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Convenient, affordable and fun; it\u2019s no surprise caravan holidays are booming. Hitching a mobile holiday home to the family car and heading for wherever you fancy is a reality for more people in the UK than ever. But in a rapidly changing motoring landscape, it's hard to know which models are the best tow cars to buy.<\/p>\n
Thankfully the Caravan and Motorhome Club (CMC) Towcar Awards are here to help. You may notice something different about the\u00a0awards this year, though. The judges certainly did when confronted by a roster of awards contenders that included nine pure EVs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The common thinking used to be that electric cars and caravanning don\u2019t mix, with the usual angst expressed over range and charger anxiety magnified because of increased power consumption and a lack of suitable chargepoints when towing. But perceptions are changing, and as Nick Lomas, Director General of the CMC, pointed out, this year\u2019s competition demonstrates just how seriously car makers are taking the world of towing with an electrified vehicle.<\/p>\n
\u201cLeisure-vehicle holidays are in great demand and the Club prides itself on being the trusted experts for tourers,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s important that we are able to provide professional, qualified and unbiased information to help all those who plan to tow.\u201d We couldn\u2019t agree more, because Auto Express has a seat on the panel of Club driving judges, so we\u2019re part of the team that puts cars and caravan combinations through their paces at the Millbrook proving ground.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The tests cover hill starts, handling, manoeuvrability, acceleration, braking and stability, plus performance and unique \u2018caravanability\u2019 assessments for practicality \u2013 all in the pursuit of naming a Tow car of the Year champion.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Overall Tow car of the Year and Class winner: Caravan Weight Over 1,700kg<\/strong><\/p>\n The Porsche Cayenne has always been an impressive tow car, and it\u2019s come very close to clinching the Club\u2019s highly vaunted Tow car of The Year award in previous years.\u00a0<\/p>\n The newest plug-in E-Hybrid combines a petrol V6 with a battery and motor for 456bhp, giving drivers 0-62mph in five seconds, a 157mph top speed, plus the option of driving up to 22 miles in electric-only mode and \u2018real world\u2019 mpg in the mid-30s. That\u2019s not quite diesel efficiency, but it\u2019s cleaner for city driving, and if you\u2019re liable for company car tax, you\u2019ll save a packet on Benefit-in-Kind.\u00a0<\/p>\n The battery and motor add 300kg to the all-up weight, but from a towing perspective that arguably makes the Cayenne an even more stable platform. Porsche\u2019s chassis-control system builds on this to provide exemplary ride and handling in all conditions, even when outfitted with a large caravan and driven at speed (although the 2,125kg Bailey van used on Club tests is some way short of the Cayenne\u2019s 3,500kg limit).<\/p>\n As a towing package or family all-rounder, it really is difficult to fault the Cayenne, apart perhaps from its price, which can easily escalate further if you\u2019re tempted by options. The car has always been expensive, but one thing that\u2019s changed is the emergence of a range of electric rivals that have moved the pricing goalposts. When a Nissan SUV costs the best part of \u00a362k, pushing the boat out for the Porsche gets a little easier \u2013 especially if you\u2019re thinking about getting money back at resale time.\u00a0<\/p>\n You\u00a0can\u2019t argue that the ID. Buzz won\u2019t look the part on a campsite, with its retro-inspired style an obvious throwback to classic \u2013 and still wildly popular \u2013 VW vans of yesteryear.<\/p>\n It\u2019s obviously going to be a hit with style-conscious buyers, and when we tested the ID. Buzz on its own at Auto Express we declared it \u201carguably the most convincing electric car from the company yet\u201d, so there\u2019s more to its performance than meets the eye.\u00a0<\/p>\n The price tag will be the biggest obstacle for many potential buyers, because the ID. Buzz isn\u2019t cheap \u2013 in spite of the fact that it shares an MEB platform with the likes of the VW ID.3 hatchback. Many dedicated caravanners will also be disappointed with the very limited towing capacity for a vehicle of this size, too, but the upside is that the ID. Buzz makes seriously light work of whatever you hitch up to it within the allowed parameters.\u00a0<\/p>\n The 201bhp rear-mounted motor offers seamless, smooth acceleration, while the vehicle\u2019s considerable mass is set low down, thanks to the underfloor 77kWh battery, aiding overall stability.<\/p>\n On top of that, the ID. Buzz\u2019s boxy, van-derived lines with twin sliding rear passenger doors and massive tailgate, plus comfy twin captain\u2019s chairs up front, make it a superbly practical MPV.<\/p>\n What the judges said:\u00a0<\/strong>The ID. Buzz was praised for its smoothness, visibility, large interior space and general feel-good factor. This retro electric bus, hitched to a small caravan, will be an ideal vehicle at festivals and family campsites. The claimed 251-mile electric range will be good for most when unhitched, too. VW\u2019s modern interpretation of the classic Type 2 bus has been a long time coming, but it has certainly been worth the wait.\u00a0<\/p>\n Class winner: Caravan\u00a0Weight 1,100kg-1,300kg<\/strong><\/p>\n Skoda\u2019s Coup\u00e9 version of its Enyaq SUV is at its best in less expensive, less powerful variants than this \u2018sporty\u2019 vRS model, and we\u2019ve said the car is more comfortable when driven at a relaxed pace. This is the ideal approach to towing, too, and ironically that\u2019s when the power of the vRS\u2019s 294bhp twin motors comes into its own.\u00a0<\/p>\n As with many EVs, the maximum allowable towing weight for the Enyaq Coup\u00e9 appears limited, at least when compared with petrol and diesel rivals. That will obviously hamper the car\u2019s chances for anyone with a bigger towing requirement \u2013 which typically will include many people contemplating spending a sizeable chunk of cash on a mid-size SUV such as this. But for anyone with a relatively lightweight caravan habit and a sizeable budget, the vRS is an undoubtedly appealing choice.<\/p>\n The Skoda\u2019s standard four-wheel drive is an attractive configuration for starters, and the car\u2019s mix of a high kerbweight and low centre of gravity means it feels superbly stable on the road, even when hitched. The quoted range of up to 309 miles (unhitched) means the car should be up to meeting the towing requirements of many drivers, too.<\/p>\n If the numbers stack up, anyone choosing the Skoda will doubtless enjoy the improved cabin ambience compared with VW\u2019s rival ID.5 SUV, which is pretty much the same car beneath the skin, yet manages to feel cheaper and less luxurious than the value-focused Skoda. You don\u2019t lose much boot space opting for the more stylish Coup\u00e9, either, with just a 15-litre penalty quoted.<\/p>\n What the judges said:\u00a0<\/strong>Skoda\u2019s all-electric Enyaq has won a number of Caravan and Motorhome Club Towcar awards in recent years, and the brand continues to expand its offering. The Coup\u00e9 vRS features a different design from the regular SUV model; it\u2019s more stylish and aerodynamic. This being a vRS, it has extra performance \u2013 294bhp from twin electric motors. Superb quality and comfortable sports seats up front sealed the win.<\/p>\n Class winner: Caravan\u00a0Weight 1,300kg-1,500kg<\/strong><\/p>\n Skoda\u2019s Octavia Estate regularly wins plaudits from our testers, who say it\u2019s difficult to fault as an all-round, do-it-all family car.\u00a0<\/p>\n The latest Caravan and Motorhome Club tests prove, yet again, that towing is one of the Octavia\u2019s strengths, too, especially in this punchy 2.0-litre turbodiesel form. Indeed, coupled with the VW Group\u2019s now ubiquitous DSG automatic gearbox, this result reinforces the traditional appeal of the diesel-auto configuration beloved of caravanners for years, and the win should provide comfort to traditionalists not yet ready for a transition to EVs.<\/p>\n The 148bhp Estate in SE L trim is relatively expensive for an Octavia, but it looks increasingly good value when you start comparing prices with EV rivals. The latest version has one of Skoda\u2019s best interiors yet, with an elegant sophistication that many would consider \u2018premium\u2019, and it really wouldn\u2019t look out of place with an Audi badge on the steering wheel.\u00a0<\/p>\n While two-wheel drive and a lower kerbweight than battery-powered rivals mean the Octavia offers less traction in certain circumstances, such as challenging hill starts, in other respects the performance when hitched is exemplary. Diesel economy means drivers will be happy even with a heavy tow. The load capacity is hard to beat, too, adding to its compelling nature as family transport.<\/p>\n What the judges said:\u00a0<\/strong>The Skoda\u2019s 2.0-litre diesel engine and the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic DSG gearbox provide plenty of torque, acceleration and smoothness. The ride is great and the interior is a comfortable place to be. The Octavia picked up extra points for its excellent rear visibility during the curved reversing test, and the large boot\u2019s ability to take huge amounts of luggage and equipment increases the car\u2019s appeal for the average family.<\/p>\n Class winner: Caravan\u00a0Weight 1,500kg- 1,700kg<\/strong><\/p>\n One\u00a0of the biggest deterrents for anyone buying an EV to tow is how driving range is affected by the extra frontage of a caravan. EVs don\u2019t typically fall short when it comes to the power required to overcome additional aerodynamic drag, but it takes a lot of energy \u2013 which is where the 400-mile quoted range for this variant of the Polestar 2 hatch could make all the difference.<\/p>\n Compared with many current SUVs, the Polestar seems a compromised choice in other ways, and when it comes to visibility, it\u2019s true that the sleek five-door can\u2019t match the views provided by high-riding rivals. But many seasoned caravanners have been happily driving hatchbacks for years, and arguably more importantly for them is that the Club test team found the Polestar\u2019s large boot easily swallowed the test load, and with room to spare. The Polestar performed extremely well in dynamic tests, too, making light work of the challenging hill test routes and offering impressive stability both in faster cornering and when changing lanes on the high-speed bowl. That\u2019s all the more impressive considering that the Polestar\u2019s towing weight is higher than that of many EV rivals, too.<\/p>\n Elsewhere, the Polestar\u2019s many positive attributes should be familiar to Auto Express readers. That includes being fun to drive, although one trade-off is damping that some may find a little too firm. The Polestar comes into its own at a cruise on the motorway, though, where things seem to settle down and you can really start to enjoy the high-quality interior and supremely comfortable seats.<\/p>\n What the judges said:\u00a0<\/strong>The Polestar 2 returns with major improvements. While the exterior looks largely the same, apart from a new, blanked-off grille, the previously front-wheel-drive car is now driven by the rear wheels, while larger 69kWh and 82kWh batteries provide the power. The Long Range 82kWh version\u2019s claimed range of more than 400 miles is impressive. A stylish and well made interior gained points, as did the smooth electric motor\u2019s 295bhp.\u00a0<\/p>\n Click on to page two for the rest of our round-up of the best tow cars on sale right now…<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/media.autoexpress.co.uk\/image\/private\/s---kl6MBPj--\/f_auto,t_content-image-full-mobile@1\/v1695380312\/autoexpress\/2023\/09\/Best%20tow%20cars%20to%20buy%202023-4.jpg\")
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Skoda Enyaq Coup\u00e9 iV 82kWh vRS\u00a0<\/h2>\n
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Skoda Octavia Estate 2.0 TDI 150PS DSG SE L<\/h2>\n
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Polestar 2 Long Range Single Motor\u00a0<\/h2>\n
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