Skip advert
Advertisement

How does Driver Power work?

Each year our Driver Power survey gives owners the chance to tell us about the cars they bought over the last two years. Here we explain how it works...

Welcome to Driver Power 2025, 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. 

Advertisement - Article continues below

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.

How Driver Power works

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.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Best car manufacturers 2025
Driver Power - best car manufacturers 2025

Best car manufacturers 2025

Thousands of UK drivers share their real-world verdicts on the manufacturers of the cars they own
News
5 Jul 2025
Most reliable cars to buy - the cars you can trust in 2025
Most reliable cars 2025 - header image

Most reliable cars to buy - the cars you can trust in 2025

How do you judge a new car’s reliability before buying it? Our Driver Power survey is the answer…
Best cars & vans
1 Jul 2025
Driver Power: Learn what UK drivers really think of their cars
Driver Power header

Driver Power: Learn what UK drivers really think of their cars

Driver Power is the UK's number one car customer satisfaction survey, a great tool for every car buyer
Articles
10 Jun 2025
Driver Power: best cars to own
Driver Power 2025 - header

Driver Power: best cars to own

The best new cars to own in the UK right now according to the people who already do. It’s the 2025 Driver Power results!
News
10 Jun 2025

Most Popular

New MG IM5 has the Tesla Model 3 beaten on price and range
MG IM5 - Goodwood front

New MG IM5 has the Tesla Model 3 beaten on price and range

The all-electric IM5 brings new technology and design to the MG line-up
News
10 Jul 2025
New MG Cyberster Black is a dark sign of things to come for the brand
Cyberster Black - front 3/4

New MG Cyberster Black is a dark sign of things to come for the brand

MG boss thinks special editions like this might be the ticket to keeping up demand for the electric sports car
News
10 Jul 2025
New Mazda CX-5 revealed with fresh looks, more space and far fewer buttons
Mazda CX-5 - front

New Mazda CX-5 revealed with fresh looks, more space and far fewer buttons

The Mazda CX-5 has been revolutionised to take on the Nissan Qashqai, Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson
News
10 Jul 2025