WHAT MAKES A HAPPY DRIVER?

• WeLoveAnyCar.com unveils winners in the National Car Awards 2014
• Statistics from more than 650,000 vehicle owners reveal the happiest drivers
• Škoda scoops multiple honours in independent ratings

Britain's happiest drivers are likely to be called Daniel or Wendy, live in Dumfries and Galloway and may well drive a Teal Blue or Yellow Škoda – that's according to the UK's biggest independent customer car review site,WeLoveAnyCar.com.

Using data supplied by more than 650,000 motorists who have independently rated their cars, WeLoveAnyCar.com has been able to identify not only the models that British drivers are happiest with overall but also who the drivers are and where they come from.

According to the statistics the most frequently seen name for a male motorist happy with his car is Daniel, closely followed by Jack; while for female drivers it's Wendy and Jane that lead the way in the happiness stakes.

At the other end of the scale Jamie and Wayne are the least satisfied male drivers, while Liz and Tracey are the unhappiest women behind the wheel.

Colour seems to play a part, too, with Teal-coloured cars appearing to satisfy their owners most, followed by Yellow and White. Purple and Brown cars are apparently the least satisfying to own, proving that a vibrant splash of colour can also add a splash of joy to your motoring life.

And that could be just the tonic in Rochester, Kent, where British motorists are apparently the unhappiest with their cars, closely followed by those in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.

If you'd rather share the road with happy drivers then make your way to Dumfries and Galloway where motorists profess to be happiest with their cars, or head even further north to Inverness where drivers are second happiest. The most content drivers in England are in Sunderland – third on the overall list despite drivers with the neighbouring Newcastle postcode being among the least satisfied.

Wherever they live owners of Škodas are definitely the happiest in Britain, according to the awards. The Czech brand took the honours for the second year in succession as WeLoveAnyCar.com's Best Overall Manufacturer. Škoda also won the coveted Best Diesel award, as well as individual categories victories for the Yeti, Roomster and appropriately-named Superb.

A spokesman for WeLoveAnyCar.com said: "Unlike other car awards, our data gives us the ability to find out why drivers are truly happy or unhappy – taking into account not just the make and model of car they own but also who they are, where they are and why they're happy or unhappy with their vehicle.

"It's priceless information, and as the reviews are all live on our site it's there for any car owner or potential buyer to see what any car is like to live with in the real world. Škoda's achievement is exceptional as there's no bias or agenda – just real car owners talking about their experiences. Seeing one brand repeatedly do well clearly shows there's a reason to like the cars."

Other notable achievers are Fiat's performance offshoot, Abarth, which won the new Rising Star of the Year award; Japanese maker Honda for winning the Most Reliable category and Subaru for being the brand most recommended by its owners. Other categories prove that reputation is more than mere perception with Maserati taking the Great to Drive honours, Lexus winning the Most Comfortable Award and SMART the Most Economical.

Renowned motoring journalist and TV commentator Sue Baker, editor-in-chief of WeLoveAnyCar.com, said: "In many ways these are the most honest of any car awards, as they're judged by the general public. They're based on the real life experiences of car owners who've lived with the vehicles, experienced their good and bad points and are in a far better place to make a comprehensive judgement than a road tester who's had limited exposure to the model.

"Together, we can tell people what makes a great car. I can say what makes a car fantastic to drive or what makes a fabulous piece of design, but only the real life owners can say what they're like to live with over an extended period."

The WeLoveAnyCar.com National Car Awards have been judged by the biggest panel of any car awards programme thanks to more than 650,000 independent reviews. Drivers rate their cars on a scale of 1 to 5 for various features including overall happiness, comfort, handling, fuel economy, performance and value for money.

WeLoveAnyCar.com is a one-stop resource for car buyers, sellers, owners and enthusiasts, with more real-life car data and owner information than any other review site in the UK.

The National Car Awards merit close attention by anyone contemplating buying a car – be it new or second-hand – as well as by those in the motor industry. On a uniquely significant scale, this is the voice of the motoring public speaking out about the cars they have bought and what their experience of them has been.

ENDS

Media contact

Craig Cheetham, Newspress Comms
07434 921591
Craig.cheetham@newspress.co.uk

www.WeLoveAnyCar.com

National Car Award winners, WeLoveAnyCar.com 2014

Best Manufacturer Rising star of the year 20141. ABARTH Best Overall Manufacturer1. ŠKODA2. MERCEDES BENZ3. AUDI Most Recommended1. SUBARU2. PORSCHE3. ŠKODA Great To Drive1. MASERATI2. PORSCHE3. ABARTH Most Exciting To Drive1. ABARTH2. PORSCHE3. BENTLEYMost Economical1. SMART2. ŠKODA3. CITROËN Most Comfortable1. LEXUS2. BENTLEY3. JAGUAR Most Reliable1. HONDA2. LEXUS3. TOYOTA Best Diesel1. ŠKODA2. HONDA3. MINI Best Petrol1. LEXUS2. MERCEDES BENZ3. HONDA Best Models Best Hybrid1. HONDA INSIGHT2. LEXUS RX3. TOYOTA AURIS Best City Car1. TOYOTA IQ2. FIAT PANDA3. RENAULT TWINGOBest Convertible1. MAZDA MX-52. BMW 6 SERIES3. AUDI A3 Cabriolet Best 4x41. VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN2. TOYOTA LAND CRUISER3. FORD KUGA Best Cabriolet Hard Top1. VOLKSWAGEN EOS 2. RENAULT MEGANE3. PEUGEOT 207 CC Best Executive Cars1. JAGUAR XJ2. LEXUS GS3. JAGUAR XF Best Medium Cars1. ŠKODA YETI2. VOLKSWAGEN JETTA3. TOYOTA PRIUS Best Mini MPV1. ŠKODA ROOMSTER2. SEAT ALTEA3. CITROËN C3 PICASSO Best MPV1. FORD S-MAX2. VOLKSWAGEN TOURAN3. FORD GALAXY Best Small Executive1. BMW 3 SERIES2. AUDI A43. MERCEDES-BENZ C CLASS Best Sports1. VOLKSWAGEN SCIROCCO2. PORSCHE CAYMAN3. BMW M3 Best Supermini1. CITROËN DS3 2. FIAT 5003. TOYOTA YARIS Best Large Car1. ŠKODA SUPERB2. VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT CC3. CITROËN C5