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Most new drivers are interested in finding out about different makes of cars, and many have strong opinions on what they think are the best. At the very least being informed on what’s popular and what’s not; what has sold and what hasn’t, gives them something to argue about with their friends and fellow car lovers.
What About the Money?
There are more and more people struggling to make ends meet we are told, yet car sales figures for new cars reached a high in 2016 – someone must be buying them. Schemes that include part payment, and a monthly fee that covers repairs, may have made the difference in people’s abilities to replace their existing vehicles – rather than simply saying new cars are only bought by the rich. In 2016, there were some distinct favourites; some were great family cars, and some, toys for the boys.
Great Deals
Some companies were offering great deals with no large initial payout, and Peugeot was one company offering such incentives. The Peugeot 208 was a big seller in 2016, and their easy terms make this Peugeot one of the top twenty cars of the year. Other big selling small cars included the Renault Clio and the Volkswagen Polo.
Ford
One manufacturer that had great sales in 2016 was Ford, with the number one best seller last year, the Ford Fiesta. Whether plans to replace it this year played a part in the Fiesta’s popularity remains to be seen. The Focus was another favourite in the top three, with more than 70,000 sold last year. Despite the company’s recent problems about staffing and where the business will be based, Ford still seems to be doing well for itself.
Volkswagen
The ever popular Volkswagen Golf and Polo came, respectively, fourth (with more than 69,000 registered last year, and seventh, with the Polo achieving 54,500 sales at number seven. It is strange to see them lagging behind the Ford Fiesta, which didn’t have so much to recommend it a few years ago.
Vauxhall
Vauxhalls have always been popular. and the Corsa is a permanent feature on Britain’s roads. With 77,000 registered last year, it came a close second, remaining an extremely popular family car. Coming in at a respectable number six was the new model Vauxhall Astra. Crowned European car of the year, this is a popular car and more than 60,000 were registered last year.
High End Cars
High-end vehicles such as the Mercedes Benz A Class and C Class came eleventh and ninth respectively on 2016’s list, while the Audi A3 took the number ten spot. What’s really interesting about the best sellers of last year is that the popular family cars have understandably taken the top prizes, but higher end motors still reached very respectable levels.
The popularity of the vehicles was assessed by the number of registrations for each
vehicle, which may not be the same criterion as that used in a pub discussion on cars!