Average Cost of Cars UK 2026

We analyzed the UK car market to find starting on-the-road (OTR) prices for the UK's most popular small cars, medium cars and smaller SUVs. These 2025 OTR prices reflect a delivery charge, number plates, road tax (which depends on the car’s emissions) and the first government registration fee.

Table of Contents

• How car prices have changed in 10 years
• How much is a New Car?
  • How much is a Small Car?
  • How much is a Medium-Sized Car?
  • How much is an SUV?
• How much do Used Cars usually cost?

How Car Prices have Changed in 10 Years

January 2026 analysis of data from the Office for National Statistics shows that prices for new cars are up 40% in the past ten years since 2015 (the base year for CPI figures—meaning the year the indices were at 100).

Over this same 10 year period, used car prices are apparently up just 14%. As you can see in the chart below (and as you may remember, if you were in the market for a car then), used car prices jumped up due to Covid-related economic factors and peaked in January 2022. At that point, used car prices were up 29% (with a CPI index of 127.4) compared to one year prior. Luckily, the cost of used cars has actually come off of those highs, with the CPI index for used cars entering 2026 at 112.

In 10 years, new cars cost the consumer 40% more; used cars are just up 14%

New car prices and increases have been much steadier than for used cars.

How Much is a New Car?

The amount you'll spend on a new car depends on a lot of factors including the size of the car, spec and the brand, make and model. We looked at on-the-road prices for some of popular UK cars to see how prices vary by size.

The cost of a new car will start from a range of £19,725 to £26,580 if you're going for a small car such as a VW Polo or Ford Puma, while a medium-sized car such as a Vauxhall Astra or VW Golf will start from £26,135 to £28,490. Popular SUVs in the UK such as the Kia Sportagen Nissan Qashqai and Hyundai Tucson start from a range of £30,615 - £33,105.

Cost of the Average Small Car

In 2026, the OTR cost of some of the most popular small car models ranged from £19,725 to £26,580. We calculated this based on current prices for some of the UK's top-selling small cars. As of January 2026, the Ford Puma sold for a starting OTR price of £26,580, a Vauxhall Corsa started from £19,725 (up over £1K from last year) and a VW Polo Life for £22,040. The average starting OTR price of three of the best-selling UK small car models is £22,782. This is around £7,000 more expensive than five or six years prior—by our calculations, the cost to by a cheap, new small car has risen nearly 50% since 2020!

Starting OTR Prices of Popular Small Car Models

We know that the Ford Fiesta was resigned to history (replaced by the Ford Puma), but as it was the UK's most popular car for years and years, we have a lot of price history going back years, and it's really interesting to see how prices have changed over time—and how this compares to the Ford Puma, which essentially replaces the Fiesta in the marketplace.

Starting OTR prices of the most basic, entry-level Fiesta model rose a whopping 94% over the past 10 years, essentially doubling the cost from £9,995 in 2013 to £19,350 in 2023. This increase was largely due to Ford phasing out models with fewer features (first the Style, then the Zetec) in favour of pricier models with more features. As you can see below, the Puma tracked at roughly £6K-7K more expensive than the Fiesta as soon as it was introduced.

Average Starting OTR Cost History of Ford Fiesta and Ford Puma

Cost of the Average Medium Car

A medium, C-segment car will cost you in the range of £26,000 to £28,500 in 2026, as a starting price for a low-end model. This estimate is based on current OTR prices for some of the UK's top selling medium car models in 2026: we looked at prices for the Skoda Octavia, the Volkswagen Golf Life and the Vauxhall Astra Griffin (a new, cheaper trim level).

Currently, the Vauxhall Astra Griffin is the cheapest of the three, starting from £26,135. The Skoda Octavia starts from £28,490 and the Volkswagen Golf Life is a close third, starting from £28,895. The average price of these three popular models is £28,840, up around £1.6K from 2025.

Starting OTR Prices of Popular Medium Car Models

(The ever-popular Ford Focus used to be included in our profile of popular medium-sized cars, but Ford stopped production of the Focus for the UK market in November 2025.)

Cost of the Average SUV

While a small SUV can start from the mid-£20,000s OTR, the most popular, medium SUV makes and models will set you back in the range of £30,615 to £33,105 as a starting price. This was based on our comparison of the Nissan Qashqai, the Kia Sportage and the Hyundai Tucson.

The best-selling Nissan Qashqai starts from £30,615 for the Acenta line, but the Tekna+ starts from £39,155. The Kia Sportage starts from £30,935 and the Hyundai Tucson starts from £33,015.

Starting OTR Prices of Popular Medium Car Models

One of the most popular SUVs for years, the Nissan Qashqai, has steadily risen in price nearly each year since 2013, with a sharper rise in 2024 (of £3,000 equivalent to more than 10%. In 2026, motorists now pay from £30,135 for an entry-level Qashqai in 2025, which is over £12,000 more expensive than it was 10 years ago—a rise of over 67%, but less of an increase than some other popular cars.

Average Starting OTR Cost of Nissan Qashqai 2016-2025

Once you've bought a car, you will need to insure it. For information on finding the best insurance company for your needs, see our article on top car insurance companies.

Used Cars

How much does a used car usually cost?

According to data we gathered from AutoTrader in January 2026, the median price of a used car is in the £10,000 - £20,000 price bucket. We calculated this figure by analysing the distribution of (pre-owned) cars on Autotrader with at leas 500 miles on the odometer across different price bands, as you can see below. (We found 396,508 used cars like this for sale, and when the cars were ranked from most to least expensive, the cost of cars in the middle fell in the £10,000 - £20,000 price bucket.)

We also have used car pricing stats from back in 2020. Interestingly, but perhaps not surprisingly, we find that in 2026 there are fewer "cheap" cars available, compared to six years ago. This is consistent with the rise in used car prices generally. You can see this in the chart below. Notice how the chart has shifted down from 2020 to 2026 for the cheaper pricing buckets. Now, there are fewer cars in the "cheaper" price ranges.

Which vehicles most commonly come onto the Used Car market?

The reasons a vehicle make or model can make it onto the Used Car market regularly aren't always as simple as there being a lot of them on the road. For example, car manufacturers like BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz often release "life-cycle updates" throughout the duration of a core model's life that make minor changes/quality of life improvement to the vehicle without changing the fundamentals of the cars—but if you wanted to have the most up-to-date model, as those fortunate enough to afford a luxury vehicle often do, then you'll want to trade in your old model, pay the extra and enjoy the new upgrades.

Also, many vehicles come onto the used car market after being used in company car fleets or by rent-a-car businesses. Again, higher-end brands like BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz often prove popular for these schemes, as an enticing benefit for current and potential future employees. Once the vehicles go over a certain age or mileage, they often find their way into dealerships or websites like AutoTrader as used.

Regardless, the most popular (common) used cars are made by BMW, Ford, Volkswagen, Audi and Mercedes-Benz:

Number of Used Models available for sale

Paying for a car

Unless you are sitting on a pile of cash, you'll probably need to consider car financing options if you need a new car. But which deal is the right one for you? NimbleFins explores a range of options and weighs up their pros and cons so that you can make an informed decision, in our article on car finance options.

Methodology

The NimbleFins team updated this article in January 2026 with pricing data from auto retailers' websites and CPI data to capture retail pricing for 2026. Historical data was gathered using previously-gathered data from prior updates to this article, the Wayback Machine to view snapshots of relevant auto retailers' websites from previous years and searches for older price lists, so they are accurate to the best of our knowledge. Prices reflect the most basic, or "standard," versions of the models offered, except where we mention prices for popular models (which are not entry level and therefore cost more).

The selection of best-selling makes and models for each category was guided by our research of the UK car market from data gathered from SMMT and Gov.uk.

Used vehicle information was gathered from AutoTrader.