The Vauxhall Zafira Tourer is a decent enough tow car, but it’s not good enough to challenge the best cars in this weight division.

Relatively soft suspension gives a comfortable ride, but it means the Vauxhall isn’t as precise and controlled when towing as it could be. Sharp steering inputs unsettle the car, and it takes a while to recover. Pushed really hard in our lane-change test, the Zafira Tourer lost control of the caravan on the third and fastest run.

At 60mph it feels stable, although most drivers found the Vauxhall noticeably less secure at 70mph. Data from the Al-Ko ATC system showed the caravan moving around when slowing from high speeds.

In the hill-start test, the electronic parking brake held car and caravan still on the 1-in-6 slope. However, it took plenty of revs and clutch slip to pull to the top.

There’s space for seven inside, and with the third row lowered into the floor to leave five seats, we found more than enough room for our typical load of caravan holiday luggage.

With a price tag of less than £26,000, the Vauxhall Zafira Tourer is very good value. What Car?‘s research suggests the actual transaction price will be a lot lower if you haggle. Running costs should be reasonable: the car achieves 57.7mpg on the combined cycle.

2019
Category Winners
2019 Up to 1400kg

Škoda Octavia

Hatch 1.5 TSI 150PS SE L DSG

2019 1400-1549kg

Seat Ateca

2.0 TSI 190PS FR DSG

2019 1550-1699kg

Volkswagen Arteon

2.0 TDI 150PS Elegance DSG

2019 1700-1899kg

BMW 520d

Touring xDrive M Sport

2019 1900kg+

Land Rover Discovery

3.0 SDV6 HSE

2019 Best Budget 4x4

Dacia Duster

1.5 dCi Ambiance 4x4

2019 Best Plug-In Hybrid

Land Rover Range Rover Sport

P400e HSE Dynamic

2019 Best Ultralight Tow Car

Seat Arona

1.0 TSI 115 FR

2019 Fuel Economy Award

Ford Focus Estate

1.5 EcoBlue 120PS Titanium X

Previous Winners
2018
1700-1899kg

BMW 520d

Touring xDrive M Sport

2017
1900kg+

Land Rover Discovery

3.0 Td6 HSE*

2016
1400-1549kg

Skoda Superb Hatch

2.0 TDI 150PS SE Business

2015
1400-1549kg

Volkswagen Passat Estate

2.0 TDI BMT 150PS SE Business DSG

2014
1400-1549kg

Nissan Qashqai

1.6 dCi (130PS) Stop/Start System Acenta Premium

2013
Up to 1424kg

Skoda Octavia

2.0 TDI CR 150PS Elegance

2012
1725–1899kg

Jaguar XF

2.2D Premium Luxury

2011
1425-1574kg

Volkswagen Passat Estate

2.0 TDI 170 Bluemotion Sport

2010
1900kg+

Land Rover Discovery 4

3.0 TDV6 XS

2009
1900kg+

Volvo XC60

D5 SE Geartronic

2008
1575-1724kg

Ford Mondeo Estate

2.0 TDCi Titanium auto

2007
1575-1724kg

Volkswagen Passat Estate

2.0 TDI Sport 4Motion

ContinueWe use cookies to give you the best browsing experience and to provide you with relevant content and advertising.
By continuing to use our website you are accepting our use of cookies as described in our Cookie Policy.