As anyone in the UK knows, there is quite a big difference between the south and north of England. Which is better will depend on who you talk to, but the majority will agree that there is a big difference. This comes down to many different things, which includes what type of car to drive.
Price Disparity
It is a generalisation to say that every motorist in the south or north prefers one type of car, but it does appear that there are certain preferences. Unsurprisingly, one of the key factors is cost. Much like there is a huge difference between buying a house in many areas of the north compared to the south with the north being much more af-fordable, it can be cheaper to buy an automobile in the north of England.
The South
As a result of this, it is not uncommon to see motorists driving cheaper models in cer-tain areas around the south of England. This is particularly true when you visit popu-lar student areas like Portsmouth, where UK favourite Vauxhall are a common site due to their affordability and reliability. Car supermarkets in the area, like Unbeatable Car, find that it is the likes of Vauxhall and similar brands which most motorists re-quire as they do not have the money to afford the more lavish brands.
Affluent Areas
There are exceptions to the rule, however. If you were to visit more affluent areas in the south, such as Surrey, you are more likely to find that people are more brand ori-entated. In places like this, it is not uncommon to see luxury brands like Mercedes,
Porsche and BMW on the roads. Additionally, those with high incomes that work in the centre of London can afford the most desirable automobiles on the roads with Mercedes licensed in the capital being nearly twice the national average at 7.7%. There are also people that live and or work in and around the capital that are driving more budget brands, or not at all as they instead rely on the public transportation net-work.
The North
Another important factor to consider when looking at popular vehicles in the north and south is manufacturing. Japanese brand Nissan has famously been building cars in Sunderland for over 30 years, so it is no surprise that they make up a higher propor-tion of cars in the north east than anywhere else in England according to data from the Department of Transport. Vauxhall is another brand that is hugely popular in this re-gion, which again shows that reliability and affordability are key factors no matter where you live.
Regional Favourites
The Department of Transport also revealed that Fiat is the brand of choice in the north -west, whilst Ford dominated in east England (this is also the most common car make for the entire UK making up 14.2% of all vehicles on the roads). In the south-west, Peugeot, Mitsubishi and MG were the most popular brands.
Overall, it is evident that there is some difference between brand preference in the north and south of England (as well as smaller regions). A lot of this comes down to
price, income and if there is a manufacturer in the area, but there are always excep-tions to the rule and certain brands are popular regardless of region. More affordable brands like Vauxhall are hugely popular throughout England and the Luton based company has been the second-largest-selling car brand for over 20 years in the UK. The current economic climate and uncertainty over the future has also impacted con-sumer confidence, with motorists unwilling to make big purchases and instead are shopping for brands like this in the used car market in both the north and south.
