What does £10,000 buy you these days? Quite a lot if you’re shopping for a used tow car. Depreciation is the used car buyer’s friend, and means you can pick up a quality secondhand tow car with many miles of life left for less than you’d pay for a brand new supermini.

What tow car might you be able to snap up for this sum? Read on. With prices sourced from What Car?’s used car valuation service, here are five of the best used tow cars you can buy for less than £10,000.

Ford Mondeo Estate 2.0 TDCi 140PS Titanium

  • £8905
  • 60-plate, 50,000 miles
  • Kerbweight: 1575kg
  • Towing limit: 1800kg

You really can’t argue with a Ford Mondeo at this price, especially when you consider that just five years ago it would have cost anyone paying full whack over £24,000.

Independent reliability data from Warranty Direct suggests the Mondeo makes a more durable used car than a Volkswagen Passat, so you can buy with confidence. In fact, we know of owners who have bought much older, higher mileage Mondeos and have nothing but praise for them. A well cared for car will still tow well, with decent economy, lots of luggage space and a generous boot.

Mazda CX-7 2.2D Sport Tech

  • £9800
  • 59-plate, 60,000 miles
  • Kerbweight: 1875kg
  • Towing limit: 1800kg

The Mazda CX-7 is a car that deserved better. When it first launched, sales were hampered by being petrol-powered in a market dominated by diesels, and when the diesel did arrive it was short-lived. The smaller, lighter CX-5 has been a much bigger success, but the CX-7 makes a mean secondhand tow car.

You might have to travel a bit to find one (a quick internet search on a well-known website showed just 42 CX-7 diesels for sale across the country), but it will be worth it. The Mazda CX-7 is heavy, powerful, great to drive and a stable tug.

Škoda Superb Estate 2.0 TDI 170 SE

  • £9540
  • 59-plate, 60,000 miles
  • Kerbweight:  1652kg
  • Towing limit: 1800kg

Estate cars don’t come much bigger than the Škoda Superb. With a 633-litre boot, there’s no need to travel light if you own this Škoda.

The 170PS (168bhp) engine has plenty of punch, noticeably stronger than the 140PS (138bhp) version. Stability at speed is excellent so long as you match the Superb to a suitable caravan.

If you often stay on farm campsites it’s worth seeking out the 4×4 version, but for most of us the front-wheel-drive car is better value for money.

Jaguar XJ 2.7 TDVi Sport Premium

  • £9355
  • 57-plate, 100,000 miles
  • Kerbweight: 1734kg
  • Towing limit: 1900kg

On the face of it, the Jaguar XJ makes a rather unusual tow car. We tend to associate 4x4s and big estate cars with towing, not upmarket saloons. 

But the XJ is an absolute peach of a tow car. Stability at speed is rock solid and the 2.7-litre diesel delivers smooth and effortless speed, even when pulling a caravan.

For such a long car, space is rather tight, but there’s a real sense of occasion when travelling in the XJ. Just make sure you find a good example that’s been well cared for before you part with any cash.

Ford Galaxy 2.0 TDI Ghia

  • £6865
  • 56-plate, 80,000 miles
  • Kerbweight: 1821kg
  • Towing limit: 1700kg

Few seven-seat MPVs tow as well as the Ford Galaxy. It’s very secure at motorway speeds. Leave the caravan at home and you’ll find that this Galaxy is more entertaining to drive than most people carriers. Inside, there’s lots of room for five, and even seats six and seven are more usable than in many MPVs.

We’ve heard of some cars with power steering problems and electrical faults, but all told, this is a lot of car for not a lot of money, surely an important consideration when deciding what tow car to buy on a budget.