With well over a million touring caravans on UK roads these days, the towcar market is big business. In fact, research has shown that caravan owners change their cars at least once every three years, meaning they’re often in the market for new models.
And it’s not just the caravan fraternity that needs the best towcar for the job. Horseboxes, trailers and a whole host of other vehicles get hitched to our cars week in, week out. So, the right towcar for the job is essential to make your journey as safe and comfortable as possible. In an effort to take the strain out of this choice, Auto Express has once again teamed up with The Caravan Club to run the rule over the latest towcar contenders.
A total of 43 models were put through the toughest towing test in the business, as we strived to find the car with the best pulling power on the market. We split our contenders into seven price bands, plus rated 4x4s in two classes, covering those weighing up to and over 1,800kg. The overall Towcar of the Year would come from one of our seven category winners. Plus, our judges handed out a special Innovation Award.
How we picked a winner
Our three-day test was again held at Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire, with Bailey of Bristol supplying caravans of different weights and sizes to tow. Ballast was added to each car to represent a family of four, and the vans were loaded to 85 per cent of the car’s kerbweight.
Noseweights were set to the recommended limits: five to seven per cent of the running weight or the maximum weight for the coupling head – whichever was lowest.
Our judging panel assessed each car and caravan for stability and composure at speed around Millbrook’s two-mile high-speed bowl, with crosswinds providing real-world conditions. The acceleration tests were next, while the brakes were also put through their paces.
A lap of the challenging Alpine hill route allowed our judges to assess handling, while 14 and 17 per cent inclines tested the cars’ ability to do hill starts and put hand, foot and electric parking brakes in the spotlight.
Finally, our judges looked at ‘caravanability’ – how easily cars swallowed a raft of bulky camping essentials.
See the winners
- • Tow Car of the Year 2016: Land Rover Discovery
- • Best tow car under £17,500
- • Best tow car £17,500 - £22,000
- • Best tow car £22,000 - £26,000
- • Best tow car £26,000 and £30,000
- • Best tow car £30,000 - £40,000
- • Best tow car £40,000 - £50,000
- • Best tow car over £50,000
- • Best AWD tow cars by weight
Innovation Award
Volkswagen Trailer Assist
This year, our judges were bowled over by one piece of technology that will become a must-have and make novice caravanners jump for joy: VW’s Trailer Assist system.
This incredibly clever kit will help you complete perfect reversing manoeuvres with your caravan or trailer by automatically controlling the car’s steering. In a nutshell, VW engineers created Trailer Assist by ingeniously marrying the existing Park Assist system and the rear-view camera.
The set-up couldn’t be easier to use. Bring your car and caravan to a stop and engage reverse gear. Then press the Trailer Assist button to activate the system, and it’ll recognise that you have a trailer attached. It works out the current and possible steering angles, which are visualised on the screen. The trailer angle is then used to calculate the steering wheel angle.
The wing mirror adjustment doubles up as a joystick, allowing the driver to adjust the desired driving direction. And as if by magic, the car does all the hard work – automatically controlling the electro-mechanical servo steering system.
All you have to do is operate the throttle and brakes. It’s a bit unnerving at first, but once mastered, it’s a must-have. You can deactivate the set-up by pressing the Trailer Assist button once again or making a manual steering intervention, plus the Trailer Assist will slow the car down automatically if it exceeds a defined speed.