Modern cars are too big for garages – but it saves drivers £160 a year

Britain’s most popular cars have grown by a third in the last half a century, which means they are now far too big to squeeze into a standard domestic garage, according to a report this week. 

But while many will think that motorists unable to park in a garage will see higher insurance costs, it has the opposite impact.

In fact, there is more than a £160 saving on average for those who park their vehicles on a driveway overnight rather than in a garage.

 Not being able to fit a car in a garage is saving drivers £160 a year: A new study found that the latest vehicles are now too big for domestic garages – but it might not be a bad thing when it comes to motor insurance savings 

1974 VW Golf
Today's VW Golf

The RAC Foundation study found that a 1974 VW Golf (left) and the latest version on sale today (right) are significantly different in proportion

The RAC Foundation revealed earlier this week that the top five best-selling models in 1965 had an average width of 1.5 metres and length of 3.9 metres. 

But car size inflation meant that by 2020 the handful of most-bought models are on average 1.8m wide and 4.3m long.

This means that the footprint of the country’s most popular cars – the amount of space they individually take up on the road – has grown by 32 per cent.

Steve Gooding, director at the motoring research group, said the increasing size of cars means most domestic garages are no longer fit for purpose, having found that the average garage door width is just 2.1m.

This leaves a mere 15 centimetres of clearance on each side of a popular car being driven into it, which is why fewer people are keeping their vehicles in their garages.

‘Crucially domestic garages are also often unfit for their intended purpose – the planning system needs to recognise that garage design needs to catch up with vehicle design, or throw in the towel and recognise that they are, in practice, garden sheds waiting to be converted to provide extra accommodation, which means thinking again about where the family car is going to be parked,’ Gooding explained.

However, it’s not all bad new for motorists who can’t fit their motors into their garages at home.  

A comparison of policy quotes provided to This is Money by research from MoneySuperMarket shows that drivers parking a motor in a locked garage overnight on average pay £673.50 for annual cover.

In comparison, owners who leave their vehicle on a driveway pay just £511.78 on average, based on the comparison site’s data for April to June of 2021.

And for those with a car port at their home, it is even less, at an average of £478.94. 

Among the drivers who said they use a garage for its intended purpose, more than two-thirds say they use it to park the car they drive regularly in - and for three-in-10 of these motorists it’s home to a classic car

Among the drivers who said they use a garage for its intended purpose, more than two-thirds say they use it to park the car they drive regularly in – and for three-in-10 of these motorists it’s home to a classic car

1959 Mini
Today's Mini

The original Mini from 1959 (left) was just 55 inches wide and 120 inches long. A modern day Mini (right) is 68 inches wide and 156 inches in length

The higher cost of insurance for those parking in garages is, according to MoneySuperMarket due to four factors: your car is more at risk of scrapes and scratches when you drive in or out; if you keep tools or sharp objects in your garage they can cause damage to your car; if someone were to break into your home, they might then have free access to your garage and car; if your garage is separate to your home you might not hear someone breaking in.

Rival comparison website Uswitch says: ‘You may assume that parking your car in a garage would give you the lowest premiums and that your car is safer on your driveway than it would be parked on a public road, where it could be hit by a careless driver.

Drivers parking a motor in a locked garage overnight on average pay £673.50 for annual cover. Those who leave their vehicle on a driveway pay just £511.78 on average

Drivers parking a motor in a locked garage overnight on average pay £673.50 for annual cover. Those who leave their vehicle on a driveway pay just £511.78 on average

But this is not always the case, it adds.

‘Among other things, drivers pranging their cars when parking in their own garages have put paid to that guaranteed discount.’

The RAC Foundation’s report comes just weeks after a poll of motorists found that fifty-three per cent with garages at their properties never park their cars in them.

The survey of 2,138 drivers by motoring organisation the RAC found that 30 per cent of those who don’t store their vehicle in the garage is because it is too big to fit through the door.

Simon Williams, of RAC Home Insurance, said: ‘It seems most garages are nothing more than additional storage, perhaps because many houses don’t have enough easily accessible space to store lots of household items.’

The motoring group estimates that 11 million UK homeowners have a garage. However, some 5.7 million are used for alternatives to parking a car.

Instead, things often kept in garages include DIY tools and materials (90 per cent), gardening tools and furniture (74 per cent), bicycles and scooters (55 per cent), wellington boots and other footwear (36 per cent) and camping equipment (24 per cent).

A lack of room to comfortably drive in and out of garages was the second most common reason (39 per cent) for not using them to store cars.

Three out of 10 (30 per cent) motorists who do not keep their car in their garage claimed their vehicle is too big to fit through the door in the first place. 

According to MoneySuperMarket data collected between January and March 2020, 38 per cent of motorists keep their car parked on their driveway during day and night. 

Average cost of insurance on where a car is kept overnight 

Street (away from home): £1,125.02

Secure public car park: £1,076.99

Locked compound: £816.79

Unlocked garage: £748.69

Office/Factory car park: £715.88

Public road: £710.10

Locked garage: £673.50

Open public car park: £636.73

Third party premises: £622.81

Unlocked compound: £545.44

Parked on drive: £511.78

Carport: £478.94

Source: MoneySuperMarket based on quotes for policies between April-June 2021

Expanding vehicle size is more of an issue if you don’t have off-street parking

The RAC Foundation says the growing dimensions of modern vehicles is causing more parking problems for those having to keep their motors on the street.

In 1995 there were 21.4 million. Today there are 31.7 million 

And it’s not just the size of cars that is the problem – it’s also the sheer number of them. 

In 1965 there were just 7.7 million cars registered in Britain. In 1995 there were 21.4 million. Today there are 31.7 million.

For drivers without off-street parking, this can cause big headaches – especially for those living on streets with terraced housing, particularly if that is then divided into flats, with little guarantee that they’ll be able to find a space near their front door.

Motoring research group, RAC Foundation says parking problems are not only being caused by the ever-increasing vehicle dimensions but also the growing volume of them on the road. As a result, finding a parking space outside your home can sometimes be a struggle

Motoring research group, RAC Foundation says parking problems are not only being caused by the ever-increasing vehicle dimensions but also the growing volume of them on the road. As a result, finding a parking space outside your home can sometimes be a struggle

‘This is putting huge pressure on roadside space and explains why many of us feel that the parking bays in car parks don’t seem quite big enough,’ Gooding said. 

And it is not only causing logistical issues – such as when you’re trying to unload a haul of shopping – but also security problems for drivers.

Most drivers will want to be able to keep their eye on their car when it’s not in use, but also having to park further away from home could have implications for a motorist’s insurance policy, given that providers price cover based on the postcode of where the motor is kept. 

In fact, parking a car on a street that’s away from your home is, according to MoneySuperMarket, the most expensive option, costing drivers on average £1,125.02 a year. That’s more than double the average insurance cost for leaving a car overnight on a driveway.  

1979 Vauxhall Corsa
Today's Vauxhall Corsa

A Vauxhall Astra from 1979 (pictured left) was 64.4 inches wide, with a length of 157 inches.  It’s modern day equivalent (right) is 71 inches wide and 185 inches long

1976 Ford Fiesta
Today's Ford Fiesta

A 1976 Ford Fiesta (pictured left) was significantly smaller than its modern day equivalent

No escape from shrinking supermarket parking space 

While drivers might be counting their saved cash from not storing their cars in their garages, the increasing size of vehicles is causing bigger headaches when they’re trying to park away from home.

That’s because car owners are being left with almost no room to squeeze out of their motors in public car parks, which have space sizes that have remained consistent since the 1970s.

A comparison of vehicles on sale today and similar cars from 50 years ago shows that some motors have expanded by as much as 55 per cent and big SUVs now taking up almost 90 per cent of a parking space.

Today's parking squeeze: Off-street bay sizes have remained the same since the 1970s but with vehicles forever increasing in dimension they could soon be too big for car parks

Today’s parking squeeze: Off-street bay sizes have remained the same since the 1970s but with vehicles forever increasing in dimension they could soon be too big for car parks

Skoda says bigger cars are the cause of £1.5m worth of motor prangs each year because bays are too small

Skoda says bigger cars are the cause of £1.5m worth of motor prangs each year because bays are too small

Parking guidelines haven’t changed for over five decades, with the requirement for public bays to be 8 feet (2.44m) wide by 16 feet long (4.87m).

These are the same dimensions for a small domestic garage. 

Today’s Range Rover takes up to 86 per cent of this available space, leaving just 21cm of room for drivers to get out.

Even cars you expect to be small are not.

Mini’s Hatch was found to be the biggest grower in CarGuru’s study; 55 per cent larger and taking up 20 per cent more of the typical parking space than the original that was produced between 1959 and 2000. This means it offers 16cm less room for drivers to get out.  

Research by Skoda  revealed that parking prangs accounted for around £1.5billion in repairs every year – a figure that will continue to rise as cars continue to get larger. 

Today's Range Rover (right) is far bigger than the original from the 1970s (left). The latest model takes up almost 90% of available bay space, says CarGurus

Today’s Range Rover (right) is far bigger than the original from the 1970s (left). The latest model takes up almost 90% of available bay space, says CarGurus

Today's Mini Hatch (right) is 55% bigger than the Mini that would have been used on UK roads 50 years ago

Today’s Mini Hatch (right) is 55% bigger than the Mini that would have been used on UK roads 50 years ago

CAR SIZE COMPARISON: 1970 VS 2020 VEHICLES 
1970s Make & Model Space to open door (cm) Area of parking space used up Today’s Make & Model Space to open door (cm) Area of parking space used up % increase in area
Morris/Austin/ Rover Mini (1959-2000) 50 37% MINI Hatch 3dr (2014-) 34 57% 55%
Fiat 500 (1957-1975) 54 34% Fiat 500 (2007-) 39 50% 47%
Honda Civic 1st Gen (1972-1979) 45 49% Honda Civic 10th Gen (2016-) 30 71% 44%
Peugeot 104 (1972-1988) 44 43% Peugeot 208 2nd Gen (2019-) 33 61% 42%
Renault 5 (1972-1985) 44 47% Renault Clio V (2019-) 30 63% 36%
Mazda 323 3rd Gen (1977-1980) 40 53% Mazda 3 4th Gen (2019-) 30 70% 31%
Audi 80 (1972-1978) 40 58% Audi A4 B9 (2016-) 28 76% 30%
VW Passat B1 (1973-1981) 40 58% VW Passat B8 (2015-) 28 76% 30%
Vauxhall Nova A (1982-1993) 43 48% Vauxhall Corsa F (2019-) 32 62% 29%
VW Golf MK1 (1974-1983) 40 52% VW Golf MK8 (2020) 31 67% 28%
Ford Escort MKII (1974-1980) 42 54% Ford Focus MKIV (2018-) 29 69% 28%
VW Polo MK1 (1975-1981) 42 49% VW Polo MK6 (2018-) 32 62% 26%
Ford Fiesta MK1 (1976-1983) 42 48% Ford Fiesta MK8 (2017-) 33 61% 25%
Range Rover Classic (1969-1996) 31 69% Range Rover L405 (2012-) 21 86% 25%
Toyota Corolla 3rd Gen (1974-1981) 42 54% Toyota Corolla 12th Gen (2019-) 31 68% 25%
Ford Cortina MKIV (1976-1979) 35 64% Ford Mondeo MKIV (2014-) 27 78% 22%
Vauxhall Cavalier MK1 (1975-1981) 37 64% Vauxhall Insignia B (2017-) 27 79% 24%
BMW 3 Series E21 (1975-1983) 40 61% BMW 3 Series G20 (2019-) 29 75% 23%
Vauxhall Astra MK1 (1979-1984) 38 57% Vauxhall Astra MK7 (2015-) 30 69% 21%
Peugeot 304 (1969-1980) 42 56% Peugeot 308 2nd Gen (2013-) 29 67% 19%
BMW 5 Series E12 (1972-1981) 36 68% BMW 5 Series G30 (2017-) 27 80% 17%
Mercedes 190 (1982-1988) 36 64% Mercedes C-class 4th Gen (2014-) 30 74% 14%
Mercedes W123 (1976-1986) 31 73% Mercedes E-class 5th Gen (2017-) 27 79% 8%
Source: CarGurus             

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