£35,000-£45,000
Hyundai Santa Fe 7st 2.2 CRDI Premium SE BD Auto Jaguar XE R-sport 2.0d Jaguar XF R-sport 2.0d AWD Jeep Cherokee 2.2 Multijet 200hp 4WD 9-spd Auto Land Rover Discovery Sport HSE Luxury Mercedes GLC 250d 4Matic AMG Line Mercedes E 220d AMG Line saloon SEAT Alhambra SE Lux 2.0 184 DSG Volkswagen Sharan SEL 2.0 TDI 184 DSG Volkswagen Tiguan SEL 2.0 TDI 4MOTION 150 DSG Volvo V60 D5 Twin Engine SE Nav THIS category had the largest number of entries, and some very accomplished cars. But the Mercedes E 220d had the edge.
It was hitched to the large five-berth Bailey Ancona caravan, and delivered everything asked of it. Featuring the all-new 191bhp 2.0-litre diesel, the E 220d stormed round the course with the sort of hushed refinement we now expect from Mercedes.
This latest E-class replaces the old body design with a sleek, svelte look. It’s now one of the class’s most aerodynamic cars, with a drag coefficient of just 0.23Cd, which aided it in our overtaking tests, where it was beaten only by the larger-engined BMW X5. The Mercedes took a mere 9.9 seconds to cover 30-60mph and 7.5 seconds to do 40-60mph – reassuring when you’re towing a caravan.
Our judges were also impressed by the space on offer. The E-class’s 540-litre boot was easy to load, and while it couldn’t take all of our kit, an Estate is imminent. The car also has run-flat tyres, so you don’t need to unload luggage to get to a spare. But it’s on the road where the Mercedes stands out; it’s whisper quiet and drives beautifully, even with the extra weight. On the hill route the nine-speed auto box was superb, giving super-smooth shifts for effortless progress.
Our model had the £1,495 optional Air Body Control air-suspension. In Comfort, this makes the E-class a fine motorway cruiser, with strong refinement and comfort. Switch to Sports mode and it reduces body roll so you can attack corners, even when towing.
Mercedes claims economy of 72.4mpg, while our experts predict strong residuals of 41.4 per cent after three years. Add it all together and you have an excellent tow car.