OK, so after weeks of poring over my spreadsheets, comparing noseweights, pondering over BHP vs torque, stressing over whether SLS will bring appreciable benefits to my towing life, fretting about whether a towing match of 90% would really be noticeably worse than one of 85%, wondering whether I could settle to driving an automatic rather than a manual ... I finally decided that I need a 7 seater Hyundai Santa Fe.. 

But where the devil are they all hiding?!  I don't particularly want to buy from a dealer - I'd much prefer a private sale, and I thought there'd be loads for me to choose from.  Motors.co.uk came up with 1 in my price range and that had 5 seats not 7 so no good, Preloved managed1 - but the advert is well out of date, Gumtree just the1, eBay listings were all from dealers, and Autotrader just has a handful of private sales.  And now I've started looking, it's pretty rare to see them out and about..

So did nobody buy them in the first place?  Are you all just hanging on to them cos you love them so much and you'll happily run them into the ground?  Are they all being snapped up and shipped elsewhere?  Release your Santa Fes - I want to have a selection to pick from :-)

ours is a 2004 V6 petrol auto a mint condition one.spoiled above and beond.people are holding on to them these days.my friend got a new vauxhall 2 years ago said he would like his hyundai back to pull the van.i would not part at the moment. this is clean on sale now...........and .low milage.perrys 2004 auto only 33000 miles,looks mint.no towbar fitted.looks just same as mine.

TRY ARNOLD CLARK.COM / EVANSHALSHAW.COM

Nelmo - yours looks fab, do let me know if you fancy knocking two or three grand off the asking price, will you

Thank you all for your suggestions - Uxb, you've just set me off looking at all the auction sites,but there's not a great deal there either. Perhaps I'm going to have to investigate the dealers after all ... :-(

Try a Sorento, the 2010 model onwards is basically the same car. It was facelifted in 2013.They have 7 year guarantee which is transferable.

Sorento up to 2010 is an awesome towcar, but a bit thirstier, autos are in high tax bracket.