The best plug-in hybrid tow cars (PHEVs) can be a sensible choice for drivers who are not ready to switch to fully electric tow cars.
Provided you can install a charging point at home, many local journeys can be completed without any exhaust emissions with a plug-in hybrid. Then, when it’s time to tow your caravan, you can simply fill up with petrol mid-journey.
There are downsides. Plug-in hybrids lug around a heavy battery that’s not doing a lot if you don’t charge it, so they don’t make much sense for anyone with no off-street parking.
For many of us, though, a plug-in hybrid is the ideal ‘green’ tow car to gently wean ourselves off fossil fuels. These are five of our favourites.
Don’t miss our pick of the best hybrid tow cars either, if you prefer an option which uses an electric motor and internal combustion engine, without the need to plug in to recharge.
Vehicles pictured may not be exact model or year.
The best plug-in hybrid tow car:
BMW X5 50e M Sport
VW Passat 1.5 TSI eHybrid 204PS Elegance
Volvo XC90 T8 Plus
Toyota RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid Design
Lexus RX450h+ Premium
The best plug-in hybrid cars for towing a caravan
BMW X5 50e M Sport
- Price: £82,255
- Kerbweight: 2495kg
- 85% match: 2121kg
- Towing limit: 2700kg
This is one of the very best tow cars you can buy, of any type. The X5 50e has 489hp, so it would probably tow your house if you could fit wheels underneath it. It’s extremely stable with suspension that manages to be firmly controlled but comfortable, making for a very reassuring tow, whether on the motorway or a twisting country road.
In solo driving, the 50e has an electric range of 61-64 miles, so many day-to-day journeys can be completed without burning fossil fuels. While towing, we saw 44.7mpg while the battery had a healthy charge, dropping to 18mpg once the electric range was zero.
Inside, there’s ample space for five in the luxurious cabin. There’s no option to add two more seats, though, which is possible with other X5 models.
There’s also less boot space with the plug-in hybrid, although 500 litres is still a reasonable capacity.
Although the price is high, it’s not excessive compared with the equivalent Range Rover Sport. If you’re thinking of buying a used tow car instead, the earlier 45e M Sport will set you back around £30,000 for a 70,000-mile 2021 car.
VW Passat 1.5 TSI eHybrid 204PS Elegance
- Price: £47,670
- Kerbweight: 1846kg
- 85% match: 1569kg
- Towing limit: 1800kg
The Passat is an excellent all-rounder. It tows well, whichever model you choose, although the plug-in hybrid offers a higher kerbweight and more power than the mild-hybrid petrol.
Two PHEVs are available, one with 204hp and one with 272hp. The less powerful of the two is still strong enough to make a very good tow car while saving almost £3000 over the quicker version.
We’ve yet to tow with the plug-in hybrid Passat, but as the lighter petrol model is very stable there’s every reason to think the heavier PHEV will be a very stable tow car, that trait we’re all going to look for when choosing our ideal tow car.
For an estate of this size, it’s a heavy car with a kerbweight of 1846kg. A wide variety of four-berth family caravans will make sensible matches.
The all-electric range of the latest generation of PHEVs has improved enormously, and the Passat can travel 81 miles in official tests. Even if that’s hard to match in the real world, many trips can be completed with no exhaust emissions.
The Passat is a roomy car for people and luggage. Although some boot space is lost, 530 litres is a healthy volume.
Used examples of the previous generation GTE plug-in hybrid from 2021 can be bought for £12,000.
Volvo XC90 T8 Plus
- Price: £77,760
- Kerbweight: 2297kg
- 85% match: 1952kg
- Towing limit: 2400kg
The big Volvo is tough competition for the BMW X5. We’d choose the BMW but wouldn’t blame you if you reached a different conclusion.
One compelling reason to go for the Volvo is the third row of seats. While that’s a common feature of large SUVs for towing, it’s not always available on plug-in hybrid models.
Like the BMW, the Volvo has plenty of power for towing any well-matched caravan (take a look at our guide to matching a car to a caravan for a reminder on this). It’s also very stable at speed.
The XC90 doesn’t equal the BMW’s electric range, though, with a shorter official distance of 44 miles.
Inside, the Volvo has a clean and elegant design, although we’d prefer a few more buttons rather than having to navigate the touchscreen for so many functions.
The cabin is roomy as well as luxurious, although the third row is better suited to children rather than adults. With all the seats upright, there’s enough boot space for a weekly shop, but if you need every seat for a family holiday, you’ll want to fit a substantial roof box.
There are plenty of plug-in XC90s on the used market. A 2021 car with 40,000 miles on the clock will cost around £34,000, less than half the price of a brand-new car.
Toyota RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid Design
- Price: £45,395
- Kerbweight: 1985kg*
- 85% match: Above max tow
- Towing limit: 1500kg
A new RAV4 will soon be available, but if you can’t wait the last examples of the current model have a lot going for them.
Reliability is one of the best reasons for choosing any Toyota, especially if buying a hybrid. Toyota championed petrol-electric cars long before most manufacturers launched their first hybrid model.
What’s more, the warranty lasts for 10 years and 100,000 miles, provided the car is serviced within the Toyota franchised network.
The plug-in RAV4 has plenty of power for towing. In fact from the driver’s seat you would think the petrol-electric powertrain could handle a heavier tourer than the 1500kg maximum towing figure. Stability is good, too, although we’d prefer a higher noseweight – 70kg is meagre.
Unlike some SUVs, the Toyota doesn’t just look like a 4×4 – it really does send power to all four wheels. That makes it an excellent choice for anyone who enjoys staying at farm campsites and is a fan of caravanning in winter.
Inside, the RAV4 isn’t the most stylish looking SUV but it is roomy and functional.
If you’d rather buy used, a 2022 car with 65,000 miles will cost around £23,000.
*Includes 75kg for the driver not included in Toyota’s published kerbweight
Lexus RX450h+ Premium
- Price: £65,065
- Kerbweight: 2185kg*
- 85% match: 1857kg
- Towing limit: 2000kg
Lexus has always made reliable and luxurious cars, but they haven’t been as good to drive as alternatives from the big-name German brands. The latest RX SUV isn’t as sharp or exciting as a BMW X5, but it’s a satisfying car from the driver’s seat.
Buyers have a choice of hybrid and plug-in hybrid models. The plug-in 450h+ is the one to choose if you want to run a reasonable distance on electricity (official range is 42 miles).
As tends to be the case with plug-in hybrids, the RX450h+ is a heavy car. That gives healthy matching ratios, while the towing capacity of 2000kg rules out very few tourers.
It’s a quick car, too. Although not as rapid as a BMW X5 50e, the Lexus should comfortably pull a sensibly matched caravan. We haven’t towed with the RX, but we’d be surprised if it wasn’t stable and secure.
In solo driving the Lexus RX is quiet and efficient, and there’s plenty of space inside for five. The boot isn’t huge, but there’s a separate area for storing charging cables so
they don’t eat into the space.
If a used car would suit you better, we’ve seen a 16,000-mile 2023 car advertised for £44,950.
*Including 75kg for the driver not included in Lexus’s published kerbweight
Decided you would rather tow with an electric instead? Then see our tips for charging an EV while towing.
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