Honest John Awards 2016: The Winners
The Honest John Awards celebrates the cars that are most popular with you, our readers.
The awards are split across 16 categories, spanning everything from family estates to high performance cars. However, all of the winners have one thing in common - they've proved the most popular with Honest John readers.
Rather than use a panel of so called 'experts' to pick the winners, we let the best experts we know - you our audience - decide. So these are the cars that had the most page views on honestjohn.co.uk over the past 12 months.
Most Popular City Car – Hyundai i10
Efficient, easy to drive and well-equipped, the Hyundai i10 is everything a city car should be, with a comfortable cabin and stylish exterior. With this in mind, it's perhaps unsurprising that it has won the Most Popular City Car award for the third year running.
Consistently popular with the readers of HonestJohn.co.uk, the i10 blends upmarket styling with bargain basement running costs, while Hyundai's five-year warranty reinforces the i10's standing as one of the best city cars for value.
Most Popular Small Hatchback – Ford Fiesta
The Ford Fiesta has been the UK's best-selling car for the past few years, with its efficient engines, keen handling and excellent all-round usability making it the number one choice for thousands of drivers.
At home in town or on the motorway, with families and new drivers, the Fiesta is unquestionably one of the best cars money can buy and number one with the readers of HonestJohn.co.uk, scoring more page views than any other small hatchback.
Most Popular Small Family Car – Citroen C4 Cactus
Quirky, fun and great value, the C4 Cactus is a fantastic return to form for Citroen, with eye-catching good looks backed up by high levels of comfort, refinement and everyday usability.
The Citroen C4 Cactus enjoys unrivalled popularity on HonestJohn.co.uk, the review generating more page impressions than any other small family car.
Most Popular Large Family Car – Skoda Superb
The Skoda Superb is proof that you don't have to break the bank to enjoy the high life. Upmarket, well-equipped and good to drive, the Superb has a luxurious and large interior that wouldn't be amiss in a German executive car costing upwards of £50,000.
Over the past 12 months the Superb has topped the table for its large family car page impressions, fighting off fierce competition to take the Most Popular Large Family Car prize at the Honest John Awards 2016.
Most Popular Compact Premium Car – Mercedes-Benz GLC
The stylish GLC has gained plenty of admirers since its introduction in 2015, beating the BMW X3 and the Audi Q5 to the Most Popular Compact Premium Car title in the process.
It isn't difficult to understand the upmarket appeal. The GLC is silky smooth and refined, combining the comfort of a C-Class with the practicality of a family crossover. What's more, all GLC models are capable off-road, while the quiet and efficient range of diesels provides frugal economy.
Most Popular Large Premium Car – BMW 5 Series
It might be six years old, but the popularity of the 5 Series shows no sign of fading, with BMW's fleet favourite claiming the Most Popular Large Premium Car title for the second year running.
Great on fuel, easy to drive and boasting high levels of comfort, the 5 Series outperforms the latest crop of large premium cars by a considerable margin. As a result it has generated more page views than any other car in its class.
Most Popular MPV – Ford S-MAX
Ford's large and practical seven-seater is extremely popular with HonestJohn.co.uk readers, with its high tech and airy cabin providing plenty of comfort and distraction for children and adults alike.
Like the previous model, the S-MAX is good to drive and offered with a huge range of petrol and diesel engines, with outputs varying from a frugal 120PS to a hot hatch rivalling 210PS.
Most Popular Crossover - Suzuki Vitara
Few crossovers come close to matching the brilliance of the Suzuki Vitara. Practical, well built and economical, the Vitara ticks all of the family car boxes, while its five star NCAP rating makes it one of the safest cars in its class.
Over the past 12 months the Suzuki Vitara has remained the most popular crossover at HonestJohn.co.uk, with owners praising its affordable price and impressive fuel economy.
Most Popular SUV - Land Rover Discovery Sport
The Land Rover Discovery Sport has fought off some tough competition to take the Most Popular SUV category at the Honest John Awards 2016.
Stylish and luxurious, the Discovery Sport replaced the Freelander, adding some much needed modernisation, with 5+2 seating configuration and 1700 litres of maximum boot space. Plus of course, legendary Land Rover off-road ability.
Most Popular Convertible - Ford Mustang
The UK had to wait a long time for the Mustang, but in late 2015 Ford finally answered the enthusiasts' prayers by launching its American icon in the UK.
Since then the Mustang has dominated HonestJohn.co.uk searches for soft-tops, clinching the title as the Most Popular Convertible in the process. It is a lot of car for the money too, while its blend of Americana is guaranteed to turn heads wherever it goes.
Most Popular Performance Car - Honda Civic Type R
The Most Popular Performance Car market is always a closely fought affair, but it is the Honda Civic Type R that comes out top in the Honest John Awards 2016.
Capable of covering 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds, the 167mph Civic Type R is quick and capable, while its family hatchback origins also make it surprisingly practical and usable on a day-to-day basis. Exciting to drive and striking to look at, the hardcore Honda is a worthy winner in the high octane class.
Most Popular Luxury Car - Audi A7 Sportback
The Audi A7 Sportback is the ultimate in executive travel, with its coupe bodystyle combining the comfort of a luxurious saloon with the practicality of a family hatchback.
With this in mind, it's perhaps unsurprising to see the Audi A7 Sportback claim the Most Popular Luxury Car prize for the third year running, with its sleek shape, sports car performance and superbly finished interior producing more page views than any other car in its class.
Most Popular Van - Volkswagen Transporter
The T6 Transporter picks up where the T5 left off, with a robust interior and low running costs. All models are capable of shifting big loads, while Volkswagen's attention to detail provides a comfortable and well-built cabin.
The Volkswagen Transporter is the standard by which all other medium panel vans are judged. Hardly surprising then that it’s loved by everyone from delivery drivers to surfers.
Best Real MPG Performer - Toyota Verso 1.6 D-4D
It’s no secret that the majority of cars fail to meet their fuel economy ratings. However, did you know that there are a few cars out that will not only match their official figure, but also beat them?
The Toyota Verso is one such car, with the 1.6 D-4D averaging 103 per cent of its official economy. As a result it is the clear winner when it comes to real world efficiency, with the diesel averaging almost 65mpg.
Most Highly Rated Car - Renault Captur
The Renault Captur is the highest rated car with HonestJohn.co.uk readers, with the compact crossover regularly scoring high results in Owners' Reviews.
Over the past 12 months, readers have praised the Captur for its modern styling, low running costs and comfortable interior. It's has won the plaudits for its value and practicality too, making it a favourite with family buyers.
Car of the Year - Suzuki Vitara
The Suzuki Vitara is the Honest John Car of the Year 2016. Based on reader page impressions over the past 12 months, more HonestJohn.co.uk readers clicked the Suzuki Vitara review than any other car on the site.
Dan Harrison, editor of HonestJohn.co.uk said: “Our readers tell us that they want cars that are practical, well built and honest when it comes to fuel consumption. The Vitara offers all of that with a dash of style and sense of occasion. It’s no surprise that it’s been such a hit on the site."
