THOUSANDS of new car owners across the country have taken part in a survey to help determine the best motor money can buy in 2025.
Auto Express have revealed the results of their Driver Power owner satisfaction survey – and it’s seen a plush SUV take top spot.
Ranking third, the Astra impresses with its smooth ride, advanced tech and timeless style[/caption]
Driver Power, which is the Carwow Group’s flagship research study, asked thousands of new car owners to share their thoughts and real-life experiences of the vehicles they newly bought.
They’re asked to judge their motor’s reliability, interior space, safety features, value-for-money and driving experience, in a bid to help car experts determine which set of wheels offers owners the ultimate satisfaction.
Last year, the winner was the delightful Dacia Duster – championed for being roomy, well-built and great value for money.
This year’s winner, though, was the classy Mercedes GLE – which topped the tables across six categories, including driving pleasure and overall quality.
The GLE reached a score of 92.24% overall, scoring highly across the board apart from in the economy and running costs category, where satisfaction with fuel economy sinks to 43rd place.
If you want to run this car, you may need deep pockets.
However, the GLE’s key wins included driving pleasure, safety attributes, climate, audio and sat-nav function, as well as overall quality.
Its exterior style, sat-nav and the balance of digital and touchscreen controls were all highly rated by owners, too.
Owners said: “The GLE’s luxurious interior, smooth ride, and advanced tech make it a joy to drive, but it’s roomy enough for family and luggage.
“Its powerful engine, spacious cabin, and sleek design blend comfort with performance perfectly.”
Coming in just behind the GLE was the Vauxhall Grandland with a score of 90.55% – topping one category and taking second place in five others.
Indeed, it failed to score outside of the top 10 in any of the categories, proving to be an excellent all rounder.
“It is high off the ground, with plenty of room inside,” said an owner.
“Quiet and comfortable on long journeys, and the boot is amazing.
“I like absolutely everything; it’s comfortable, easy to use and I look forward to driving it. It’s good value, too.”
Another Vauxhall – the most recent Astra – came in third place with a score of 89.97%, racking up six category ‘top fives’ – including first place in the ride and handling category.
For generations, the Astra has been one of Britain’s favourite family cars, with the latest iteration adored for its ride and handling, through to ride quality and road handling.
Owners also love the exterior style, ranking it third, while front seat comfort is fourth and interior style sixth.
An owner said: “It is smooth, quiet, very comfortable, it has an impressive range of driver assistance technology and it looks stunning, even after three years and 50,000 miles.”
Despite the Ford Puma continuing to enjoy a run as the nation’s best-selling car, in fourth place is another Ford – the Kuga – which has risen six places since last year after scoring highly for safety, practicality and interior – notably for boot space and seating versatility.
The Mercedes-Benz C-Class has also gone up by five places to rank fifth, thanks to especially good scores for infotainment and value for money.
One owner said: “I like the luxurious interior and the smooth ride, the advanced safety features, the strong performance and the elegant design.”
Talking about the results, Paul Barker, editor of Auto Express, said: “Driver Power is Carwow Group’s leading car ownership survey, brought to life by Auto Express.
“It reveals what owners genuinely think – and how they feel – about their cars.
“That unique perspective gives unrivalled insight into what prospective customers can expect, and tells manufacturers exactly what their own customers think of the cars they sell.
“From running costs to quality and infotainment, we get the views of people living with these cars day-to-day, and the results show the cars that offer the best chance of a very satisfying ownership experience.”
Driver Power Survey top 25 cars of 2025
- Mercedes GLE – 92.24%
- Vauxhall Grandland – 90.55%
- Vauxhall Astra – 89.97%
- Ford Kuga – 88.69%
- Mercedes C Class – 88.31%
- Vauxhall Crossland – 88.25%
- BMW 4 Series – 88.19%
- Citroen C5 Aircross – 88.15%
- Dacia Duster – 88.04%
- BMW 2 Series Coupe – 87.91%
- Mercedes A Class – 87.87%
- Citroen C3 – 87.52%
- Hyundai Tucson – 87.45%
- Honda Jazz – 87.06%
- Tesla Model Y – 86.70%
- Peugeot 3008 – 86.52%
- BMW 1 Series – 86.21%
- Vauxhall Mokka – 85.81%
- Honda Civic – 85.76%
- Honda CR V – 85.60%
- MG HS – 85.58%
- Audi A5 – 85.50%
- Toyota Corolla – 85.37%
- BMW 3 Series – 85.29%
- Tesla Model 3 – 85.24%
