CARS £25,000 – £32,000
CARAVAN CLUB TOWCAR OF THE YEAR
Ford S-Max
Renault Koleos
The ‘parcel’ shelf cover has to be from this 2.4-litre auto. Alas we
Titanium 2.2 TDCi
Privilege dCi 175 4x4
removed if you need to fit a lot of were disappointed by a really
Positive comments
Engine pulls strongly
caravanning gear in and you have to lacklustre performance – the
get on your knees to access the gearbox doesn’t seem to suit
electrical socket. The M-B sits nice towing. Ride and handling were not
and level with caravan hitched up. top-notch and judges complained
of vague steering. Mind you, hill
Land Rover Defender 90 starts were completed smoothly
Station Wagon (albeit slowly), and caravanability
Price as tested £26,495 judges noted that the Outlander
When you put a ‘real’ Land has retained its excellent 100kg
Rover to the test in a noseweight limit. Isn’t shy of its
competition like this it storage responsibilities either,
comes across as old-fashioned, noisy and scored well in terms of ease
and uncomfortable. But it has to be of hitching and attitude
£25,000 –£32,000
said that the Defender will do 70mph when hitched.
Class Winner
showed it would remain stable at however, and the electroninc parking Mercedes-Benz C220 CDI
Ford Mondeo
speeds well above the limit on British brake needs getting used to. A Estate Sport
Titanium X2.5T
roads, with absolutely seamless – but noseweight limit of 100kg will add to Price as tested £31,408 on our very severe hill start. Braking consumed our typical caravanner’s
noisy – progress through the well- the appeal of the Koleos. Not the The smaller-engined of two performance is good and, though it’s load with space to spare and
Ford Mondeo Titanium X chosen ratios. Very refined and sure- most capacious luggage Mercedes-Benz not the fastest kid on the block, promises good value for money in
2.5T Estate (returning footed, the V70 comes with a compartment, nor is the electric C-Class Estates won praise neither is it the slowest. The interior terms of ownership. 13-pin socket a
champion) push-button parking brake that socket the easiest to reach. But all round for its automatic of the latest Cherokee is much nicer little low for comfort, though.
Price as tested £25,953 worked particularly well on our operating costs should offer value for transmission – which has five-speeds, than in earlier models and the high
The second-biggest class in severe hill test. It pulled away up our money. not seven like the C320 in our top- driving position, plus good door Audi A4 Avant 2.0 TDI SE
this year’s competition had 17% hill with no drama, though price class. Judges said it chose just mirrors, help make towing a more Price as tested £25,430
10 entries and the returning progress was slower than with some Honda Accord the right ratio all the time. One judge pleasurable experience. A massively It goes well and it stops well
champion Ford Mondeo had a lot to cars. Volvo’s all-wheel drive system is Tourer 2.2 EX GT said the car got out of shape at high Land Rover Defender generous 350kg noseweight, level but opinions differed as to
live up to. But it triumphed again – fully automatic and unobtrusive, Price as tested £28,800 speed but most found it OK, with
90 Station Wagon
riding when hitched and plenty of the Audi A4 Avant’s stability
just, ahead of the Volvo V70 by the making the V70 a worthy winner of Honda’s diesel-engined good marks also for the way in which
Feels rock steady
storage space, but not the cheapest at high speed. Power comes from a
very slimmest of margins. The the over-1800kg AWD category, estate car has a willing the car restarted on the tough hill. in this class to run. torqey 2.0-litre diesel engine that, in
Mondeo estate car’s huge load space even though it only just creeps into engine and nicely-spaced The foot-operated parking brake (eventually) with a caravan on the this version, is coupled to an eight-
makes it a very practical caravanning this weight band. A good load carrier gearbox ratios, but at high speed it continually fails to find friends among back, it feels rock steady and the speed automatic transmission.
car, but it’s from the driving seat that and nice and level with hitched up, didn’t always feel composed – it was caravanners, and with a caravan on brakes work even though they feel Acceleration is good but not
you appreciate what a great car this this Volvo’s spare wheel can only be too easily upset by high crosswinds. the back it really does need a shove. dead. You would need a good reason blisteringly so and most of the time
is. The five-cylinder engine has accessed by unloading all luggage in to use this sort of car as your caravan the Audi’s handling was brilliant; it is
tremendous pulling power, the the event of a puncture. tug (rally marshal maybe) but if you certainly what you’d call a drivers’ car.
gearbox ratios (six-speed manual) are can live with its shortcomings the A couple of judges mentioned
just right and both brakes and Renault Koleos Defender will last forever. A poor instability at speed but this wasn’t a
steering inspire confidence. The icing Privilege dCi 175 4x4 load carrier and last in class in terms consistent comment. Everyone
on the cake is great build quality. Price as tested £25,145 of operational costs, it does agreed the hill start was easy and the
Incidentally, Ford raised this car’s Renault doesn’t give any nonetheless offer an excellent 250kg electronic parking brake drew good
noseweight limit from 80kg to 90kg specific advice on which noseweight and sits level with a Jeep Cherokee 2.8 comments all round. Caravanability
this year – and towing information in gearbox mode to use when caravan hooked up. Easily accessible CRD Limited judges commented that this compact
the handbook could be improved. towing with its new Koleos but in 13-pin socket too.
Huge noseweight limit
executive estate car would not take
‘auto’ mode it distributes front and our full load of caravanning bits and
Volvo V70 D5 AWD SE rear torque as it seems fit, and that Mitsubishi Outlander Jeep Cherokee Ford S-Max pieces, but towing data in the
Price as tested £31,960 works. The six-speed manual 2.4 Elegance Auto 2.8 CRD Limited Titanium 2.2 TDCi handbook is excellent and the car
Aided by six-speed transmission is a delight and the Price as tested £25,692 Price as tested £26,227 Price as tested £25,204 should be kind on the pocket.
automatic transmission, the 2.0-litre engine pulls strongly to After a sterling Average marks for stability Forward vision in the
Volvo V70 makes an speeds beyond the UK towing limit.
Honda Accord
performance by a 2.0-litre for the Jeep Cherokee and S-Max is spoilt by intrusive
exemplary towcar. On the test track it Suspension can be a bit wallowy ,
Tourer 2.2 EX GT
Audi A4 Avant 2.0
manual Outlander last year, some good comments pillars, and the stupid
TDI SE
Upset by crosswinds
judges were looking for great things about the way it pulled away cleanly handbrake that looks like an aircraft
Torquey driver’s car
throttle is difficult to use. Apart from
Other than that it is a very pleasant that the judges’ comments were
car to drive, it handles well and has mostly very positive. Ford’s 2.2-litre
powerful brakes. Fit and finish are diesel engine pulls strongly and the
great, but the dashboard is cluttered six-speed manual transmission is
by an array of knobs and buttons and good to use. The ratios are well
the green light to show you when to chosen – 6th is not too high and 3rd
change gear is just annoying. was usable on the 14% long incline.
Noseweight of 75kg and excellent Praise too for the strong brakes and
towing data in the handbook should the way the S-Max remained rock
find favour with caravanners, steady at speed. A great ambience in
while there’s space to store
Mercedes-Benz C220 Mitsubishi Outlander
the cab, a sensible layout (handbrake
AWD over 1800kg
plenty of gear too.
CDI Estate Sport 2.4 Elegance Auto
excepted) plus good fit and finish, are
Category Winner
icing on the cake. The S-Max
Restarted easily on hill Gearbox unsuited?
Volvo V70 D5 AWD SE
16 THE CARAVAN CLUB MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2008 THE CARAVAN CLUB MAGAZINE
17
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