Tow Car Awards: overall winner 2007
The Tow Car Awards is Britain's biggest and best tow car test programme, with a history stretching back to 2007...
Kerb weight 1609kg Max towing weight 2000kg Towball limit 85kg
The first Tow Car Awards was held in 2007, when the winner was the fifth-generation Volkswagen Passat Estate. And here's what we said about it at the time:
We expected the Passat to be good, but not this good. Most of our week’s testing took place in the dry, but on our wettest day the Passat’s 4Motion four-wheel drive put it streets ahead of its front-wheel-drive rivals.
From the moment the first drops of rain started to fall on the MIRA test track, the Passat began to emerge from the pack. With power going to each of its four wheels, it remained hugely confidence-inspiring as the conditions became trickier. And while other estate cars fried their clutches on the damp 1-in-6 slope, the Passat just climbed the hill – no histrionics, no fuss.
Choosing the 4Motion version does take the edge off fuel economy, dropping it by around 5mpg to 42.2mpg in official tests. But for an all-year, all-weather tow car, it has to be a sacrifice worth making; the Passat's traction and well judged suspension helped it sail through the lane-change test.
Yet even towing well is no good if there isn’t enough room inside for the whole family and their luggage. Fortunately, the Passat comes up trumps here, too. Some estate cars found our test load awkward, but the Passat had room for all but one of the 15 items. The 12V socket in the boot, the full-size spare wheel and the ease with which towing mirrors could be fitted further contributed to its excellent score.
Finally, one of the things that makes this award different from other tow car tests is the importance placed on driving the cars solo. After all, even the keenest caravanner will spend far more time driving without a tourer than they will towing. Again, the Passat performed superbly, with rewarding handling, a comfortable ride and a healthy turn of pace from its 2.0-litre diesel engine.
Our ratings
Towing 5/5 Solo driving 4/5 Practicality 5/5 Buying and owning 4/5 Overall 5/5
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