The Volkswagen Golf has been named the best used car of the last decade in a new survey of 1,000 members of the public. The result is notable because the Golf is a hatchback, not an SUV, despite the growing popularity of the latter body style.
CarGurus, marking ten years in the UK, announced the result. The Golf, first released in the 1970s, was one of the pioneering hatchbacks in the country. SUVs took second and third place with the BMW X3 and Audi Q3, while hatchbacks came fourth and fifth with the Audi A3 and Vauxhall Astra.
Hatchbacks Remain Popular
Despite the rise of SUVs, especially since the introduction of the Nissan Qashqai in 2006, the hatchback has stayed popular. In the survey, 28% of respondents chose the hatchback as their favourite body style, compared to 21% for medium SUVs and 15% for small SUVs.
Chris Knapman, editorial director of CarGurus UK, said: “Over the past decade, the Volkswagen Golf has consistently proven itself to be one of the nation’s favourites. It represents the perfect mix of reliability, practicality, design and affordability, and shows that the long-standing popular models continue to be exactly that.”
Alternative Suggestion
Not everyone agrees with the survey’s verdict. In February, William Fletcher, CEO of car.co.uk, suggested the Toyota Yaris as an alternative. The Yaris is also a hatchback, albeit a small one, and has sold in the hundreds of thousands in the UK since 1999.
Fletcher said: “The humble Toyota Yaris, the 58th most popular car model in the UK, is one of the most reliable cars on British roads, with thousands of owners reporting zero faults in a given year. Backed by Toyota's reputation for durability, the Yaris benefits from simple, well-proven engineering and is highly dependable. Repair costs are typically low, it sits in modest insurance groups, and Toyota's warranty can extend up to 10 years when serviced within the network - making it one of the safest bets for hassle-free, affordable motoring.”
Top 10 Used Cars of the Last Decade
The full top 10 list from the survey is: Volkswagen Golf, BMW X3, Audi Q3, Audi A3, Vauxhall Astra, Kia Sportage, Nissan Qashqai, Toyota C-HR, Audi Q5, and Honda Civic.
