The UK’s 10 best-selling cars, ranked by how much owners actually like them
Car changing is a big deal
These were the UK’s 10 best-selling cars in 2025. They’re clearly popular – but are they actually any good? Here’s how they all ranked in this year’s Driver Power survey.
Some cars may sell very well, but sales don’t always equal satisfaction. We looked at the top 10 best-sellers, based on data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), and how they ranked in the 2026 Driver Power survey.
Driver Power is the UK’s biggest new car ownership survey, delivering insights to drivers and manufacturers about what matters most to car owners.
Here are the top 10 best-sellers of 2025. Click to find out where they ranked:
- Ford Puma
- Kia Sportage
- Nissan Qashqai
- Vauxhall Corsa
- Nissan Juke
- Volkswagen Golf
- Volvo XC40
- MG HS
- Volkswagen Tiguan
- Hyundai Tucson
Remember, you can buy a brand new or used car right here on Carwow. And you can sell your car, too. We’re here to help you through every step of your car-changing journey.
1. Ford Puma
- Driver Power score: 84.55%
- Sales position: 1st place
The Ford Puma is the UK’s best-selling car of 2025, with 55,488 new cars registered last year. While this is clearly a very popular car, it ranked twenty-fifth in this year’s Driver Power survey.
Not only does this small SUV look great, it’s got a big boot of up to 456 litres that’s impressively versatile and it comes loaded with kit. However, you do sit higher up in other SUVs, the interior feels very cheap, and the back seats are a bit tight on space.
Owners liked the Puma for its overall exterior styling and for its boot and luggage area capacity. However, they weren’t great fans of its servicing costs, with the survey showing a 70.77% satisfaction score in this category.
2. Kia Sportage
- Driver Power score: 82.93%
- Sales position: 2nd place
The Kia Sportage was the second best-selling car of 2025, with 47,788 units registered. And while it’s a very popular car, it was ranked thirty-seventh in this year’s Driver Power survey, with an average satisfaction score of 82.93%.
This practical SUV has got great build quality, great value trim levels, and has roomy back seats and boot. However, it’s pretty bland to drive, it’s not as efficient as alternatives and it jiggles over bumps in town.
While owners liked the Sportage for its rear seat legroom, the rest of its ratings reflect those of our review. It ranked forty-fifth out of fifty models in terms of running costs, with a satisfaction score of 74.44%. They also weren’t the greatest fans of its safety features and powertrain.
3. Nissan Qashqai
- Driver Power score: 84.16%
- Sales position: 3rd place
This handsome family SUV was the third best-selling car of 2025, with 41,141 new cars sold last year. However, it took twenty-ninth position in the Driver Power survey with an overall satisfaction score of 84.16%.
The Nissan Qashqai is available with a fantastic hybrid engine. It’s got a practical, solid interior and lots of standard kit too. However, its boot space is smaller than alternatives and it isn’t the best to drive.
While Qashqai owners rated it fairly for its all-around visibility and luggage area capacity, they weren’t particularly impressed by its servicing costs and fuel economy, rating it with an average score of 69.77% and 79.50% respectively.
4. Vauxhall Corsa
- Driver Power score: 85.51%
- Sales position: 4th place
This little car was the fourth best-selling car in 2025, with 35,947 new cars registered last year, but it ranked sixteenth overall in the Driver Power survey.
The Corsa is not only comfortable to drive, it’s got a smart exterior design and comes with generous standard equipment too. However, it does have cramped rear seats and the infotainment system is a bit fiddly.
However, owners still liked it, particularly for its road handling capabilities (ranking fifth in this category) and was in the top 10 for user-friendliness of controls and switches and overall driving pleasure. Respondents also liked it for its exterior styling.
5. Nissan Juke
- Driver Power score: 86.07%
- Sales position: 5th place
This small SUV that certainly makes heads turn thanks to its incredibly quirky styling. The Nissan Juke takes fifth place in overall sales, with 34,773 sold last year alone, and in the Driver Power survey it takes thirteenth place.
This reasonably-priced car comes with polarising looks and decent levels of safety tech as standard. However, its interior feels cramped and it’s not particularly comfortable either.
That said, owners liked it across the board, with the Juke taking to the top five in categories such as infotainment, handling, and the user-friendliness of its controls and switches.
6. Volkswagen Golf
- Driver Power score: 81.59%
- Sales position: 6th place
This hatchback was the sixth best-selling car in 2025, with 32,478 new models sold, but it ranked forty-first in this year’s Driver Power survey.
The Golf has a great choice of efficient engines and is comfortable over bumps. However, it does have rather dull styling and it’s only averagely roomy. Option prices can soon add up too.
Owners were overall let down by the Golf’s safety features, economy and running costs, and infotainment system. It also ranked last overall for servicing costs, with owners giving it an average rating of 66.15%. That said, owners rated it fairly for its exterior quality and all-around visibility from the driver’s seat.
7. Volvo XC40
- Driver Power score: 85.31%
- Sales position: 7th place
This Swedish SUV certainly did well in last year’s new car sales, ranking the seventh best-sellers with 30,404 car registrations recorded. It also claimed the twentieth spot in this year’s Driver Power survey with an overall score of 85.31%.
It’s a sophisticated SUV which is very comfortable on the road and has plenty of room for passengers. However, it’s got an ageing interior design and a fiddly infotainment system. Some trims aren’t up to scratch either.
Owners loved the XC40 particularly for its driving quality and smoothness, claiming the top spot in this category in the survey. It also got high praise for its safety features and owners liked it for its overall quality and reliability.
8. MG HS
- Driver Power score: 84.84%
- Sales position: 8th place
Next up is the MG HS. This well-equipped SUV had an overall score of 84.84% in the Driver Power survey, ranking twenty-second. It also was the eight best-selling car of 2025, with 30,191 cars registered.
The HS is a very cost-effective company car, comes with hybrid and petrol engine options, and has a roomy boot and back seats. While the PHEV version has fantastic range, there’s no fast-charging for it. It’s also not very enjoyable to drive and the infotainment is fiddly.
In Driver Power, owners rated it highly for its interior, practicality and boot space. Drivers also loved it for its value for money, rating this aspect with a 92.86% average score and claiming the top spot in this category.
9. Volkswagen Tiguan
- Driver Power score: 82.69%
- Sales position: 9th place
This upmarket SUV may have been the ninth best-seller of 2025, with 29,857 new cars registered, but it only landed a 82.69% satisfaction score in the survey and comes in thirty-eighth place.
The Volkswagen Tiguan is not only spacious and practical, it’s got high-tech, upmarket interior and is well-specced too. However, its starting price is high, the infotainment could be easier to use and it’s pretty dull to drive.
Owners liked it for its practicality and boot space, its availability of interior storage spaces, and child-friendly features, but they thought it wasn’t great value for money and were let down by its brake responsiveness and road handling.
10. Hyundai Tucson
- Driver Power score: 86.18%
- Sales position: 10th place
Although the Hyundai Tucson was only the tenth best-selling model, with 28,613 registrations in 2025, it finished ninth overall in the Driver Power survey with an overall score of 86.18%. That’s the highest ranking of all the models in this best-sellers list.
This family car has excellent interior quality, a huge boot of up to 620 litres, and comes with a digital display and big infotainment screen as standard. However, its looks may be jarring for some, it has an awkward rear seat shape, and suspension feels firm on the firm side.
Owners love the Tucson for its interior design, ranking first place in this particular category of Driver Power. It also ranked second for child-friendly features and rounded out the top three for practicality and boot space.
Car change? Carwow!
Looking for a new set of wheels? With Carwow you can sell your car quickly and for a fair price – as well as find great offers on your next one. Whether you’re looking to buy a car brand new, are after something used or you want to explore car leasing options, Carwow is your one stop shop for new car deals.
Click here to follow us on WhatsApp, where you can keep up-to-date with all the latest news, reviews, advice guides and videos.