THE Ford Mondeo Estate 2.0 TDCi Titanium auto has beaten tough competition to be awarded overall winner in the second annual Towcar Awards, as judged by experts from What Car?, Practical Caravan and The Camping and Caravanning Club.

The 53 cars tested in this year's awards, the UK's largest and most rigorous towcar testing programme, were put through their paces for their towing ability and a host of other qualities including driving performance when not towing, practicality, value for money and safety.

To help buyers choose the right match for their caravan or trailer, the cars were judged in five categories by kerbweight. The category winners are:

  • Up to 1425 kg Ford Focus 2.0 TDCi Titanium 5dr
  • 1425-1574 kg VW Golf Estate 2.0 TDI SE
  • 1575-1724 kg Ford Mondeo Estate 2.0 TDCi Titanium auto
  • 1725-1900 kg Jaguar XJ 2.7 TDVi Sport Premium
  • Over 1900 kg Land Rover Discovery TDV6 HSE auto.

The following cars were highly recommended within their categories: Ford C-Max (Budget Choice), Kia Sportage 2.0 CRDi Titan 4WD (Best Compact 4x4) and the Audi Q7 4.2 TDI Quattro S-line (Money-no-object), while the Peugeot 207 SW HDi 110 Sport took the Green Award.

What Car?'s editor, Steve Fowler, said: "The standard of towcars tested was higher than ever, yet the overall winner was a clear decision. The Mondeo is not just a great towcar, it's also a great car when there isn't a caravan or a trailer hitched to the back. It's comfortable, spacious, good to drive and affordable."

Nigel Donnelly, editor of Practical Caravan, said: "Thanks to the Towcar Awards, we feel that Britain's towcar buyers are better informed than ever about which cars deliver what they want."