Tow Car of the Year

The judges’ deliberations were longer and more tense than usual this year, because choosing between the best cars was harder than ever. In the end, the VW Jetta emerged as our winner and claimed the Tow Car of the Year trophy.

While it doesn’t have as much space as the Skoda Superb Estate, the Jetta was given the nod by our experts on account of its superior driving experience. With sharper handling and a more refined chassis, it’s a fine all-round tow car for the money.

“It doesn’t have as much space as the Superb Estate, but the Jetta got the

nod from our expert judges due to its superior driving experience”

There’s plenty of choice, too, as Volkswagen offers three trim levels – and whichever model you buy, you’re guaranteed a great interior. A good range of petrol and diesel engines is available, although for towing you can’t beat the 2.0-litre TDI tested here – preferably with the optional DSG twin-clutch transmission.

Classy looks and capable dynamics make the Jetta a welcome addition to the junior compact executive club, and there’s more to the four-door than a classy badge and talented chassis. The 510-litre load bay provides more luggage space than a Golf hatchback, while top-of-the-range Sport models come with a hill-hold function, semi-automatic air-conditioning, cruise control and an iPod connection as standard.

Whether you’re buying privately or choosing your next company car, running costs are sure to be important, and in 2.0 TDI form the Jetta emits an impressively low 138g/km of CO2. That means a year’s road tax will cost £115.

The car also claims official fuel economy of 53.3mpg. What’s more, the Jetta benefits from Volkswagen’s fixed-price servicing scheme, which covers three years or 30,000 miles of maintenance for a great-value £299.