Hi Anna,

Your best bets, if you want proper workhorses that can do hefty towing and farm work, as well as occasionally running the family around, are the big one-tonne pick-ups – like the Nissan Navara, Ford Ranger, Volkswagen Amarok, Mercedes X-Class, Toyota Hilux, Mitsubishi L200 and Fiat Fullback. The Amarok and X-Class are the most civilised of these vehicles, but they’re also the most expensive.

Another option is the SsangYong Rexton, because it can tow up to 3.5 tonnes, is reliable and capable off-road, and it’s not a lot of money to buy. Used examples will be OK but try and find the latest model, launched in 2017 – it’s vastly more refined inside and to drive, and retains all of its towing/off-road capabilities.

The only problem with all of these is the tax implication. None of them are very good on CO2 and so they’re expensive to tax each year – you can register the pick-ups as CVs and only pay €333 per year, but if you are caught ferrying your children around in them, at all, for domestic usage, you face fines that are many times that amount. So, also have a look at the Korean SUVs: the Hyundai Santa Fe and the Kia Sorento might not be the best for farm work, but they can tow two tonnes and more, and they’re about €390 per year to tax.