In light of car tax increases to come on 1st April, new research has analysed how much it costs to own some of the UK’s most popular vehicles now vs. ten years ago. The research, conducted by LeaseCar UK has revealed that owners of popular vehicle models are paying up to 68% more than they were ten years ago.
It’s no secret that owning and running a car is one of the biggest outgoings, but one deemed as necessary by 69% of the UK. More than 11 million Brits have less than £1,000 in savings – making buying a car outright impossible for many drivers.
That’s why LeaseCar UK has analysed the average cost of owning 10 popular cars (including Audi A3, VW Golf and Nissan Juke) in the UK in 2024 vs. 2014, considering expenses like the outright purchase of a car, insurance, fuel, and tax, to reveal the financial strain car ownership places on the nation.
The average cost of car ownership has increased 84% since 2014
The team at LeaseCar UK delved into the most commonly mentioned vehicles in ‘popular vehicles’ articles in 2014, then crunched the prices for five important factors of car ownership. Some of 2014’s most popular vehicles are still cult favourites in 2024, including Ford’s Fiesta and Focus models, the Nissan Juke, the infamous Vauxhall Corsa and Audi A3.
The analysis, which reveals that if Brits wish to purchase one of the most popular cars in the UK, they would spend on average £29,526.42 in their first year of ownership. Ten years ago, the average cost of ownership would be £16,048.42 in the first year, if purchasing a vehicle with a lump sum – that’s £7,478.42 less than it would be this year and 59% of the average annual wage at the time.
| Year | Purchase price | Maintenance | Fuel | Vehicle tax | Insurance |
| 2014 | £14,637 | £129 | £849.52 | £28 | £405.47 |
| 2024 | £27,649 | £210 | £855.92 | £190 | £622.00 |
| % change | 88.90% | 62.87% | 0.75% | 578.57% | 53.40% |
Own one of these three popular models? This is how much more you’re paying now vs. ten years ago
Of the ten most popular vehicles in 2014 and 2024, three models stood the test of time in regards to popularity with the British public.
The Audi A3, Volkswagen Golf and Nissan Juke all appeared in articles depicting them as the most popular not only in 2014 but also ten years later in 2024. While the models remain the same, the cost of ownership is highlighted as considerably more expensive.
For the Nissan Juke, the cost of ownership was £15,035 in 2014 and has risen 68% to £25,346 in 2025. Volkswagen Golf drivers, if purchasing outright, now have to pay 65% more than they did a decade ago.
The cost of owning popular vehicles in 2014 vs. 2024
| Model | Nissan Juke | Audi A3 | Volkswagen Golf |
| Outright purchase Price (2014) | £13,420 | £29,485 | £16,350 |
| Outright purchase price (2024) | £23,500 | £29,515 | £27,420 |
| Maintenance cost (2014) | £142.51 | £142.51 | £142.51 |
| Maintenance cost (2024) | £210.00 | £210.00 | £210.00 |
| Cost of fuel (2014) | £957.45 | £819.24 | £748.01 |
| Cost of fuel (2024) | £818.84 | £797.55 | £797.55 |
| Vehicle tax (2014) | £110 | £30 | £30 |
| Vehicle tax (2025)* | £195 | £195 | £195 |
| Insurance cost (2014) | £405.47 | £405.47 | £405.47 |
| Insurance cost (2024) | £622 | £622 | £622 |
| Total cost (2014) | £15,035 | £30,882 | £17,676 |
| Total cost (2025) | £25,346 (+61%) | £31,340 (+1.5%) | £29,245 (+65%) |
* Maintenance is based on the cost of one full service. Fuel cost is based on driving the average UK annual mileage. Vehicle tax differs as per tax band. Vehicle tax figures updated in light of car vehicle tax increase on 1st April.
However – not all vehicles have risen in price as drastically – the cost of owning an Audi A3, while it was the most expensive car to own in 2014 out of the 10 analysed, has risen just 1.5% to £31,340 today.
Information revealing how much it costs to own and run the full list of ten popular vehicles in 2014 vs. today – including UK favourites such as Nissan Juke, VW Golf and Audi A3 can be found on LeaseCar UK’s campaign page.
