Vw Passat 4motion Estate Voted Towcar Of The Year 2007

[Ben]

here is the link http://www.practicalcaravan.com/towc...-year2007.html

TOWCAR AWARDS 2007
50CARS25MANUFACTURERS1WINNERTHE WINNERVOLKSWAGON Passat 2.0 TDI Sport 4Motion Estate
List Price
£22,337
Target Price
£21,256
Kerb Weight
1609kg
Max Towing Weight
2000kg
Tour Ball Limit
85kg
OUR JUDGES expected to find choosing the best towcar from our 50 contenders a difficult task. In the event, however, the decision was unanimous. The Volkswagen Passat 2.0 TDI Sport 4Motion Estate is a really special towcar.

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, the VW was confidenceinspiring as the conditions became trickier. Other estate cars fried their clutches on the damp 1-in-6 slope; the Passat just climbed the hill - no histrionics, no fuss.

The button handbrake is a brilliant feature. At the start of the week, some of our judges thought it was the answer to a question nobody was asking. After all, how hard is it to pull on a lever? But after five days of rolling backwards while almost yanking handbrakes clear of their mountings, the ease of just pushing a button really started to appeal.

Four-wheel drive and well judged suspension helped the Passat sail through the lanechange test. It felt unfazed and comfortable at speeds that left many rivals struggling.

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 estates found our test load awkward, but the VW found room for all but one of the 15 items. The 12V socket in the boot, the fullsize spare wheel and the ease with which towing mirrors could be fitted further contributed to its excellent score.

One of the things that make this award different from other towcar 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 the 2.0 litre diesel engine.

[RickT]

thats a really good read..

RickT

[Ben]

The odd thing is, if you search in yahoo for tow car of th year, you'll find that other sources have the volvo v50 as the winner.