The Most Popular Cars From Popular Manufacturers

On sale since 1982 with multiple generations, the Toyota Camry is a popular mid-size saloon. Whilst the nameplate hasn’t always been available on British shores, the latest model returns to the UK better than ever, equipped with a hybrid powertrain for cheaper running costs and lower CO2 emissions. It’s a nice looking car with pared-back styling and an aggressive design.

Inside, the cabin is of a good quality with plenty of leg and headroom and good levels of practicality. And when it comes to driving, the Toyota Camry offers a confident experience with precise steering and a comfortable ride quality, well-suited to long distance journeys.

As a hybrid, it also offers swift acceleration from a standstill, yet still manages to maintain to be relaxed and composed.

The smallest car in the Mercedes-Benz line-up, the A-Class is also one of the biggest sellers for the premium German company and that’s quite an achievement, going up against well-established models like the C-Class and E-Class.

It’s an aspect that highlights two points: one, the family hatchback market is as popular as ever and, two, the A-Class is quite simply a superb car. Now in its fourth generation, it has a premium image and it upholds all the qualities that you’d expect from the world-renowned marque.

As you’d want from Mercedes, it has strong build quality, a class-leading cabin lined with suitably plush materials, and excellent practicality throughout.

It also comes with a great selection of diesel and petrol engines, as well as a plug-in hybrid, offering frugal running costs and greater performance to suit the needs of various motorists.

Now in its eighth generation, the Ford Fiesta was first introduced way back in 1976. Today, the popular supermini is a leading car in its segment, offering one of the best driving experiences in its class with excellent handling and good performance.

It’s a fun car to drive and that alone is no doubt a big reason for its success. It also boasts a full five star safety rating in stringent Euro NCAP safety tests, nice styling, and a good reliability record.

In addition, the Ford Fiesta comes well-equipped as standard with 15-inch alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights, a lane-keeping system, automatic headlamps, and an 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Plus, it’s cheap to run and nimble for city driving, exactly what you want from a supermini.

The Land Rover Defender is an iconic 4×4 famed for its off-road, go-anywhere prowess. The popular SUV has few rivals in this domain: it is able to tackle the harshest terrain and the worst weather conditions with ease, thanks to excellent ground clearance and a sturdy chassis.

It also enjoys rugged, boxy styling that goes hand-in-hand with its off-road ability, plus it has a traditional side-hinged tailgate to a huge boot for storing bulky items.

Whilst the Defender is a lot of fun off the beaten track, on the road it is something of a different story, proving somewhat unwieldly. However, what it lacks in this department, it makes up for it with its supremely adventurous spirit, which is part of the reason the car remains a regular sight on UK countryside roads.

Dating back to 1997, the Audi A3 is a premium mid-size car that is available as a hatchback, a saloon, or as a cabriolet. Since its release over twenty years ago, it has sold over 600,000 units in the UK alone making it one of Audi’s best sellers in Britain, which is quite the feat considering the manufacturer’s impressive roster of vehicles. And it’s a best-selling car for clear reasons too.

Regardless of the body type, the A3 is a supremely confident auto, from its stylish exterior, to its class-leading cabin. It has the upmarket qualities you’d expect from the desirable marque and that point has been a consistent factor throughout the years.

In addition, the A3 provides an enjoyable driving experience, reinforced by good levels of practicality, comfort, and interior refinement. In short, it’s a vehicle that helps set the standards for the family car segment.

One of the newest car manufacturers on the automotive scene, Tesla has helped bring electric motoring into the 21^st century, proving EVs can be every bit as exciting, luxurious, and powerful as their fossil fuel counterparts.

The Model 3, launched in 2017, is a best-selling car for the company. Typical of a Tesla, it features cutting-edge technology, state-of-the-art driver assist systems, fantastic battery range, and a lot of safety aids.

The top-spec variants also offer supercar beating acceleration with eye-watering speeds of 0-60mph in a mere 3.1 seconds – a feat particularly effective for a mid-size executive car.

Furthermore, Tesla’s class-leading Self Driving package provides the Model 3 with all of the necessary equipment for autonomous driving, although driver’s will have to wait for a change in motoring laws and the relevant updates from the company to be able to make full use of the system.

Nonetheless, this futuristic, performance and luxury based approach has helped the Model 3 become one of the world’s best-selling electric vehicles.

Launched back in 2004 as a rival to the Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz A-Class, the BMW 1 Series is another premium family hatchback that enjoys enduring popularity. And for good reason too: the 1 Series takes a slightly different approach to the segment compared to the competition, focusing on the driver’s experience to provide a family car that is a lot of fun to drive.

Of course, it’s still a BMW which means along with its refined driving manners, it has sleek and stylish looks, premium build quality, and a suitably luxurious cabin.

Plus, it comes with a good range of engines, from the frugal to the more performance based, and it comes well-equipped as standard as well.

Arguably the most iconic city car on the market, the 21^st century revamp of the Fiat 500 has been incredibly important for the company proving very successful. In fact, the popularity of the car was one of the main driving points in turning around the brand’s fortunes, which is no small for feat from a sole model. Yet it’s easy to see the appeal.

The 500 is chic, stylish, and unique, offering something a bit different from the competition. It has an affordable starting price and low running costs and is good value for money.

It’s great for driving in the city and it comes with a whole host of personalisation options to make the car feel truly like your own. You can even enjoy it as a convertible and as a mild-hybrid.

On sale in 2010, the Nissan Juke is the car that started the supermini crossover trend. In Japan, the car proved so popular it outsold its target by nearly ten times in the first month of sale. In many ways it is a game changing vehicle and the competition took notice, swiftly following suit to get a piece of the action bringing to market rival supermini crossovers.

Nevertheless, the Juke remains a leader in the segment with sharp styling and a premium interior. It offers decent levels of practicality, a raised ride height, and comes well-equipped as standard with various safety tech. On the road, it has good manners and an enjoyable ride experience.

Introduced to the automotive world all the way back in 1974, the Volkswagen Golf is an ever-popular, best-selling car for the German company. It is also one of the most popular cars in Britain and Europe.

Unsurprisingly, it is a class leader in various departments. It enjoys strong build quality, a premium cabin, and high levels of refinement, particularly for the segment.

Most importantly, it offers an engaging driving experience with precise steering and fun characteristics. It also has wide appeal, catering to new and young drivers with its ease of use, as well as proving excellent as a family car with its strong levels of practicality.

Unsurprisingly, the VW Golf regularly features on ‘top 10 lists’ and various ‘best of’ categories, often in a podium position.