Key insights:

  • 41% of Britons who drive daily travel 10-20 miles, while 28% cover less than 10 miles.
  • Van/ minivan drivers are the most likely to travel long distances, with 17% driving more than 40 miles a day.
  • SUV/ crossover owners follow closely, with 16% covering 40+ miles daily.
  • Hatchback owners take the shortest trips: 33% drive under 10 miles, the highest of any segment.

Most Britons who drive everyday cover relatively short distances, but how far they travel appears closely linked to the type of car they own. New YouGov Profiles data shows that daily driving habits are far from uniform, with certain vehicle segments associated with noticeably longer or shorter trips.

Among all everyday drivers, two in five (41%) typically travel 10-20 miles per day, making it the most common range. Nearly three in ten (28%) drive less than 10 miles. One in five daily drivers (20%) cover 20-40 miles, while a smaller group, 12%, travel more than 40 miles each day.

Those driving under 10 miles a day are most likely to own hatchbacks (33%), followed by saloons (29%) and estate cars (27%). SUVs/ crossovers and convertible/coupe are less represented in this group (21% and 20% respectively), suggesting that these vehicles are used more often for longer journeys. Van and minivan owners are the least likely to fall into this short-distance category, at just 13%.

In the 10-20-mile range, convertible and coupe owners lead with 52% travelling this distance each day, the highest across all segments. Vans/minivans follow at 49%, while saloons (42%), SUVs (41%), hatchbacks (40%), and estates (38%) all cluster closely behind. This band represents the core mileage for nearly every vehicle type.

For those travelling 20-40 miles per day, estates (24%), saloons (23%), and SUVs (23%) are most prominent. When looking at 40+ mile daily drivers, vans and minivans are the most likely to cover long distances at 17%, followed by SUVs at 16%. Estates sit at 11% and convertibles/coupes and hatchbacks (9% each) and saloons (7%) make up smaller shares.

YouGov Profiles data highlights how daily mileage varies meaningfully by vehicle type. SUVs and vans - often associated with larger households, longer commutes, or mixed-use needs, see the highest share of long-distance drivers. Meanwhile, hatchbacks remain the preferred choice for shorter, routine trips.

Methodology: YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data through rolling surveys, rather than a single limited questionnaire. Figures are drawn from responses collected between Novemeber 2024 and November 2025, using a 52-week dataset updated weekly. Data is nationally representative of adults (18+) in Great Britain and weighted by age, gender, region, education, and social grade.

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