These days when choosing a family car it is important to evaluate every aspect before making any final decisions, it has become increasingly important to check whether a car has good towing capabilities before purchase. Imagine deciding to go on a family trip only to find out your new car is not homologated for towing leaving you unable to attach a towbar to bring your caravan, boat or trailer; this would make the novelty of a new car purchase wear off extremely quickly and even regret the carefully thought out decision.
There are a large number of aspects which make any individual vehicle a good towing car however a lot of this can be put down to personal preference and the performance of the car also as a solo drive, essentially a good towing car does have to comply with various expectations, for example it has to be reasonably heavy which in turn means a healthy maximum nose weight, have a high towing limit, plenty of pulling power but affordable fuel economy, stability, strong brakes, an abundance of room in the cabin, boot capacity, four-wheel drive to combat all weather conditions, towing-specific driver aids and a rear-view camera to help when hitching up. Driving any good towing approved vehicle should put the driver at ease and hold its own when put to the test; it can be hard to be certain about the towing abilities of any vehicle therefore making sure to test drive before committing to the purchase is extremely important. The towing abilities of a car has started to concern more new car buyers because the chances of owning a tourer caravan are higher; it can be a more cost effective route than renting each summer when opting to holiday within the UK. Below we have detailed the 4 of the best towing cars around at the moment.
The Skoda Superb 2016 Hatchback has various contributing factors to choosing it as the ideal towing car, whether it is the fact that it is competitively priced, well equipped, the space inside the cabin or its high resale values it makes a smart choice for a towing capable family car. The Skoda Superb lives up to its name and has long been the nation’s choice of family car if space is the top priority, it offers ample room for passengers and their luggage whilst maintaining a reasonable starting price point. In the 2017 Tow Car Awards the Skoda Superb was awarded the class winner in the 1400-1549kg catergory for the second year running! The Skoda Superb falls short only in its weight giving its towing capacity a lower figure than its competitors, coming in at a maximum of 1485kg is disappointing when the average for similar cars is at 1800kg, however experienced towing drivers should have enough confidence in the vehicle to tow 85-100% of the towing capacity. Despite the towing capacity the Skoda Superb does an excellent job of managing any tourer caravan within its weight bracket and can hardly be swayed let alone budged, staying straight and in line despite harsh weather conditions. Anyone travelling in the rear seats of the car has an abundance of legroom, the kind of space that would seem at home inside a luxury saloon. There is no need to travel light on any caravan holidays as the boot boasts 625 litres whilst the vehicle is at capacity. The Skoda Superb also won the ‘The Fuel Economy Award’ in The Tow Car Awards 2017.
The Land Rover Discovery 5 was awarded the title of the overall winner of ‘The Tow Car Awards’. We’ve talked about the impact this car was going to have on the towing world previously.
Stuarts Garages Land Rover Discovery 5
Land Rover or Range Rover would be the obvious manufacturer of vehicle that you would think of immediately when considering which towing car to purchase; the Land Rover Discovery 5 is a new entry to the automotive scene; a SUV with serious pulling power, fondly known as The Disco by fans, it outdoes its predecessor in every aspect. Weighing in at 2223kg with a 3500kg towing limit you would have a hard time searching for a trailer it would be unable to pull. This vehicle can be as towing friendly as you want, and if towing is at the forefront of your mind when purchasing a car then you will be happy to know that it can have a wide range of towing assists including optional automatic trailer steering. These features on the Discovery 5 are what makes it appeal massively to avid caravanners, prices for this vehicle start at £43,495 which is much more reasonably priced than its sister the Range Rover Sport, of course with most Land Rover vehicles these days they will see the school run more often than a challenging terrain despite this the Discovery has a ground clearance of a huge 283mm and a wading depth of 900mm – the best in its class, ever the over-achiever. The Discovery Sport is made all the more of an excellent towing car with its 1131 litre boot space allowing for the necessary loading space when going on a trip with the family.
The Audi A6 Allroad combines the best of a 4×4 vehicles with the best of an estate, all available within the one package. The Audi A6 makes use of the Quattro four-wheel-drive system whilst not looking exactly like a regular 4×4 vehicle does, its appearance makes the vehicle seem no more special than any ordinary estate, it features a useful air suspension feature which allows the driver to raise the height of the cars ride to suppor t off road driving, this is especially useful for families who opt to stay at out of the way campsites or caravan parks. The Audi A6 proves itself as a solo car and has no issues accommodating adults in the rear seats. The Audi A6 Allroad is exactly what its name suggests, an estate car which can perform well on all road surfaces, it boasts a 565 litre boot space – less than a few of its competitors, but enough to be able to support the loading weight of a family packed up for a caravan holiday. With a towing weight of 2500kg the Audi A6 Allroad has the highest braked towing weight of any competitor vehicle in its segment. The vehicle definitely proves itself as an impressive towing car albeit an expensive choice, it is an option for the style conscious whilst delivering effortless speed and effective fuel economy.
Volkswagen Passat Estate Alltrack –
Vertu Volkswagen VW Passat Alltrack Estate
This vehicle was named Auto Express’ tow car of the year 2017 and when looking at its hefty towing limit of 2200kg it is easy to see why. The vehicle offers an abundance of space throughout the cabin accommodating all passengers and their luggage without any fuss. The four wheel drive makes this vehicle stand out against its competition providing a lively drive even when towing a caravan. Volkswagen have an optional extra for this vehicle called with Trailer Assist with Park Assist which takes the pressure away from the drive when it comes to parking a caravan by taking control of the steering as the driver reverses onto a caravan pitch. Although it is an optional extra its priced at a reasonable £465, showing the vehicle was certainly designed with families and caravanners in mind. The vehicle can hold its own when towing any tourer within its legal towing limit and performs well in adverse weather conditions. The Volkswagen Passat Estate Alltrack boasts 650 litres of boot space which is more than you will find in rival vehicles, when the rear seats are lowered it jumps to a capacity of 1780 litres. The Passat is a worthy towcar and received a five-star safety rating from the crash test experts at Euro NCAP.