Ford becomes elderly drivers' car of choice

Ford has overtaken Vauxhall as the car brand of choice for the growing over 65s market.

New research by Carcraft, one of the UK's largest used car chains, reveals almost one in five 'silver' drivers chose a Ford Focus last year, followed closely by the Vauxhall Astra and Corsa in second and third place respectively.

The Ford Fiesta and Mondeo also appeared in the top five. As far as luxury brands go, Mercedes-Benz edged out the competition, capturing 2.5 per cent of the over-65s market.

"With the over-65s age bracket making up over 16 per cent of the UK population this is a very important market to us," said Barry Nightingale, managing director at Carcraft.

"We find that our older buyers are particularly brand loyal, with Ford and Vauxhall dominating the market, and they tend to make practical rather than emotional choices when buying their next car."

The research revealed the reasons why these particular vehicles were so high in the list. A higher seating position, mechanical reliability and power steering were all key factors, with the most important of all being durability.

"Contrary to the belief that British retirees are splashing out on sports cars with their pension lump sums, they are among the shrewdest of car buyers, looking for low mileage, a good service history and warranty and great value for money," Mr Nightingale added.