How does Driver Power work?

Welcome to Driver Power 2026, and a massive thank you to everybody who took part in the biggest, most respected and comprehensive car ownership survey in the UK.

Each year, thousands of owners report back to us on the cars they bought over the last two years, telling us about how comfortable they are to sit in, to how fast they accelerate, how well they handle, if they can be depended on to start on the button - and much more besides. 

Collating all these responses is a mammoth job, but that work is undoubtedly worth it, because here we’re able to reveal the top 50 cars to own, as voted for by car owners just like you.

These results form something of a car-buyer’s bible for consumers, who can get the inside line on what life is really like with these models over the course of a typical ownership period. Are their infotainment systems up to snuff? Do they feel responsive when you steer and brake? How much interior storage is there on board, and does their build quality match up to their looks?

How the Driver Power ratings work

Here’s a quick guide to the all important Driver Power car ratings.

A. This number tells you where the car sits in the Driver Power top 50. If your model isn’t listed, look out for our used-car survey.

B. Here we tell you when each car went on sale, as well as the main things owners commented on when responding to the survey.

C. We’ve picked out some interesting comments – some favourable, some less so – from owners of each model.

D. These bars represent a score in each of our 10 judging categories. The longer the bar, the better the car performed in that particular area. 

E. Our judging categories include Value. A high score shows that a car offers a lot for what you pay for it.

F. We have 10 judging categories, and the percentage is the average of a car’s scores. This is its rating, and defines its overall chart position.