Whether you’re stuck in motorway congestion or on the school run, there’s plenty to make us angry on the roads, but you’d hope that other drivers wouldn’t be one of them. Whether you’re being tailgated by a Transit van, bullied by a BMW or annoyed by an Audi, we’re sure you’ve got an opinion on different manufacturers and the people behind the wheel of them.
DAVE, the UK TV channel, recently asked 2000 people which cars are driven by the rudest on the road and the results are in:
5. Ford Transit
The ‘white van man’ has long been the bug bear of motorists thanks to their penchant for middle-lane hogging and swerving in and out of lanes without using their indicators.
4. Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Nothing says class and elegance like a Mercedes. None of that seems to help when it comes to road manners though as 37% of the people who took part in the quiz thought they were some of the rudest out there.
3. Audi TT
The Audi TT is a nippy looking coupe with cool indicators. Unfortunately, TT drivers don’t seem to understand how to use them. As one of the most agile coupes out there, maybe it’s the fact it can jump into queues so easily which annoys people.
2. Range Rover
The Chelsea Tractor has long had a reputation for drivers who are oblivious to others on the road and who think they’re a cut above the rest.
Thanks to their celeb image, as well as its size and power, 48% voted Range Rover drivers as the most infuriating.
1. BMW M3
A surprise? Not really. BMW drivers have long had a reputation for rudeness on the road, so the drivers of the M3 performance saloon were voted by 56% as the most inconsiderate road users in the UK.
So which motorists will you usually see letting you out at junctions and won’t cut you up in traffic? Here’s the most polite:
5. Fiat 500
The cutesy super-mini makes it impossible to drive in anger, so it’s developed a positive reputation on the road. We think the tiny engine might have something to do with it.
4. Toyota Yaris
A traditional favourite for drivers who have just passed their test, this car could be on this list because the drivers are overly cautious behind the wheel.
3. Ford Focus
The Ford Focus has the unusual distinction of being the major anomaly on this list, especially when you remember that it has the ST and RS performance models.
2. Ford Fiesta
The UK’s most popular car, and just beating its bigger sibling for kudos, it appears that Fords are for friendly drivers.
1. Mini
Thanks to the likes of the Italian Job and its Cool Britannia reputation (despite now being owned by BMW and being, well, not that mini), the Mini tops the list for polite drivers meaning it can officially be crowned the friendliest car in the UK.
