04/05/2018
Honest John names Car of the Year
Named by the readers of HonestJohn.co.uk as the Car of the Year for 2018, the Kodiaq has beaten all its rivals with a combination of practicality, quality and good value.
The HonestJohn.co.uk awards were announced in a ceremony, at the Vinyl Factory in Soho, London. The glittering music themed event celebrated the cars and vans that are considered to be the very best with HonestJohn.co.uk's audience.
By a significant margin the hottest hit of the year was Skoda's Kodiaq, storming the charts with its combination of Czech charm and style.
The HonestJohn.co.uk awards differ from many others in the industry as it is the site's readers that dictate the models that take the honours. The overall winner is the car that has proved the most popular with the site's 2.3 million readers over the past 12 months.
HonestJohn.co.uk managing editor, Dan Powell, said, 'The Skoda Kodiaq is a smash hit with HonestJohn.co.uk's 2.3 million readers. It's easy to see why our audience love it so much, with the Skoda winning praise for its spacious cabin, affordable running costs and outstanding value. The Skoda Kodiaq is a brilliant family SUV and a worthy winner of the Honest John Car of the Year 2018.'
Alongside the overall prize the Kodiaq also bagged the fiercely-competitive SUV award, arguably the toughest segment of them all. Proving that the Skoda brand isn't just a one-hit wonder, the Superb took home the prize for Large Family Car for the second year running.
Another big winner on the night was the Hyundai i10, which claimed the 'Most Highly Rated' accolade, based on HonestJohn.co.uk Owners' Reviews.
'The Most Highly Rated Car of the Year is one of the most-coveted of all of the Honest John Awards, because it is based purely on what owners tell us about their cars. Over the past 12 months the Hyundai i10 has consistently received five-star feedback from our readers for comfort, reliability and fuel economy. Riding an avalanche of positive reviews, the Hyundai i10 is miles ahead of the competition and our Most Highly Rated Car of the Year,' added Powell.
Another big winner on the night was the Toyota GT86, which took home the Real MPG award. Launched in 2011, Real MPG began after Honest John received thousands of complaints from readers that their cars could not match the official fuel economy figures. Impressively the sporty GT86 achieved a Real MPG almost identical to its advertised economy based on HonestJohn.co.uk reader-submitted figures, making it the clear winner of these coveted prize.
Dan Powell said, 'Few cars match the Toyota GT86 for performance or real-world fuel economy. Over the past 12 months the GT86 has received outstanding Real MPG ratings, returning 98% or better of its advertised economy. Factor in its superb handling, free-revving 2.0-litre engine and affordable list price and it's easy to see why the Toyota GT86 is held in such high regard by the readers of HonestJohn.co.uk.'
A full list of category winners appears below:
City Car
Suzuki Ignis
Small Hatchback
Honda Jazz
Small Family Car
Honda Civic
Large Family Car
Skoda Superb
Compact Premium
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Large Premium
Jaguar F-Pace
MPV
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer
Small Crossover
Honda CR-V
Crossover
Peugeot 3008
SUV
Skoda Kodiaq
Performance Car
Volkswagen Golf R
Convertible
Mazda MX-5
Luxury Car
Tesla Model S
Estate
MINI Clubman
Car of the Year
Skoda Kodiaq
Highly Rated
Hyundai i10
Real MPG
Toyota GT86
Pick-up
Nissan Navara
Small van
Ford Transit Connect
Medium van