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What makes a happy holiday driver?

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<b>HAPPY DRIVERS DRIVE A SKODA?</b>  The happiest drivers are likely to be called Daniel or Wendy and may well drive a Teal blue or yellow Skoda, according to WeLoveAnyCar.com. <i>Image: Supplied</i>
<b>HAPPY DRIVERS DRIVE A SKODA?</b> The happiest drivers are likely to be called Daniel or Wendy and may well drive a Teal blue or yellow Skoda, according to WeLoveAnyCar.com. <i>Image: Supplied</i>

The happiest drivers are likely to be called Daniel or Wendy and may well drive a Teal blue or yellow Škoda (a Czech car brand), according to the UK’s independent customer car review site, WeLoveAnyCar.com.

Using data supplied by more than 650 000 car drivers who have independently rated their cars, WeLoveAnyCar.com has been able to identify not only the models with which drivers are happiest overall but also who the drivers are and where they come from.

According to the (British) statistics the most frequently seen name for a male driver happy with his car is Daniel, closely followed by Jack; female drivers such as Wendy and Jane lead the way in the happiness stakes.

BRIGHT-COLOURED CARS WORK BEST

At the other end of the scale Jamie and Wayne are the least-satisfied male drivers, while Liz and Tracey are the unhappiest women behind the wheel.

Colour seems to play a part, too, with Teal cars appearing to satisfy their owners most, followed by those of yellow and white persuasion. Purple and brown cars are apparently the least satisfying to own, proving that a vibrant splash of colour can also add a splash of joy to your motoring life.

And that could be just the tonic in Rochester in the south of England, where car drivers are apparently least happy, closely followed by those way north in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

If you’d rather share the road with happy drivers then you’ll need to make your way to Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland where motorists profess to be happiest with their wheels, or head even further north to Inverness where they are second-happiest. The most contented drivers in England are found in Sunderland (wherein is a Nissan factory) – third on the overall list despite drivers with neighbouring Newcastle being among the least satisfied.

Wherever they live owners of Škodas are definitely the happiest in Britain, according to the awards. The Czech brand took the honours for the second year in succession as WeLoveAnyCar.com’s best overall manufacturer. Škoda also won the coveted Best diesel award, as well as individual categories victories for the Yeti, Roomster and appropriately named Superb – all models that haven’t made it to SA – not yet, anyhow.

Maybe they should and we, too, could be happier on the roads.

A spokesman for WeLoveAnyCar.com said: “Unlike other car awards, our data gives us the ability to find out why drivers are truly happy – or unhappy – taking into account not just the make and model of car they own but also who they are, where they are and why they’re happy or unhappy with their vehicle.

PRICELESS INFORMATION

“It’s priceless information and as the reviews are all live on our site it’s there for any car owner or potential buyer to see what any car is like to live with in the real world. Škoda’s achievement is exceptional as there’s no bias or agenda – just real car owners talking about their experiences. Seeing one brand repeatedly do well clearly shows there’s a reason to like the cars.”

Other notable achievers are Fiat’s performance group, Abarth (also not common in South Africa), that won the new Rising Star of the Year award; Japanese maker Honda for winning the Most Reliable category and Subaru for being the brand most recommended by its owners.

Other categories prove that reputation is more than mere perception with Maserati taking the Great-to-Drive honours, Lexus winning the Most Comfortable Award and Smart the Most Economical.

Sue Baker, editor-in-chief of WeLoveAnyCar.com, said: “In many ways these are the most honest of any car awards, as they’re judged by the general public. They’re based on the real-life experiences of car owners who’ve lived with the vehicles, experienced their good and bad points and are in a far better position to make a comprehensive judgment than a road tester who’s had limited exposure to the model.

“Together, we can tell people what really makes a car great. I can say what makes a car fantastic to drive or what makes a fabulous piece of design, but only the actual owner can say what they’re like to live with over an extended period.”

The WeLoveAnyCar.com National Car Awards have been judged on more than 650 000 independent reviews. Drivers rated their cars on a scale of one to five for various features, including overall happiness, comfort, handling, fuel economy, performance and value for money.

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