Top Five Cars for Younger Drivers in 2015

Using data from ALA GAP Insurance, we explore the most popular cars for younger drivers – road users between the ages of 18 and 24.

The results encompass some of the most popular car marques in the United Kingdom, from BMW to Ford, and few additional surprises.

5. BMW

BMW is the fifth most popular car with younger drivers, only narrowly losing out to Audi. BMW vehicles have been associated with quality and innovation almost since the inception of the company, and are today amongst the best selling in their brackets. BMW was originally founded in 1916, and has its headquarters in Munich, Germany. A long history of automotive design, innovation and luxurious manufacturing has made BMW an incredibly successful and varied marque, that also produces motorbikes and even airplane engines. The most popular BMW amongst young drivers is the BMW 1 Series – a compact luxury hatchback manufactured since 2004. The 1 Series is the smallest and cheapest vehicle in the current BMW range, accounting for its popularity with younger drivers, whilst still being incredibly stylish and fairly powerful for its class.

4. Audi

Audi are the fourth manufacturer on our list, narrowly beating BMW. The origins of Audi are complex, beginning with a conglomeration of three manufacturers in 1932. The modern era of Audi began in the 1960s after its acquisition by Volkswagen, and the relaunch of the brand with the Audi F103 Series – and are today competing with more established marques like BMW. The Audi A1, a supermini-sized economy car launched in 2010 at the Geneva Motor Show, is the most popular Audi model amongst young drivers. Much like the BMW 1 Series, the A1 is a brand ambassador – comprising all the qualities normally associated with Audi vehicles, at a more affordable price range. The A1 is a brilliant entry vehicle for young people to the Audi marque.

3. Vauxhall

Vauxhall comes in third for list of top five cars for younger drivers, but definitely outstrips the earlier competition. Owned by General Motors, the company is particularly known in the UK for its passenger vehicles and big range of offerings – from electric vehicles to MPVs and VXR performance models. The most popular Vauxhall vehicle with younger drivers beats the total sales numbers for both Audi and BMW, and the sales of the Audi A1 and BMW 1 Series combined; The Vauxhall Corsa. Another supermini, the Corsa has been a huge success in the UK, being the most popular supermini and second most popular car overall in 2002, 2003 and 2004. The Corsa has been, and still is, an incredibly popular (and incredibly fun) little car that obviously appeals to younger drivers – with over 1.3 million sales between its launch in 1993 and 2009.

2. Volkswagen

Volkswagen are one of the oldest still-running vehicle manufacturers in the world, and also one of the most popular. From superminis to high-luxury limousines, the German company has been responsible for some incredibly popular vehicles. Volkswagen has two vehicles particularly popular with younger drivers, the Volkswagen Golf and the Volkswagen Polo. The Golf is a small family car produced since 1974 and marketed across the world. Originally designed as a replacement for the immensely popular Beetle, the Golf is Volkswagen’s best-selling model and the original “hot hatch”. The Polo is another supermini, although it does have a number of variants. Produced since 1975, the Polo platform has been shared successfully across another of different models under the Volkswagen umbrella. With 700,000 models sold globally in 2012, it is no wonder that the Polo appears on this list.

1. Ford

By far the most popular manufacturer, Ford have sold more models to young people than Audi and BMW combined. Coming in first by over 100 sales, Ford have seemingly conquered the younger driver market. Their bestselling vehicle by a wide margin is the Ford Fiesta, with more sales than both Volkswagens and the Audi A1 combined. The latest generation of Fiesta sold more than 940,000 models in only the first two years of going on sale in 2008, with more than 80% of those being sold in Europe. Another supermini, the Fiesta is popular with younger drivers due to its relatively low price tag and host of different options. This snapshot of car preferences for the younger drivers of the UK is also indicative of wider trends – Cars from Ford routinely outsell the fierce competition, whilst vehicles from luxury manufacturers enjoy smaller sales but comparatively high levels of popularity and praise. Younger drivers certainly have a huge range of vehicle purchase choices to make, from a big range of available vehicles designed with them in mind. Click here to read more: Statistics by ALA Connect.