20 Best Affordable Luxury Cars For Less Than $40,000

A luxury car doesn't necessarily have to have a luxury price. In November, the average cost of a new car was $35,870, according to Kelley Blue Book. The average luxury car ($57,399 on average) is more than double the cost of a compact SUV ($28,990). The cost of a high-end luxury car ($96,822) could buy a family a mid-sized commuter car ($25,510), a minivan ($35,621) and a subcompact car for their firstborn ($16,311) and leave them enough for a decent investment. But the entry-level luxury vehicle is the great equalizer. An entry-level luxury car ($42,223) or compact SUV ($44,403) is only slightly more than the average electric vehicle ($39,447). Also, each is sold at a discount compared to the working-class, full-size pickup truck ($47,393). If you've ever shopped at Neiman Marcus Last Call or Nordstrom Rack for high-end labels at low prices, you understand luxury automakers are doing with their entry-level offerings. The once entry-level Mercedes-Benz C-class and BMW 3 series have been supplanted by lower-tier vehicles. Why? Because those automakers could use the sales. Luxury car sales dropped 7.2% through November, according to MotorIntelligence. That's compared to an 10.3% drop in the car market overall. The only luxury vehicles that received significant bump were luxury SUVs, which saw sales increase by a modest 3.4% year over year. Those luxury automakers' struggles can be a less-flush car buyer's opportunity to step up to a cushier vehicle. With help from the folks at Kelly Blue Book we found 20 luxury vehicles that cost less than $40,000. Audi A3 © Provided by Thestreet.com Starting price: $31,950 The standard suite of Audi features, including Audi Connect capability information and entertainment services, make this a particularly good bargain at this price and mileage. Standard throw-ins include Xenon headlights with LED trim, dual-zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof, leather seats, HD Radio, SiriusXM satellite radio, Bluetooth, an SD card slot with 32 gigabytes of operating capacity and rain-sensing wipers and light-sensing headlights. Meanwhile, the A3's efficient-for-a-luxury-vehicle 28 miles per gallon is a fairly sweet perk of its own. Audi Q3 © Provided by Thestreet.com Starting price: $32,900 Though a 200-horsepower 4-cylinder engine is a little underpowered for an Audi, and its Drive Select system to tighten or loosen the handling seems like overkill, it's the little perks that make it pop. An available 14-speaker Bose audio system, enhanced navigation that doubles as a Wi-Fi hotspot and sensor-driven parking and lane-assist systems are all nice options to have. However, the standard panoramic sunroof, 12-way heated leather seats and voice control system all give you Audi feel at a station-wagon price. Acura TLX © Provided by Thestreet.com Starting price: $33,000 Acura and its U.S. operations in Marysville, Ohio just know what the U.S. market wants, and this latest luxury take on the Honda Accord is a prime example. Insulated against sound, tricked out with LED lighting and loaded with automated safety features including lane assistance, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot warning and collision-mitigating braking, the TLX is a really cushy preview of what will eventually be Honda's self-driving car. There's a whole lot of American labor and ingenuity behind those advancements, but it's just a hint of what's to come. Oh, and if you get stuck with a four-cylinder instead of a V6, doesn't worry: That combined 30 miles per gallon -- including 35 mpg on the highway -- more than makes up for the lack of power. Acura RDX © Provided by Thestreet.com Starting price: $35,800 It's the luxury version of the Honda CR-V, which isn't a bad thing. The CR-V is Honday's best-selling SUV, and Honda-owned Acura loads it up to a 279-horsepower V6 engine, a multiview rear camera, keyless access, power tailgate and automatic climate control. It also offers GPS-linked climate control in the RDX's that communicates with a GPS-linked solar sensor that determines the position of the sun relative to the driver and passenger to tell your dual-zone climate control system then to keep the sunny side of the car as cool as the shaded side. Voice command, navigation, remote start, rain-sensing wipers and all-wheel drive are other options, but the 61 cubic feet of maximum cargo space is a big draw for families. BMW XI © Provided by Thestreet.com Starting price: $33,900 The X1 has a huge-for-a-luxury-compact 58.7 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats down. There's a heads-up display on the windshield, cornering LED headights, automatic climate control, power tailgate, BMW's telematics and infotainment system and lots of other perks built around a zippy 228 horsepower, four-cylinder twin turbo engine. BMW 2 Series © Provided by Thestreet.com Starting price: $34,800 The 2 Series may be the former the entry-level 3 Series' less-fortunate sibling, but it still has the same logo on the front. With a bit more plastic in the interior, a bit more petrochemical upholstery on the seats and just a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder, 240-horsepower turbo engine under the hood (albeit with 28.5 combined mpg), it's basically a baby step above the company's Mini badge. However, with its sport setting, stability control and performance suspension, this soft-top bargain BMW wants to give you all the fun of driving this brand at the cost of some of its more luxurious components. You still get the iDrive touchscreen computer system, rain-sensing wipers, automatic climate control and keyless ignition, but the satellite radio is extra, leather and wood are nonexistent and the more high-tech safety features are noticeably absent. Buick Encore © Provided by Thestreet.com Starting price: $22,990 Buick is really big on providing just enough luxury at a sub-premium price. The Encore is nearly a foot shorter than the Honda CR-V, but you can fold both the rear seats and front passenger seat flat for hauling cargo in its 48 cubic feet of space. The Encore's list of features includes available 4G LTE Wi-Fi, available dual climate control, power moon roof, rain sensing wipers, heated side mirrors, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, a rearview camera, split-folding rear seats, OnStar telematics and a six-speaker sound system with a CD player, satellite radio, a USB/iPod interface, an auxiliary audio jack and Buick's IntelliLink control interface with a 7-inch touchscreen and integrated smartphone apps. While Buick is a baby step beneath General Motors' big luxury brand, Cadillac, it still loves to pamper its customers. Buick LaCrosse © Provided by Thestreet.com Starting price: $29,565 When Buick first redesigned the bulbous, oversized LaCrosse back in 2009, it was a Big Deal. Buick loaded up on the plush amenities, but downgraded the engine from a V6 to a four-cylinder. Even that only succeeded in getting it a combined 23 miles per gallon until it introduced the semi-hybrid eAssist that manages 30.5. Seeing the one big area where the LaCrosse could improve, Buick upgraded it in 2015, put it on a lighter Chevy Impala platform. It may not be enough to keep the car from dropping out of Buick's SUV-heavy lineup in the future, but it's a fairly sweet deal for drivers who can still get one. Cadillac ATS © Provided by Thestreet.com Starting price: $35,495 The entry-level Caddy doesn't believe in sacrifice, even if GM might sacrifice it in favor of SUVs. The 2.5-liter version gets little more than 200 horsepower, but makes up for it with very un-Cadillac mileage. The 3.6-liter V6 doesn't break 28 miles per gallon, but it produces 335 horsepower and provides the muscle that a good Cadillac should -- complete with limited rear slip differential, magnetic ride control and magnesium paddle shifters. Technologically, the ATS is off to a good start with 4G Wi-Fi. With keyless entry and remote start via smartphone, a Bose sound system and the Cadillac CUE touchscreen console with voice feedback and wireless phone charging, it's loaded. Chevrolet Volt © Provided by Thestreet.com Starting price: $33,220 It's not only a more efficient plug-in hybrid than it's ever been, but it's about $10,000 less expensive than it used to be. The original Volt's all-electric range was a scant 35 miles and its gas mileage wasn't great either. However, its silent interior became the foundation for its 2016 redesign that adds more battery capacity, subtracts weight and goes a lot farther without gas. Not only is the sleeker body a welcome improvement, but the dual 8-inch LED color displays, Chevrolet MyLink apps system (with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto) all make the Volt feel less stuffy. Oh, and the 42.5 mpg from the gas motor and 53 miles of electric range don't hurt, either. Infiniti QX30 © Provided by Thestreet.com Starting price: $29,950 There's a reason for the price: Even for a crossover, this is really small. There's a scant 34 cubic feet of total cargo space with the seats down and a body style that nominally resembles an SUV. However, the leather steering wheel, heated power rearview mirror, 208-horsepower four-cylinder engine, combined 28.5 miles per gallon, dual-zone automatic climate control, Bluetooth connectivity, backup camera and InFiniti InTouch infotainment system with 7-inch touchscreen all seem like lovely features... for a sedan. Infiniti Q50 © Provided by Thestreet.com Starting price: $34,200 Introduced four years ago to replace the Infiniti G sedan, this is a more plush version of the tuner favorite Nissan Skyline. The top-of-the-line 3-liter V6 engine cranks out 399 horsepower, while even the hybrid version produces 359. Yet surrounding paddle shifters and sport gauges with a leather interior, wood-and-chrome trim, touchscreen apps systems, navigation and other baubles seem to distract this vehicle from its intended purpose: Laying rubber and taking names. Jaguar XE © Provided by Thestreet.com Starting price: $35,725 Jaguar vehicles have always leaned heavily on their looks, but it's the sporty handling that sells this low-end Jag. The push-button start, automatic dual-zone climate control, Bluetooth connectivity, HD radio and leather-wrapped steering wheel are somewhat plush, but the fact that a rearview camera, adaptive headlights, head-up display and automatic high beams cost extra suggest that Jaguar knows the line between "luxury" and luxurious. Lexus NX 300h © Provided by Thestreet.com Starting price: $38,335 A luxurious, hybrid version of the Toyota RAV4 seemed like a great idea at the time. Almost 18 cubic feet of cargo space, 36 inches of legroom in the back, a smartphone charger, LED lighting a remote touchpad to control your information and entertainment options also sounded fairly pleasant. However the NX 300h is fairly fortunate that its 33 mpg of combined mileage leads the class right now, since naysayers have noticed that there isn't a lot of hybrid competition for it in the luxury sector. Lexus IS © Provided by Thestreet.com Starting price: $36,210 The paddle-shift transmission, drive modes, 10.3-inch multimedia display, touch-based climate controls and Lexus Enform entertainment system all come at a premium over the similarly-designed Toyota Camry. That said, the base IS 300 produces 241 horsepower from its easily modified four-cylinder turbo engine and features performance driving modes and available all-wheel drive. Lincoln MKZ © Provided by Thestreet.com Starting price: $35,445 In 2017, Ford give this vehicle a honeycomb-chrome grill, Audi-style LED accent lights and a 3-liter, 400 horsepower engine to compete with Audi, Mercedes and BMW's entry-level vehicles. The MKZ's evolution has taken a solid first step, though the hybrid version's 40 mpg combined looks a lot better than the standard model's 24. Mercedes-Benz CLA-class © Provided by Thestreet.com Starting price: $32,700 Why would Mercedes drop a 2-liter 4-cylinder into a vehicle? To get 32 miles per gallon of combined highway and city mileage. The baby Benz produces just 208 horsepower of this baby Benz, but a 375-horsepower all-wheel drive version with sports suspension and racing brakes is available for more than our $40,000 limit. However, the touchscreen infotainment system with Bluetooth and HD radio, the smartphone app with five years of free features and the the radar-based collision, attention and braking assistance are strong standard features for an entry-level car. Mercedes-Benz GLA-clas © Provided by Thestreet.com Starting price: $32,850 From the chrome 18-inch rims to the 43.6 cubic feet of total cargo space and 28.5 miles to the gallon combined, the GLA-class combines luxury and utility. The 7-inch touchscreen display, Bluetooth audio streaming, five years of smartphone apps, Wi-Fi and streaming audio and automated collision, attention, blind-spot, lane-keeping and cruise-control assistance are all nice little features. However, the more than 200 horsepower and 30 miles per gallon make it a powerful, yet frugal choice. Mini Clubman © Provided by Thestreet.com Starting price: $24,100 Once just Mini's stretchy, gate-doored entry into the small car segment, the Clubman has bulked up a bit and added features including various upholstery options and the Mini Connected information and entertainment system with 6.5-inch high-resolution display, third-party app support, Bluetooth audio streaming and voice control. Mini's goal is to dazzle premium customers with a leather-wrapped three-spoke multifunction steering wheel and gearshift, dual-zone automatic climate control, rain-sensing windshield wipers, keyless ignition, 12-color ambient interior lighting, 60/40 split-folding rear seats, 16-inch alloy wheels, and carbon black leatherette upholstery. However, the biggest update is the choice of a BMW-developed three- or four-cylinder turbocharged engine, and with a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic. BMW crammed 134 horsepower into the three-cylinder, while the four gets 189 horsepower. Volvo V60 © Provided by Thestreet.com Starting price: $36,150 It looks like a wagon, but its combined 31 mpg are much more efficient than the wood-paneled wagons of the past. The 2-liter, 4-cylinder engine for the front-wheel drive model is the only version that gets anything close to this kind of mileage. The five-cylinder all-wheel-drive upgrade cuts combined mileage to less than 25 miles per gallon, but the base still gets you 43.8 cubic feet of cargo space, 3,500 pounds of towing capacity power driver's and front-passengers' seats, power moonroof and an audio and communications system with a 7-inch touchscreen.

The best cars for teens

Getting a first car is a huge moment in the life of a teenager. That first car is always memorable, but whether those memories are good or bad depends on exactly what kind of vehicle one ends up with. Our list of the best cars for teens includes five solid choices from different categories. All of them cover important bases like affordability, but they each offer something extra that elevates them above basic transportation. Why should you buy this: It’s safe, reliable, but not boring. The Mazda 3 offers the safety and reliability of a good first car, with some extra character thrown in. Who’s it for: Budding car enthusiasts. The Mazda 3 is a great car for teens because it’s simply a great car. It will indoctrinate them into the concept that cars can be fun and entertaining even when they have to be practical, and it also checks important boxes like reliability, value, and safety (it’s an IIHS Top Safety Pick). Unlike many other compact cars, the Mazda 3 gives its driver more than just basic transportation. Handling is above average, exterior styling is pleasing to the eye, and even the base 2.0-liter engine is pretty zingy, making the most of its 155 horsepower (a 184-hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder is available on higher trim levels). Mazda also offers plenty of tech features like a nine-speaker Bose audio system and head-up display, albeit as optional extras. The rotary controller paired with the standard 7.0-inch touchscreen display is also easy to use, and paranoid parents can spec safety features like autonomous emergency braking and rear cross traffic alert. Miles Branman/Digital Trends Why should you buy this: It’s a solid car with a choice of three green powertrains. The best Green Car for Teens 2017 Hyundai Ioniq EV The Hyundai Ioniq offers three green powertrain options — all of them good. $29,500.00 from Hyundai Who’s it for: Up-and-coming environmentalists. How much will it cost: $22,200+ (hybrid) Why we picked the Hyundai Ioniq: The Hyundai Ioniq may look like just another hatchback, but that’s because Hyundai put all of the effort into the powertrain. The Ioniq is offered in hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery-electric flavors. It’s the only car currently on sale in the United States to offer that combination of options. Whichever powertrain you pick, the Ioniq offers impressive efficiency. The Ioniq Hybrid gets an EPA-rated 55 mpg combined (58 mpg in the efficiency-focused Blue trim), while the Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid can operate solely on electric power for up to 29 miles with an efficiency rating of 119 MPGe combined. Finally, the Ioniq Electric offers 124 miles of range at 136 MPGe combined. The Ioniq Electric is the most energy efficient car currently sold in the U.S. Hyundai also tried to make the Ioniq fun. The Ioniq Hybrid and Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid use a six-speed dual-clutch transmission for snappier responses, and the chassis was tuned for relatively lively handling. The combination of efficiency, a focus on driving dynamics, and typical Hyundai value makes the Ioniq a worthy contender. Our full Hyundai Ioniq review The best Sports Car for Teens Subaru BRZ View photos Why should you buy this: It’s all the sports car you’ll ever need. The best Sports Car for Teens 2017 Subaru BRZ The Subaru BRZ is fun to drive, but it won’t scare your parents. $25,495.00 from Subaru Who’s it for: Wannabe racers. How much will it cost: $25,595+ Why we picked the Subaru BRZ: The Subaru BRZ is exactly the kind of car enthusiasts beg car companies to make. Like its nearly identical sibling, the Toyota 86 , the BRZ is a relatively inexpensive, small, rear-wheel drive sports car that offers a high ratio of fun per dollar. With its low-slung two-door coupe body and exciting driving experience, the BRZ is one cool item. But it’s not exactly the fastest car in the world, which should be a relief to parents. The 2.0-liter boxer-four engine produces 205 hp (200 hp in automatic models), which is enough to let the BRZ get out of its own way, but not too much for new drivers to handle. As driving skill and bank accounts expand, the BRZ still has a lot to offer. The Subaru sports car has become a darling of the aftermarket, so there are plenty of opportunities to boost performance with modifications. Read more about the Subaru BRZ The best Pickup Truck for Teens Toyota Tacoma View photos Why should you buy this: It can stand up to all kinds of abuse. The best Pickup Truck for Teens 2018 Toyota Tacoma The Toyota Tacoma is a paradigm of reliability and toughness. $25,200.00 from Toyota Who’s it for: People with things to haul and trails to scour. How much will it cost: $25,200+ Why we picked the Toyota Tacoma: For someone who is just learning how to drive, it’s probably best to go with a smaller, more maneuverable truck than the full-size rigs that dominate the market. The midsize pickup truck segment has experienced a rebirth lately, with reinvigorated entries from General Motors and Honda showing up over the past couple of years. But Toyota has been there all along. The Tacoma stuck it out through the lean times, and got a full redesign for the 2016 model year. The current-generation Tacoma features tough-looking exterior styling and a wider range of tech features than before. It still has everything you want from a truck, including a basic-but-functional interior and an old-school four-wheel drive system. Even if a brand-new Tacoma is out of reach, the previous-generation model is a solid truck as well. Because it was made for about a decade, there should be plenty of used examples on the market. The Tacoma also has a great reputation for reliability, even more so than other Toyotas. After the apocalypse, the only things left on Earth will be some cockroaches, Keith Richards, and Toyota trucks. Read more about the Toyota Tacoma  The best Crossover/SUV for Teens Jeep Renegade View photos Why should you buy this: It’s fun, distinctive, and can play in the dirt. The best Crossover/SUV for Teens 2017 Jeep Renegade Sport The Jeep Renegade is one of the few subcompact SUVs that doesn’t feel like a glorified hatchback. $17,995.00 from Jeep Who’s it for: Young explorers. How much will it cost: $17,995+ Why we picked the Jeep Renegade: The Renegade is the smallest and least-expensive vehicle Jeep makes, so it’s the easiest entry point for fans of this well-known brand. Sharing a platform with the Fiat 500X, it’s part of a wave of subcompact crossovers that undercut more traditional models like the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, and Jeep’s own Cherokee in size and price. Unlike most other vehicles in its class, the Renegade actually feels like a real SUV. That’s partly down to a tall, upright driving position and styling that mimics more traditional Jeeps. But the Renegade also has genuine off-road abilities, at least as long as you choose the high-end ($26,895) Trailhawk model. It gets the same Selec-Terrain system offered in larger Jeeps, and a sophisticated all-wheel drive system. On the road, the Renegade offers the car-like handling typical of crossovers, and its small size makes it a better fit for urban areas than larger models. A distinctive-looking interior and intuitive Uconnect infotainment system round out the package. How We Test The Digital Trends automotive team tests vehicles through a comprehensive scrutinizing process. We examine the qualities of the exterior and interior and judge them based on our expertise and experience in the context of the vehicle’s category and price range. Entertainment technology is thoroughly tested as well as most safety features that can be tested in controlled environments. Test drivers spend extensive time behind the wheel of the vehicles, conducting real-world testing, driving them on highways, back roads, as well as off-road and race tracks when applicable.

Movers and shakers: The UK's 10 best-selling new cars of 2017 revealed

Official figures released on Friday confirmed that new car sales in the UK dropped by 5.7 per cent last year - the first decline in registrations since 2011. Despite the shrinking market, more new vehicles were sold in 2017 than any other year on record bar 2015 and 2016, meaning the sector is still experiencing a period of rich health. So which cars were the most popular sellers over the last 12 months? Here's the countdown from 10 to 1 and how their ranking and sales figures compare to the year previous. The Mercedes-Benz A-Class broke into the top 10 this year with dealers selling more examples than they did in 2017 10.  Mercedes-Benz A-Class, 43,717 registrations Price from: £20,715 2016 position: 11th (41,183) Making an appearance in the top 10 best sellers of 2017 is Mercedes' smallest model, the A-Class hatchback. While it's not the most practical or comfortable (it has a particularly crashy ride) family hatch on sale today, it does have all the interior polish you'd expect from the premium German marque - and badge power can never be overlooked. Fleet operators love them and dealers were offering substantial discounts last term.  The Mercedes-Benz C-Class took the award as the most popular compact premium saloon in the country. In fact, it's the most bought saloon car in the UK 9. Mercedes-Benz C-Class, 45,912 registrations Price from: £29,035 2016 position: 9th (44,184) Retaining the ninth position it scored last year, Mercedes' compact premium saloon has out-sold its main rival, the BMW 3 Series, yet again. Like the A-Class, the C-Class is a firm favourite for company car fleets and the latest range of green engines are proving efficient to run. The new styling - very much in the same taste as the luxurious S-Class - might be another reason why it has sold so well.  Now there's a five-door Mini hatchback there is even greater choice for fans of retro-styled small cars. The BMW-owned brand shifted almost 50,000 examples last term 8. Mini hatchback, 47,669 registrations Price from: £14,640 2016 position: 8th (48,328) The Mini hatchback has done it again - eighth place in the top 10 sellers list. Since the BMW-owned brand added a five-door option the Mini has become even more popular than before. It's still one of the best handling small cars on the market and is proof that retro styling is still very much in fashion.  'That's not a Polo; it's a Golf.' Wrong. This is VW's sixth-generation supermini, though it isn't all that 'mini' anymore  7. Volkswagen Polo, 47,855 registrations Price from: £13,855 2016 position: 7th (54,448) Volkswagen introduced us to a new Polo this year, and it's better than before. It's also quite a lot bigger, too - so much so that it's easy to mistake it for the Golf hatchback. Sales this term might have been hindered by the arrival of this sixth-generation model, with many potentially waiting to get their hands on VW's latest offering. And it was worth stalling a purchase - it's great to drive, has an up-market cabin and more interior space for passengers and luggage. Seventh place it is again. The Astra is one of the better choice affordable family hatchbacks on the market. That said, Vauxhall sold 10,000 fewer in 2017 than the year previous 6. Vauxhall Astra, 49,370 registrations Price from: £17,115 2016 position: 6th (60,719) It's been a difficult year for Vauxhall. Not only has it recently gone through a change of ownership (bought by the French PSA Group from General Motors in the US) but it has also seen a big drop in sales as a brand - down 22 per cent on last year. The Astra is one of the models to suffer, with 10,000 fewer examples leaving showrooms in 2017 compared to the year before. That said, it still retained the same sixth place position it achieved in the 2016 rankings, and it's still arguably one of the best sub-£20k family cars on the market.  The drop in Astra sales pales in comparison to the Corsa, though. It is the biggest faller of the year, dropping from second place in 2016 to fifth place last year. Some 25,000 fewer models left showrooms in 2017 5. Vauxhall Corsa, 52,772 registrations Price from: £11,045 2016 position: 2nd (77,110) While the Astra managed to retain its place in the standings from 12 months previous, the same can't be said for the Corsa. In 2016 it was the second most purchased new vehicle on the market. Fast forwards a year and it has fallen three places after shedding nearly 25,000 sales. Ouch. One of the big problems for Vauxhall's supermini is the quality competition it now faces, with the likes of the Polo and Ford Fiesta attracting attention from customers.  Despite competition in the compact SUV sector coming from all angles, the Qashqai is still the choice for Britons. It moved up one place to the wooden spoon position  4. Nissan Qashqai, 64,216 registrations Price from: £19,295 2016 position: 5th (62,682) Nissan's UK-built Qashqai continues to be the best-selling SUV on the market, as it has been since the first-generation car arrived in 2006. It moved up the top 10 list by one place in 2017, leapfrogging the Corsa in the table. With so many compact SUVs hitting the market, the dominance of the Sunderland-built offroader is mightily impressive. However, it has its work cut out to stay at the top of the charts next year.  The Ford Focus was the UK's most popular car for a decade from 1999 and remains a firm favourite today. Sales in 2017 were on par with 2016 3. Ford Focus, 69,903 registrations Price from: £20,135 2016 position: 3rd (70,545) You must be able to negotiate some good deals on the Ford Focus because a starting price of more than £20,000 for the entry-level car today is will come as a big surprise to many (including us). That's in the same ballpark as the Mercedes A-Class featured at number 10, which is a premium product. When it first arrived in 1999 it was the UK's favourite, and remained that way for a decade. Today's car retains many of the same characteristics as the original - it looks good, drives even better and ticks all the practicality boxes for family buyers.  Thought the VW emissions cheating scandal would hit sales of its cars? Think again. The Golf has moved up two slots from fourth in 2016 to the runner-up last year. Some 5,000 extra units were sold by dealers during a difficult 2017 for the market 2. Volkswagen Golf, 74,605 registrations Price from: £17,765 2016 position: 4th (69,492) What test-cheating scandal? The revelation of VW falsifying diesel emission measurements in official tests back in September 2015 might have damaged the German carmaker's reputation, but it has done little to slow sales of its cars. The proof? The Golf has now jumped from fourth to second in the charts with almost 70,000 units left showroom forecourts between January and December 2017. VW recently facelifted the car, though little has changed in reality. That's no bad thing because the Golf is still one of he most accomplished hatches on sale today. No surprises here - the Ford Fiesta took the title as the UK's favourite car for the ninth year in succession. A new model arrived mid-way through 2017, so expect registrations of new Fiestas to grow over the next 12 months 1. Ford Fiesta, 94,533 registrations Price from: £13,165 2016 position: 1st (120,525) You guessed it - the most popular new car of 2017 is, of course, the Ford Fiesta. This is the ninth successive year for the supermini at the top of the table, though sales dropped back below the 100,000 units ceiling last term. A new version arrived in 2017 and offered even more choice to Fiesta buyers with the premium Vignale model, a widened sporty ST range and even an 'Active' crossover. Could the Fiesta make it a decade as the UK's favourite car? We'll find out in 12 months' time. SAVE MONEY ON MOTORING Car insurance Compare policies Breakdown cover Find the best deals Personal loans Borrow for a car Insurance tips Reduce your costs