One area where you can really see this coming to the fray is in car sales – whilst the overall figures for car sales are down rather significantly, we have seen a shift in the types of cars that are being purchased. This shift we’ve seen has been one that moves away from smaller, more fashionable cars to those that are more practical, with the overall winner being… the Nissan Juke!
This sophisticated, urban motor from Japanese giants Nissan has stormed the market over the past year, providing drivers with a comfortable ride, ample space, and a great fuel economy that makes it a perfect fit for modern family life. Of course, the Juke isn’t the only car that we’ve seen a soar in popularity during the lockdown – many vehicles, particularly family vehicles, have been massively popular with people looking to enable themselves to visit family, go on staycations, and take domestic trips without having to take the train or rent a bigger car. It’s not just the desire for a new vehicle that’s been fueling the purchase of cars over lockdown, however, with some purchases being made in the name of convenience, practicality, and safety. With the virus reaching dangerous levels at various points over the past year, people have been more conscious of their public transport use; by purchasing a car of your own, you’re eliminating the need to use public transport, which makes your journeys more efficient, relaxing, and safe. Studies have found that 40% of the UK population uses public transport, but 43% of those have stated that they’ll be changing that level of usage post-Covid.
What are the best cars for families?
As you’d expect, the vehicular needs of a family are massively different from that of a young motorist, so we’re going to take a look at each of these different categories separately, taking a look at the best and most popular vehicles for each. When it comes to the family car, it’s all about space, comfort and affordability – when you’re tackling long-distance drives with the kids, you’ve got to ensure that they’re kept safe and comfortable for the duration of the journey, or you could be in for a very tiring ride. With that in mind, many are turning to estate cars and SUVs, such as the incredibly popular Nissan Juke which sold 58,000 units across Europe in 2020, thanks to their combination of ample space, smooth rides, and feature heavy interiors that enable you to customise your journey for maximum enjoyment.
Whilst many consider newer cars to be the best choice when purchasing a new family car, it’s not always the case; with some smart shopping, you could end up with a used car that provides far more value than any new car could, without having to sacrifice quality or features in the car itself! With the popularity of car finance and PCH deals rising, dealerships are finding themselves in possession of lots of cars that are just a couple of years old, essentially in brand new condition – these cars are usually sold at a huge discount compared to other used cars, yet have the same level of comfort, quality, and functionality! If you’re a savvy shopper, buying a used car at ChooseMyCar is a great way to beat the system.
Since the start of the Covid-19 lockdown, there have been a couple of family cars that have been completely stealing the show – their sales have rocketed and their reputation has soared! According to the stats at ChooseMyCar, the most popular family cars for lockdown are:
Nissan Juke
This 5-door sporty SUV provides style, grace, and excitement in every drive, and is available used at an average price of £6100, down from the average used price of £8,298! Monthly, you could get the Nissan Juke for just £160.09 over the course of 5 years, making this one of the most affordable family cars in the UK.
Skoda Octavia
If there’s one thing you should know about Skoda, it’s that they make fantastic family cars – they’re so popular that over seven million units have been produced! With a focus on comfort in their designs, they offer a superb ride quality to the driver and passengers, which the sophisticated trip computer allows you to control the entertainment system with ease. This car is ideal for long-distance staycation trips! By shopping in the right places, you could grab an Octavia at just £11,495; much lower than the average market price for a used Octavia, which is £13,995. If you’d prefer a monthly repayment plan, the Skoda Octavia is a bargain at just £301.67 a month!
Vauxhall Astra
This family favourite does everything you could need from a family car with ease, getting you from A to B with no fuss at all. If you’re looking for a car that’s as comfortable taking the family on domestic trips as it is taking on the morning commute and school run, the Astra is a steal at just £6000! Alternatively, you can pick up the Vauxhall Astra for £157.46 per month, helping to keep costs low and practicality high!
BMW 3 Series Saloon
For those who enjoy a little bit of luxury on the trip to work every morning, it’s hard to look past the BMW 3 Series Saloon. It features brilliant on-board technology, heaps of space, and is the ideal motor for any modern family in search of a touch of class in every journey. On average, a used 3 Series Saloon will set you back around £17,695, but if you buy it used with ChooseMyCar, you’ll be able to shave almost £4,195 off the top of that price; it’s a no-brainer! This premium vehicle is available for around £352.29 per month with our car finance packages, meaning you could be driving this car without having to pay a large lump sum.
Ford Focus
No matter whether you’re a young driver or the designated family chauffeur, Ford make a car that suits your needs. In the case of family cars, it’s all about the Focus, where you get a terrific amount of boot space, a spacious interior that’s comfortable even with agitated children, and a smooth, exhilarating driving experience that you’re sure to love each time you get behind the wheel. At an average price of just £5,995 at ChooseMyCar, the Ford Focus is a budget-friendly family car that’ll get you where you need to go. At £157.33 on our car finance plans, the Ford Focus is hard to beat when it comes to affordability.
Hybrid cars for the city
Hybrid and electric cars have been a huge topic of conversation for decades – since the widespread adoption of hybrid engines started to happen in the late 1990s, people have been talking about the viability and sustainability that an electric car could offer. In modern times, we’re far more aware of the benefits that electric cars offer – they’re more eco-friendly, they leave less of a carbon footprint, and they’re much cheaper to run, making them a fantastic option, if not always a viable one. In general, one of the biggest points of contention with electric cars is their lack of viability in some areas; whilst they’re a fantastic option for city regions with ULEZ zones, they maybe aren’t as practical in rural areas where charging points are much harder to come by than your average petrol station is.
Of course, in those areas where they are practical, electric cars are a very popular choice, with sales trends showing sustained growth in the portion of cars being bought that are powered by electricity. We can very confidently predict that this trend will continue in 2021 and the many years to follow. If you have to make the morning commute in your car, it’s best to make it green where possible
Younger motorists are loving these cars!
On the other hand, we’ve got young motorist – the other side of the coin to those family car drivers. These youngsters are looking for three main criteria points when buying a car, which are:
- How cool is my car? When you’re a young person about to get their first car, you want it to be something that looks and feels great – after so much waiting, it can be a little disappointing to be driving around in a battered hand-me-down from your grandparents. Luckily for these young motorists, manufacturers are now releasing small-engined cars that are cheaper to insure for young drivers, meaning they can afford to get behind the wheel of a car that does them justice.
- How much is it going to cost? When you’re fresh out of university, or potentially still studying, you probably won’t have tens of thousands of pounds to spend on a brand new car, never mind be able to afford the insurance on such a vehicle. By browsing the used car market, younger drivers can find a stylish car that’s cheap to insure and which doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to purchase – it really is the most sensible option when you’re trying to find the best value for money.
- Is the car reliable? Just because you’re young, it doesn’t mean that practicality and functionality go out of the window when you’re buying a car – no matter how you approach the buying process, you’ll want to leave it with a reliable car that’ll serve you well over a number of years. To ensure that you’re getting this, you’ll want to ensure that you’re buying a mechanic-approved car from a reputable dealer. This way, you can trust that you’re getting a set of wheels that you can depend on.
For young drivers looking for the best value cars, you have to check out this guide – it outlines the top cars available for under £10k in the UK, with advice on the best finance deals to help you break down the cost into manageable monthly repayments. It’s a must-read for any driver on the hunt for the best bargains on the market!
Over the past 5 years, there has been a very obvious trend in the cars that younger drivers have been purchasing, and whist it is mostly what you’d expect, there are some outliers on the list. Here are the most popular cars for young people:
Ford Fiesta ‘17-New
The Ford Fiesta has long been a huge favourite with young drivers thanks to its ability to combine affordable running costs with a fantastic driving experience, which makes it one of the most formidable vehicles on the market. If you’re looking to customise the vehicle and choose a model that’s tailored to you, there are lots of options available with the Fiesta, but to keep costs low, the 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine model is the best bet. With an official MPG of 49.6-74.3, you’re getting plenty of bang for your buck! By shopping around for the best used car deals, you could find a saving of £2,155 off of the average used price of £7,450, meaning you’ll get your Ford Fiesta for just £5,295 when shopping with ChooseMyCar!
Vauxhall Corsa ‘14-’19
Every young driver has thought about a Vauxhall Corsa. They’re perhaps the most popular choice for young drivers, and it’s really easy to see why. First of all, the Corsa looks fantastic – it’s got a sleek, sporty aesthetic that’s available in a range of colours with a variety of trims to help you to personalise the car how you see fit. Add to this the incredibly reasonable pricing, the smooth driving feel, and the handy 7-inch touch screen control system, and you’ve got the ideal first car. You don’t have to worry too much about insuring the Vauxhall Corsa either – the most Eco-friendly models fall into insurance group 2, which is the second-lowest insurance band available! At an average price of £4600 for a used Vauxhall Corsa at ChooseMyCar, you could potentially save £3,195 off of the average market price for a used Corsa – an absolute steal that’ll ease the burden on your wallet.
Hyundai i10 ‘13-’19
In the Hyundai i10, you’ve found a car that feels like it’s been built with young drivers in mind – the car is small, compact, and one of the easiest cars to drive that you’ll come across at any price. Thankfully, Hyundai recognises this and have adopted a “don’t fix what isn’t broken” approach when updating the i10, which means we get to retain what we love whilst seeing useful improvements added each year, such as Apple CarPlay and cruise control all added in recent years. Whether you’re looking for a simple 1.0-litre or a slightly punchier 1.2-litre engine, the i10 has a variety of models available, with the most efficient of which landing a place in insurance group 1, meaning there are very few cars that are cheaper to insure than this brilliant little motor.
ChooseMyCar’s safety processes
Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, there’s been a huge emphasis on the cleanliness and hygiene processes in place when buying and selling. If the correct precautions aren’t taken by the dealership, we run the risk of spreading the virus and extending the impacts of the coronavirus further, which we’d all prefer to avoid at all costs. Here at ChooseMyCar, we’re completely aware of our responsibility when it comes to health and safety, which is why we’ve ensured that each dealership we’re working with is operating in line with our rigorous checklist. This is our KYC, or Know Your Car, process, which ensures that each car we sell is in the best shape possible, with all the details in order. As part of the checks, we ensure that the vehicle has a valid MOT, that the service history is available, and that the vehicles are not imports or CAT – all of our cars are verified and safe to drive in the UK.
In terms of Covid-19 protocols, we have a strict sanitisation process that’s completed on every vehicle before delivery or collection, ensuring that there is no existing Covid trace in or on the vehicle when it leaves the dealership. By doing this, we’re ensuring that our customers are kept safe and healthy during this tough time.
If you’re interested in taking a look at the UK’s favourite car, the Nissan Juke, or one of our other motorist’s favourites, be sure to head over to our used cars section on our website! We’ve got a huge range of vehicles available ranging from budget city cars to lavish luxury cars that’ll have heads turning, so no matter what you’re looking for, we’ve got it covered. To chat with us about our used cars, our Covid-19 policies, or our fantastic car finance options, just get in touch with a member of our team today!
