Revealed: Auto Trader’s best new cars of 2019

The Peugeot 3008 is named New Car of the Year at the Auto Trader New Car Awards 2019. We list all of the winners

The Peugeot 3008 has been named New Car of the Year at the Auto Trader New Car Awards. Rather than relying on a judging panel, Auto Trader interviewed 63,000 car owners and asked them to rate their cars across 16 different criteria. Although the 3008 is the nation’s favourite, there are another 18 awards for you to enjoy. Brace yourself, we’re going in…

Most Fun Car to Drive – Mini Hatch

Presumably because the Auto Trader respondents have never taken a new Vauxhall Corsa to a McDonald’s car park and stuck a pair of trays under the back wheels, the Mini Hatch gets the award for the Most Fun Car to Drive. #gokarthandling

Best Car for New Drivers – Volkswagen Golf

Back in the day, a new driver would be happy with a barely legal Ford Fiesta and a Goodmans stereo. But times change, which is why the Volkswagen Golf is named the Best Car for New Drivers.

Best Car for City Drivers – Toyota C-HR

Erin Baker, Auto Trader editorial director, said: “The Toyota C-HR ranked top for its reliability among city drivers, and owners highlighted one of the most important considerations when shopping for a city car – how easy it is to park.” A reversing camera is standard across the range.

Best Car for Families – Seat Ateca

Seat is fortunate that Volvo no longer builds the 240 GLT wagon, because the big Swede – with a roof rack and a tin of travel sweets in the glovebox – is the Best Car for Families. As it is, the Ateca takes the award.

Best Car for Dog Owners – Mazda CX-5

Thanks to its cabin space, safety, how good it is to drive, the availability of a dog guard and the option of a boot mat and bumper protector, the Mazda CX-5 is named the Best Car for Dog Owners. Which is all well and good, but did anybody ask the dogs?

Best Car for Long Distances – Volvo XC60

For us, the Best Car for Long Distances is a chauffeur-driven limo with a fully-stacked fridge and a seat massaging function. We must be in the minority, because the Volvo XC60 grabs the laurels. Erin Baker praised its “very nice interior”.

Best Car Launched in the Last Year – Honda CR-V

Having won this award, Honda UK tweeted: “We are over the moon to have come away with ‘Best Car Launched in the Last Year’ for the incredible #CRV”. The CR-V is Honda’s first advanced hybrid SUV in Europe.

Best Seven-Seater – Skoda Kodiaq

Speaking about the Skoda SUV, Auto Trader’s Erin Baker said: “The Kodiaq ranked highly for ease of making use of all its space and how nice it is to drive.” Which is nice. Nice.

Best Car for Towing: Kia Sportage

Fresh from winning Crossover of the Year at the Honest John Awards, the Kia Sportage has been named Best Car for Towing by Auto Trader. Handy, if you’re lining up a tug-of-war contest against a local Mercedes Unimog.

Best Pick-up – Toyota Hilux

Erin Baker said: “Hilux scored highest for power and durability – crucial for pick-up drivers.” Baker also praised the Toyota’s reliability, styling and off-road capabilities. Mind you, when you offer a trim level called ‘Invincible’, there can be only one winner.

Best Value New Car – Dacia Duster

You can buy a new Dacia Duster for as little as £9,995, so it certainly has price on its side. But there’s more to good value than a low price. Ivan Aistrop, Auto Trader road test editor, said: “No other car company can offer you such a large amount of metal for such an aggressive price.”

Best Green Car – Tesla Model S

No, the Best Green Car isn’t a Porsche 911 GT3 RS in Lizard Green. Instead, the Tesla Model S takes the plaudits. Even with a growing number of electric cars hitting the market, the Model S still manages to capture the public’s imagination like no other EV.

Most Recommended Car – Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Auto Trader added six new categories this year, including ‘Most Recommended Car’. Ian Plummer, Auto Trader director, said: “Revealingly, this year’s results mirror what we’re seeing elsewhere on our marketplace: the growing appetite for SUVs and crossovers.” While this might be the case, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class is the most recommended car.

Most Loved Car – Mazda MX-5 RF

Here’s another new category for 2019, with the Mazda MX-5 RF named Most Loved Car at the Auto Trader New Car Awards. We wonder if more new awards will be added in 2020. May we suggest ‘Best Car for Goats’, ‘Best Cupholders’ and ‘Infotainment Screen Least Likely to Make You Yearn for Analogue Buttons and Switches’.

Most Reliable Car Brand – Lexus

Lexus is named the Most Reliable Car Brand for the second year running, with Erin Baker saying: “It comes as no surprise that Lexus has been voted as the most reliable car brand.” Just think of all the money Lexus owners save on AA membership.

Car Brand with the Best Features – Jaguar

“Jaguar is the car brand with the features,” said Erin Baker. The company was praised for its connectivity, rear-seat TVs, Meridian audio systems, enhanced security and advanced safety systems. Remember when styling, comfort and performance were Jaguar’s best features?

Best Value Car Brand – Dacia

With many brands pushing further upmarket, Dacia is free to dominate the value end of the market. Offering a range with the cheapest hatchback, estate car and SUV is a good place to start, which is why it is named Best Value Car Brand.

Most Loved Car Brand – Tesla

We finish with Tesla, which is the Most Loved Car Brand. Ian Plummer said: “This is our third annual New Car Awards and 2019 marks a significant leap forward in terms of its scale. Rather than relying on an expert judging panel our winners are determined by the real-world insight from over 63,000 car owners, making them the most accurate industry measure of which brands and models are meeting the genuine needs of today’s car buyers. A huge congratulations are in order for all of this year’s very worthy winners.”

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Gavin Braithwaite-Smith
Gavin Braithwaite-Smithhttp://www.petrolblog.com
Writer with a penchant for #FrenchTat. Owns 15 vehicles of varying degrees of terribleness. Also doing a passable impression of Cousin Eddie in an Italian-German beige motorhome. Doesn't get out much.

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