Nova Pride tops luxury van test

Announced in the current issue of Caravan World, the lavishly equipped Pride from Somerton, Victoria manufacturer Nova Caravans was declared the winner in a close three-way battle with the Roadstar Daintree Modena and the Jayco Sterling 25.78-3.

"There’s a sense of class to this van," the magazine said of Nova’s $80,000 flagship, noting that it "did all we asked of it" in the 10-day comparison test conducted around Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.

A three-man judging team led by Caravan World editor Max Taylor was particularly impressed with the Pride’s "dazzle" of LED lights inside and out, and noted that its substantial price tag was well justified by its generous specification.

Taylor said the Nova Pride, with an ATM of 3020kg, towed easily on the highway, and packed in everything a traveling couple was likely to want.

"Its plush interior and the fact that it boasts the most creature comforts give it the edge in a comparison of luxury alone," he said.

"This van exemplifies the trend towards greater comfort and convenience in a caravan, without the need for an over-sized tow vehicle, and it garnered many admiring glances during our test run."

The Roadstar Daintree Modena scored well as "a luxury van that'll go where others shouldn’t" while the Jayco Sterling was judged to be "luxurious, not too flashy, and the right price".

The judges assessed each van on 10 separate criteria, including value-for-money, towability, setting up and hitching up, suitability for intended touring, layout liveability, quality of finish and build quality, creature comforts, innovation and X-Factor.

The luxury caravan test is the final group comparison conducted by the magazine as part of its 2011 Legends Series, which also included pop-tops, tow vehicles and family vans.