car was used.

Make sure all the warning lights are working and going off when the car is running, insist on a detailed and complete service history and take the car for a decent test drive (again, regardless of the fuel).

A diesel car will be far more economical than a petrol one when it comes to towing and for the most part will be better suited to the job in terms of low-down pulling power (torque).

Nonetheless, if you'd prefer a petrol car, that's entirely doable. Just don't go for a small-engined, lightweight car and expect it to do a good job. Cars such as the Ford Mondeo, Skoda Octavia, VW Passat and others all came with powerful turbocharged petrol engines, though they're much rarer and hence harder to find than the diesel equivalents.

Hopefully that has given you some food for thought but come back to us with more information on the weight of the caravan you're buying and your budget for the car and we can help further if you need it.

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Hi Julie.

First up, you've not told us which engine your Kuga has, and that's a key detail. We'll have to assume it has one of the most common units, which is the 2.0 TDCi diesel.

Secondly, a "wet belt" is a type of timing belt. When someone says "timing belt" they generally mean a "dry" belt that does not run in oil - like a wet belt does.

Anyway, the 2.0-litre diesel engine in the 2015 Kuga has a dry timing belt, not a wet one. It also has a small timing chain in the cylinder head joining the camshafts.

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Hi Fred,

We did find a CO₂ rating for that BMW on the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism website (click here for the file) – it's 121g/km, but it's much harder to find NOx ratings on there and I've not been entirely successful either.

I did find this official PDF showing a NOx figure for the BMW 320d (0.063g/km), but it does not specifically mention “LDA-8C20”.

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Hi Andrei,

As that Golf is over 30 years old, it will indeed only attract the flat-rate VRT of €200, and it won't be slapped with any NOx levy either.

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Hi John,

I assume you mean the Tucson, but anyway, yeah, the 192 Hyundai 1.6 diesel engine has a timing belt. 

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Hi Bill,

Obviously a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) makes most sense here as those come with ultra-low CO₂ emissions to help keep the BIK down. Though we would only recommend you buy one if you have a way of charging it up at home or at work on a very regular basis.

If you like your Audi, then the new Audi A5 e-hybrid makes for a good option. It can be had as a Sportback or Avant estate within your budget and it's a really lovely car. The e-hybrid system allows for a long electric range and low emissions, too. Read our review of the A5 e-hybrid for more.

The BMW 330e is another excellent premium PHEV within budget, both as a saloon or Touring estate. It's not as fresh-faced as the Audi A5, but it's still a good car. Read our review of the updated BMW 330e if you're interested.

Our next port of call would have been the Skoda Superb, but for some bizarre reason it's only offered as a PHEV in Combi estate format, so if you don't want an estate, then it's not for you. If you're open to the idea, however, it's a considerably larger car than the BMW and Audi mentioned above, if not as interesting to drive. Within budget, however, is the range-topping L&K variant, which puts the Audi and BMW to shame in terms of what you get for your money. Again, read our review of the Skoda Superb Combi PHEV for more.

Other than that trio, you'll be looking at SUVs in reality, unless you fancy moving to a fully electric car.

Come back to us if you want help narrowing things down further.

Expert answer

Hi Elaine,

The BMW X3 diesel is what's called a "mild hybrid", so it can't be plugged in. The plug-in hybrid only makes sense if you can plug it in at home to charge up the battery at every available opportunity. If you don't do that then it's essentially the same as fuelling a heavy petrol-only model.

In general, a diesel car is more efficient than a plug-in hybrid when it comes to long journeys and it sounds like that's what may suit your needs better.

Expert answer

Hi Barry,

Assuming you might like to use the rear seats, the BYD is the least spacious option of the three as its boot is much smaller. It holds up to 425 litres with its rear seat in place, while the Santa Fe PHEV manages 621 litres in five-seat mode (it's a seven-seater in which you can easily fold down the third row of seats).

The Kodiaq PHEV (assuming you're only looking at the plug-in-hybrid versions of each car mentioned) is a strict five-seater, but it comes with the largest space behind at 725 litres. If can be had in seven-seat guise with a simple petrol or diesel engine if you need the flexibility of the interior.

One major extra bonus of the Santa Fe is that its tailgate reveals the widest opening of the three, though really, the Skoda is likely to fit the bill as well. Their load sill heights are about the same distance from the ground at in and around 760mm.