The Ford Fiesta is the 2nd most popular car in the UK according to research by MoneySupermarket.com. This is based on the number of car insurance quotes which have been retrieved from the price comparison site for each different make of car which is available in the UK.
Smaller vehicles dominate the list; with the 1st place Vauxhall Corsa the only vehicle to attract over one million car insurance searches and 180,000 more than the 2nd place Fiesta. Nevertheless, these results will prove to be a huge boost to Ford who has been struggling for sales on the back of the credit crunch.
It seems that despite 25 years service the Fiesta is more relevant than ever in the age of increasing running costs, which is resulting in motorists opting for smaller and more fuel efficient vehicles. This assumption has the support of MoneySupermarket.com car insurance expert Peter Harrison who commented: “We’ve seen rising fuel prices and escalating car insurance premiums over the past year, so it’s no surprise motorists are taking steps to combat these costs; age, engine size and make or model of car all have an impact on the cost of insurance premiums, and fuel consumption too.”
1. Vauxhall Corsa
The only vehicle to breach the one million searches mark was the Vauxhall Corsa, which attracted a remarkable 180,000 more searches than the 2nd place Fiesta.
The Corsa most commonly searched for on moneysupermarket.com was the 1.2 litre version, with the average age being nine years old. This perhaps reflects the vehicles popularity with younger drivers who are keen to take advantage of the insurance savings afforded through the model.
2. Ford Fiesta
Almost 920,000 car insurance quotes were retrieved for the Ford Fiesta last year. Unsurprisingly the smaller engined versions proved to be the most popular, with 1.3 litres the average engine size which once again points to the fact that consumers are opting for vehicles which are cheaper to run.
The average age of Fiesta searched for was ten years old, which again replicates the result seen with the Corsa, which is likely to be a reflection of the vehicles popularity with younger drivers.
3. Vauxhall Astra
The Astra beating the Focus to 3rd place in the rankings reverses a trend which has been in place since the Focus’s introduction in 1999. However, the mark two version of the Focus introduced in 2004 was heavily criticised for its “bland” appearance. This perhaps explains why it has fallen behind the much hyped Astra.
Nevertheless, this demonstrates the enduring popularity of the Astra model which was introduced as a replacement to the little remembered Vauxhall Viva in 1979. However, the 100,000 shortfall to 2nd place is unlikely to be rectified in current age of escalating fuel costs which is favouring smaller vehicles.
4. Ford Focus
Surprisingly, the Focus only just beat the Golf to 4th by 8,000 searches despite regularly featuring at the top of favourite UK car lists.
It would be unfair to assign the blame for the Focus’s unusually low position on the consumer preference for smaller vehicles alone, as the Focus also attracted 90,000 fewer searches than the 3rd place Vauxhall Astra, corroborating the belief that it could well be down to the conservative design of the mark two model. Efforts have been made to rectify this problem and improve fuel efficiency with the mark 3
version of the model, which should help the Focus move up the order in the coming years.
5. Volkswagen Golf
The Volkswagen Golf attracted over 300,000 more searches than its little sister the Polo. This is surprising when you consider that a general trend of this table is that smaller vehicles are proving to be the most popular.
This perhaps indicates that the Polo is underperforming in comparison to the Golf which remains an incredibly popular choice with British motorists thanks to its reputation for strong performance and reliability.
6. Renault Clio
The Clio has always proven to be a popular choice with car buyers in the UK thanks to its superb French styling. This is likely to continue in the coming years with the Clio’s cheap insurance rates and good fuel economy leaving it in good stead.
However, Renault continues to consistently performing poorly on reliability surveys. This could become a bigger factor with motorists as running costs continue to increase.
7. Peugeot 206
Peugeot introduced the 206 as a response to the popularity of the Renault Clio which was becoming increasingly popular in the mid 1990s. Despite being made with vengeance in mind, the 206 has proved to have enduring popularity by still featuring in the top ten list 13 years after its launch, with over 50,000 more searches than the Fiat Punto in 8th.
However, production finally stopped on the 206 in 2010, with the French manufacturer having been gradually phasing in the new 207 design since 2006. The early signs are positive for the 206 replacement, as it is currently 44th on this list despite its current high value which reflects its young age.
8. Fiat Punto
The Punto is the top Italian car on the list, with 467,000 insurance searches having been made for the model. The 1.2 litre version unsurprisingly proved the most popular, corroborating claims that fuel efficient engines are a big selling point for motorists at the moment.
This marks an unexpected victory for Fiat over its rivals at Volkswagen, who will be very concerned that the Polo is attracted over 30,000 fewer car insurance searches.
9. Volkswagen Polo
The Polo was introduced in the 1970s as a response to the oil crisis at the time which left many motorists desperately looking for ways to save money. This led to the model becoming immediately successful world wide.
However, a number of manufacturers have stepped in over the subsequent years with cheaper deals which have left the Polo without its core selling point. This has perhaps harmed its popularity, but at least it has remained within the top ten.
10. Honda Civic
The Civic is surprisingly the only Japanese entrant in the top ten, narrowly beating the Ford Ka by little over 800 searches in 2010. The 1.6 litre version was the most popular, with the average age of the vehicle searched for being ten years old.
Honda could be feeling the effects of the rising motoring costs, with the Civic not the cheapest model available on the market and also not differentiating itself through industry leading fuel economy.
