British people just love caravans. Don’t believe us? Well, at the last count there were more than a million caravans on our roads, while sales from 2016 to 2017 have increased by an incredible 22.7%. Caravans make up just part of the total number of trailers on UK roads too. A lot of caravans, horse boxes, speed boats and goodness knows what else means a lot of tow cars and it’s increasingly important for car buyers to know which cars make the best tow cars. That’s where the Caravan and Motorhome Club’s Tow Car of the Year Awards come in.
More and more drivers are hooking up for the their holidays. So whether you have a cosy 2-berth or a large family caravan to take on your travels, one thing is for sure - you’re going to need a suitable car to tow it with.
This year, for the 35th annual awards, the Caravan and Motorhome Club put 44 cars through their paces during extensive testing at Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire. Plenty of newcomers are included in the results, with some even picking up big prizes.
The four-day test was aided by Bailey of Bristol supplying a variety of 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 towing car’s kerbweight. Noseweights (the maximum load that a caravan can put on a car’s towball) were set to the recommended limits: five to seven per cent of the caravan’s running weight or the maximum stipulated weight for the coupling head, whichever was lowest.
The judging panel assessed each car and caravan combination for stability and composure at speed by lapping Millbrook’s two-mile high-speed bowl. The crosswinds created by the bowl give a great indication of how a tow car will react in real world events. Next was the all- important 30-50mph and 40-60mph acceleration tests, which really highlight the importance for overtaking speeds. Then the brakes were put through their paces in a series of tests including an emergency stop from 50mph.
A lap of Millbrook’s challenging Alpine hill route allowed the judges to assess handling, while a series of getaways on 17 per cent inclines tested the cars’ ability to do hill starts and put hand, foot and electric parking brakes under the spotlight. Finally, the judges looked at the ‘caravanability’ of each model – how easily it swallowed a whole range of camping essentials, including awnings, water carriers and picnic tables.
Click through the list opposite and below to see the winners from the 2018 Tow Car Awards awards.
Best tow cars 2018
- • Overall winner: Skoda Kodiaq
- • Under £24,000: SsangYong Korando
- • £24,000 – £26,000: Vauxhall Insignia Grand Sport
- • £26,000 – £30,000: Skoda Octavia Estate Scout
- • £30,000 – £33,000: Volkswagen Golf Estate Alltrack
- • £33,000 – £38,000: Skoda Kodiaq
- • £38,000 – £50,000: Volvo XC60
- • Over £50,000: Volvo XC90
- • Winners by weight: Volvo XC90 and Skoda Kodiaq
- • Best towing pick-up: Volkswagen Amarok