Tow Car Awards - 2016 Winners PLUS Tow Car of the Decade Announced

If you're a keen member of the Caravan Club, or just enjoy caravan holidays, it may be time to upgrade your car to a newer, more fuel efficient model. But without the help of experts comparing hundreds of cars, it's difficult to know where to start.

That's where the Tow Car Awards come in, which look at 5 different weight categories as well as some other specifics, such as eco-friendliness, the MPV class, petrol power and lightweight cars. Not only are there those categories, but there is an overall winner, and the winner of the decade.

Cars are tested with a caravan or trailer that weighs 85% of the car's kerb weight, or with a caravan or trailer that reaches the car's claimed towing limit if this is lower than 85%. Tests include high-speed stability at higher-than-legal speeds, slalom, emergency lane changes, acceleration, braking and hill starts on 1-in-6 slopes. They're also tested on how well they deal with a typical family's holiday load, buying and running costs, and day-to-day driving. Let's take a look...

• Best Ultralight Tow Car

Suzuki Vitara 1.4 Boosterjet Allgrip S (£20,899)

If you're not a brand snob, then this is definitely the car to go for in terms of what you get for your money. Standard kit on this S model includes ALLGRIP, Suzuki's four-wheel-drive system, keyless entry and go, a reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors, cruise control, LED headlights, automatic lights and wipers, Bluetooth and 17-inch alloys. The only let-down? The 1.4-litre petrol engine. An adequate 138 bhp and 220 Nm make for good town driving, but compared to its rivals who offer diesel options, this Suzuki would struggle towing heavier loads under hard acceleration. Claimed figures are just over 50 mpg with CO2 emissions of 127-128 g/km with the 6-speed manual and 6-speed automatic transmissions. Both can carry 1,200 kg braked and 400 kg unbraked, however the manual model only weighs 1,210 kg (the auto is 25 kg heavier). A 375-litre boot is below average, and the total with the seats folded flat only increases to 710 litres.

• Best Petrol Tow Car

Ford Mondeo Vignale 2.0 EcoBoost (240 PS) auto (£30,855)

Forget about Style, Zetec and Titanium, because the Vignale offers whole new levels of luxury for the Ford brand. It features 18-inch alloy wheels, leather upholstery, front and rear parking sensors, keyless entry and go, an 8-inch touchscreen with the upgraded Sony sound system and a rear view camera, as well as Vignale-specific styling inside and out. The EcoBoost engine does not disappoint - 237 bhp and 340 Nm are far from average on a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine. So far so good - that's until you look at the running costs. CO2 emissions are high for a family saloon at 171-176 g/km. MPG figures are also very poor, in the region of the mid to late 30s. It's not even very quick, with 0-62 mph being covered in 7.9 seconds. Depending on which size spare wheel you opt for, the boot capacity ranges from 458 to 550 litres, or 1,356 to 1,446 litres with the rear seats down.

• Best MPV

SEAT Alhambra 2.0 TDI (184 PS) SE Lux DSG (£35,190)

This SE Lux model is almost at the top of the tree with only the FR-Line blocking it from taking the crown - it already overrules the S, SE and Connect. It's far from basic which is great for the kids as well as the adults. As well as 17-inch alloy wheels, sat nav, a reversing camera, heated front seats, leather upholstery and an electronic limited slip differential, you'll also get automated rear sliding doors, an automated boot and a large panoramic glass roof, the front part of which slides and tilts. The 2.0-litre TDI engine is the best in the range, but that's what you'd expect. After all, it's the same engine used in the VW Golf GTD! A total of 380 Nm are at hand too, which means you'll be able to pull the whole family and the caravan around with very few worries. Despite having the aerodynamic qualities of the Taj Mahal, it's still able to achieve over 50 mpg and emit 139 g/km of CO2. It's the same story whether you go for the 6-speed DSG automatic or the 6-speed manual. 

• Green Award

Kia Cee'd Sportswagon 1.6 CRDi (134 bhp) 2 (£19,895)

The Cee'd Sportswagon 2 sits somewhat at the bottom of the range above the 1 and below the 3, 4, 4 Tech and GT Line. Standard kit is what's to be expected for under £20k but it still offers enough creature comforts, including 16-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, front fog lights, LED daytime running lights, DAB radio, air conditioning and Bluetooth. The 1.6-litre diesel engine isn't the most refined in the business, and only produces 280 Nm of torque, but this all makes sense when you realise it does over 70 mpg, emits 102 g/km, and still gets to 62 mph in 10.1 seconds. The boot measures 528 litres, or 1,660 litres with the seats folded down, and it'll tow 1,500 kg braked.

• Up to 1,400 kg:

Honda HR-V 1.6 i-DTEC SE (£22,440)
SE sits between S and EX in the HR-V lineup and boasts features such as 17-inch alloy wheels, a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, automatic lights and wipers as well as cruise control. The front-wheel-drive car uses a 6-speed manual transmission to deliver 118 bhp and 300 Nm. Claimed figures are almost 70 mpg and 109 g/km of CO2. The HR-V boasts a 470-litre boot which can be extended to 1026 litres with the back seats folded down. Maximum towing weights are 1400 kg braked and 500 kg unbraked.

• 1,400 - 1,549 kg:

Skoda Superb Hatch 2.0 TDI (150 PS) SE Business (£22,555)

Yet again, the chosen model sits right in the middle of the range, above S and SE, yet below SE L Execute and Laurin & Klement. It features Alcantara and leather upholstery, 17-inch alloy wheels, a 6.5-inch touchscreen, rear parking sensors and automatic wipers. The chosen engine is the 148 bhp 2.0-litre diesel as opposed to the 187 bhp model - it has 340 Nm of torque. With the 6-speed manual transmission it's capable of exactly the same MPG and CO2 figures as the Honda HR-V. Add dual-clutch automatic transmission and you lose a few miles to your gallon and emit enough CO2 to make you pay £30 a year in annual road tax. There's also a four-wheel-drive version with manual transmission which has the same MPG figures as the automatic, however it emits an extra g/km of CO2, rated at 120. The front-wheel-drive models can tow 2,000 kg braked or 750 kg unbraked, however this increases to 2,200 kg for the 4x4 model. The Superb offers a superb boot too - 625 litres, or 1760 with the seats down.

• 1,550 - 1,699 kg:

Jaguar XF 2.0 i4D (180 PS) Prestige auto (£34,550)

The Prestige is your entry point to Jaguar's XF before you consider upgrading to Portfolio, R-Sport or S, but if towing the caravan is your main priority, the Prestige offers more than enough standard kit. Xenon headlights, leather upholstery, heated front seats, rear parking sensors, automatic lights and wipers as well as keyless entry and go. If you want to save yourself a little cash you can always have a 6-speed manual in this car, but it doesn't suit the Jaguar's class one bit. Both the automatic and manual have claimed figures of 65.7 mpg and 114 g/km of CO2, with 178 bhp and 430 Nm being delivered this time through the rear wheels. A four-wheel-drive automatic XF can be an option if you often find yourself in a muddy field, though. This comes at the expense of running costs - 57.7 mpg and 129 g/km of CO2. Nevertheless, the 178 bhp model is definitely the one to go for out of the 2.0-litre 4-cylinder units, as opposed to the lesser powered 161 bhp model.

• 1,700-1,899 kg:

Land Rover Discovery Sport TD4 (180 PS) SE Tech auto (£36,350)

Just like the Jag, this Land Rover is the entry point to the Disco Sport range. Well, almost. Above SE, the SE Tech is crushed by the HSE, HSE Black, HSE Luxury and HSE Dynamic Lux. This is no bad thing, as it features automatic lights and wipers, cruise control, 18-inch alloy wheels, an 8-inch touchscreen, part leather upholstery and front heated seats. Unlike the 148 bhp model, this 178 bhp model gets 7 seats, making it more practical. If you want to save a bit of buck you can opt for a 6-speed manual transmission, but the 9-speed automatic that the experts have chosen makes for effortless driving. The 430 Nm of torque and four-wheel-drive are a perfect combination for caravanning, but 53.3 mpg and 139 g/km needs to be pointed out. With all 7 seats in place, you're left with a dismal 194 litres of cargo area, but fold down the two rear rows down and you get 981 or 1,698 litres.

• 1,900 kg +

Land Rover Discovery 3.0 SDV6 (256 PS) Graphite (£47,505)

The Graphite model comes as standard with xenon headlights, front and rear parking sensors, 19-inch alloys, leather upholstery with front heated seats, cruise control, keyless entry, a reversing camera and the upgraded Meridian sound system. All of this, and it's the entry-level Discovery. Other than this, your only option is the Landmark, or the Commercial SE. The 280-litre boot is great for a 7-seater, however in 5-seat mode it boasts 1,192 litres of space. A total of 2,558 litres can be freed up with the 5 rear seats folded down. As regards engines, your only choice is the SDV6 diesel engine. The 3.0-litre V6 produces 252 bhp and 600 Nm. The all-wheel-drive and 8-speed automatic transmission have poor results - 36.7 mpg and 203 g/km of CO2.

OVERALL WINNER

In the eyes of the Tow Car Awards, the overall winner of 2016 is the Skoda Superb Hatch 2.0 TDI (150 PS) SE Business (£22,555).

TOW CAR OF THE DECADE

The awards have reached 10 years of existence, therefore the first Tow Car of the Decade has been chosen. Since 2007, the experts have agreed that the Land Rover Discovery 4 has been most practical.

PREVIOUS WINNERS

Previous Tow Car Awards winners included:

• VW Passat Estate 2.0 TDI 4Motion Sport - 2007
• Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCi Titanium auto - 2008
• Volvo XC60 D5 SE Geartronic - 2009
• Land Rover Discovery 4 3.0 TDV6 XS - 2010
• VW Passat Estate 2.0 TDI Bluemotion Sport - 2011
• Jaguar XF 2.2D Premium Luxury - 2012
• Skoda Octavia 2.0 TDI CR 150PS Elegance - 2013
• Nissan Qashqai 1.6 dCi (130PS) Stop/Start System Acenta Premium - 2014
• VW Passat Estate 2.0 TDI BMT 150PS SE Business DSG - 2015