Best Buy: £20,000 to £25,000

There’s no stopping the all-conquering Golf. Our favourite compact family hatch scooped overall victory at The Caravan Club’s shoot-out last year, driving away with the prestigious Tow Car of the Year crown. 

The reigning champ is back to defend its trophy, and it makes a strong start by claiming honours in the hotly contested £20,000-£25,000 category. Match trim provides all the equipment buyers could wish for, too, including practical touches such as split-folding rear seats with a load-through facility, rain-sensing wipers and automatic headlamps.

A multifunction steering wheel, cruise control and standard-fit Bluetooth connectivity also help to make the car a versatile choice. Last year, the judging panel was impressed with its faultless stability and powerful 2.0-litre diesel – and little has changed in the past 12 months to alter that.

Matched here with the Ranger 460/4, the five-door hatchback explodes the myth that you need to have a big and expensive 4x4 to tow a caravan.

A comfortable, high-quality cabin and familiar Volkswagen build quality won’t disappoint on the inside – and nor will the torque available from behind the wheel. 

The Golf delivers impressive hauling ability and didn’t run out of puff on even the steepest hills. In fact, it’s hard to fault the popular hatchback as it feels so planted, with loads of grip. And even with the van in tow, the handling is sublime.

A positive gearshift, light clutch and strong handbrake make the VW a great tow model, while solid braking performance ensured it emerged with another trophy to its name. But would the Golf be able to pull off the big one and retain its overall crown…?

£20k to £25k: Our finalists - 

• Volkswagen Golf 2.0 TDI 140 Match 
• Isuzu Rodeo 3.0 Denver Max LE
• Kia Sportage 2.0 CRDi First Edition 
• Mazda 6 2.2D Estate TS2
• Mitsubishi ASX 3 1.8 Diesel 4WD
• Nissan Navara 2.5 dCi Tekna
• Nissan Qashqai2.0 dCi Tekna
• Nissan Qashqai+2 2.0 n-tec
• Renault Mégane Sport Tourer 1.9 dCi
• SEAT Exeo ST 2.0 TDI SE
• Vauxhall Astra 2.0 CDTI SRi