7:42 am, September 9, 2026
The Volkswagen Golf has been named the UK’s favourite used car of the past decade, in a new poll by CarGurus.
To mark its 10th anniversary in the UK, the online marketplace surveyed 1,000 drivers to uncover their used car buying preferences since 2016.
The results showed the Golf streaking clear at the top, with buyers loving its reliability, design, style and value for money.
Other favourites included the likes of the BMW X3, Audi Q3 and Audi A3, while the Vauxhall Astra completed the top five.
Elsewhere, several drivers cited the Kia Sportage, Nissan Qashqai, Toyota C-HR, Audi Q5 and Honda Civic as their favourite used cars of the last decade.
The results highlight the continued popularity of traditional hatchbacks, which were the preferred bodystyle for 28% of respondents.
However, SUVs have also made significant ground over the past decade, with medium SUVs accounting for 21% of votes and small SUVs taking 15%.
Reliability was the most important factor in determining whether a car became a favourite, cited by 62% of respondents. Design and style followed at 55%, while 52% said value for money was important.
Cargurus used cars of the decade
- Volkswagen Golf
- BMW X
- Audi Q3
- Audi A3
- Vauxhall Astra
- Kia Sportage
- Nissan Qashqai
- Toyota C-HR
- Audi Q5
- Honda Civic
Chris Knapman, CarGurus UK editorial director, said the Golf had remained popular despite a shift in buyer priorities over the past 10 years.
He 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.
‘Our findings also reflect shifts in used-car buyers’ main priorities as car features evolve.
‘Reliability and running costs are key, but drivers now also look for the added reassurance of advanced safety features and good technology.’
Elsewhere, the results showed that comfort on long journeys and bodystyle were important to 40% of respondents.
Technology has also become a bigger consideration for buyers, with 66% saying they now place more importance on having up-to-date in-car technology than they did in 2016.
Safety has seen an even bigger increase in importance, with 70% of drivers saying they prioritise safety features more than they did a decade ago.
Meanwhile, 61% also said they were increasingly conscious of cleaner engines and the environmental impact of their vehicle.
The most popular technology features were 360-degree cameras, favoured by 30% of respondents, and parking assist systems at 28%.
Keyless entry and push-button start were also popular, with 25% choosing them.
More recent developments have been less warmly received. Only 7% of drivers picked gesture control as a desirable feature, while 8% selected over-the-air updates.
Button-free dashboards, cooling seats and head-up displays each attracted 9% of votes.
CarGurus said 83% of respondents still look for the same attributes they valued in a used car a decade ago, but now place greater emphasis on technology.
All the drivers surveyed were aged 27 and older – meaning they have been old enough to drive for the entirety of the last decade.