In a recent survey we asked our customers which brand(s) of car they would most like to hire, if they had the choice. This isn’t something that happens a lot but some suppliers around the world now allow you to select your preferred car from the list of what is available in your category. Is this something that will catch on? It’s doubtful, although I am sure that suppliers would love to have a fleet of the most popular vehicles, to them cost is everything so, if they were to get a better deal on the latest Kia or Hyundai, chances are their fleet will be made up of them.
What did surprise me was the #1 choice, I have had a few myself and like them but didn’t expect them to top our list.
1. Ford
Ford make some of the best driver’s cars on the planet, so it is no surprise to see them high up on the list but #1 with 41% of the vote was a bit of a shock. Ford are popular among lots of rental suppliers so 41% of our customers may well be pleasantly surprised the next time they hire a car. The Fiesta and Focus are two of the most popular vehicles on the road, proven hire by Autoexpress and their list of best selling cars in 2019, so far. Fiesta takes the top spot with the Focus in 2nd place but over 10,000 sales behind, the Kuga takes position 8 giving Ford 3 of the top 10 places.
2. Volkswagen
No surprise here. Volkswagen seem to be the benchmark with which we rate vehicles, does it sound like a golf? Does it drive like a Tiguan? With 32% of our customers choosing VW as their brand of choice, it is clear that our customers have taste. However, good taste can get expensive which is why most suppliers do not have may Volkswagen cars on fleet. They are out there though, so if it is VW you want, just ask! The Volkswagen Golf and Polo both feature on the top ten list by AutoExpress.
3. Toyota & Audi
With the same number of votes Toyota & Audi are joint third in our list of most popular hire car brands with 23% each. The Toyota Yaris scraped into the AutoExpress top 10, as a small car they are brilliant. Audi doesn’t feature on their list at all but it does on ours. very few suppliers in the UK will have Audi on fleet but the Yaris is one of the most hired rental vehicles in the country.
4. Vauxhall
Vauxhall have been one of the best selling brands in the UK for years and 21% of our respondents would prefer to hire this brand over any other. The flagship Corsa is the 4th best selling car in the UK so far in 2019 and this is one brand you will see an awful lot of in rental supplier car parks. They are not the cheapest brand on the market but you get a lot of car for your money with Vauxhall, the Astra and Insignia are both very popular with rental providers too.
5. Mercedes
With only 15% of people preferring to hire a Mercedes it is no surprise that Mercedes do not feature on the AutoExpress list of best selling cars. Not surprisingly, as a premium brand they are less affordable than others on the list but I would have expected them to have a similar fan base to Audi. Mercedes have had a resurgence over the last few years with the introduction of the updated A Class and B Class models. Only a few years ago, their predecessors were terrible looking things and not much better to drive. Thankfully the Mercedes design team have changed direction more recently.
All of the above vehicles will be available to hire in certain locations around the world. If you are on the hunt for a specific model rental car then please get in touch as we may be able to help.
