The Tescocompare car map of the UK

Tescocompare.com, the car insurance comparison site, reveals the car map of the UK – based on car insurance quotes for over half a million cars. The car map reveals that where you live really does have an influence on what car you drive. Just some of the stereotypes the analysis done for the car map, supports or debunks include:

• The most popular county for Fords is indeed Essex – 25% of all quotes performed on Tescocompare.com for people living in the Chelmsford postal area (CM post code) were for Fords – 50% up on the national average. In the Romford (RM post code) and Southend-on-Sea (SS post code) areas almost one in three (32%) of all cars are Fords, double the national average.
• Ford is the nation’s favourite car manufacturer – but it loses its dominance in Scotland. In Aberdeen (AB), Edinburgh (EH) and Glasgow (G) – Vauxhall is the most popular car – with 17%, 19% and 16% of all cars, respectively. The Auld Alliance between Scotland and France doesn’t extend to Scots buying French cars – with that nation’s three most popular car manufacturers all suffering lower (up to 25%) levels of ownership than the national average.
• Germanic cars seem to get Londoners’ motors running – Audi (+ 55%), BMW (+74%), Mercedes (+ 104%) and Volkswagen (+65%) are all much more popular than the national average. Londoners steer clear from the nation’s two most popular manufacturers – with the density of Ford and Vauxhall both down – 23% and 27% respectively.
• Nothing seems to separate the nation’s tastes as much as French cars. Lovers of the Gallic flair for car design can be found in the West Country and Wales – for example Peugeots make up 12.5% of cars in the Exeter (EX) region, compared to a national average of 8.5%. And 10.5% of cars in the Swansea (SA) region are Renaults, compared to a national average of 7.5%. Londoners are least likely to say j’aime to French cars – with ownership of Peugeot and Renaults down 20% on, and Citroen levels at half, the national averages.
• The nation’s car owners do show loyalty to local manufacturers – regardless of the nationality of the company. So – for example – Birmingham’s drivers are the most loyal to British manufacturers (perhaps because of the heritage). Ownership of MGs is up by 32% and Rovers by a whopping 74%, compared to the national average. However, drivers from Birmingham aren’t smitten with the new Mini (ownership levels are down 11% on the national average). Similarly – in the Swindon (SW) area – Honda ownership is 29% above the national average, and in Sunderland (SR), Nissan ownership is two and a half times the national average.

Paul Baxter of Tescocompare.com said: "Whatever car you drive and wherever you live, you need to insure your car against theft and damage. Whilst you may be more likely to drive a Ford in Essex, it doesn’t mean you will be paying the same for your car insurance as your fellow ‘Essex Boy’ or indeed ‘Girl’. Using Tescocompare.com to search the UK’s top insurance brands will ensure you have the right insurance policy for you at the right price."

Notes:
The Car Map is based on analysis of 500,000 quotes performed on Tescocompare.com since Sept 2007