The UK's Dirtiest Drivers Revealed

Is the inside of your car a total tip? Are you too embarrassed to offer a lift? It turns out, you’re not the only one.

Whilst your car might sparkle on the outside, the inside often gets neglected – meaning those fast food cartons and old running shoes can cause a bit of a stink over time.

In a bid to dish the dirt, we surveyed over 2,000 Brits, driving cars from popular brands, to find out what disgusting items are left lurking inside, and who refuses to pick up passengers because they’re just too embarrassed.

When it comes to cleaning a car’s interior, Volvo drivers leave it the longest, with one in three admitting they leave it between six to 12 months before getting the vacuum out. They could be dubbed as Britain’s dirtiest drivers – but who else is covered in grime?

A quarter of Honda drivers also leave it more than six months before giving it a wipe, followed by a fifth of Citroen (20%) and Hyundai drivers (20%).

Unsurprisingly, Brit’s who boast a Mercedes-Benz show the most pride, with 21% making it gleam once a week. This is followed by BMW, Audi, and Mazda drivers.

Who leaves it the longest?

Volvo Drivers

Most likely to leave mud on the floor and seats
30% are embarrassed of the mess in their cars

Honda Drivers

14% of drivers say they’ve left vomit in their cars
25% of drivers haven’t cleaned their cars in over six months

Citroen Drivers

Most likely to leave fast food wrappers in their cars
25% have refused to give a lift

Hyundai Drivers

Most likely to leave dirty nappies in their cars
One in four only clean their cars twice a year

Kia Drivers

Most likely to leave smelly shoes in their cars
22% have refused to give a lift

Who cleans the most often?

Mercedes Drivers

Most likely to leave spilt drinks in their cars
21% clean their car every two weeks

BMW Drivers

35% have refused to give a lift
20% clean their cars once a month

Audi Drivers

10% clean their cars once a week
Most likely to leave worn gym kit in their cars

Mazda Drivers

20% have refused to give a lift
Clean their cars 11 times a year on average

Land Rover Drivers

Most likely to leave animal hair in their cars
35% are embarrassed of the mess in their cars

A sneak peek inside the UK’s cars

To find out what’s really being left inside, we’ve taken a sneak peek into a selection of cars from drivers around the UK.

We asked a handful of drivers to take some snaps of their car’s interior – without cleaning them – to see what weird, wonderful, and slightly revolting items are in there.

Click the images below to find out what’s lurking inside each car, and how often they’re being cleaned.

BMW

Peugeot

Kia

Mazda

SEAT

Vauxhall Insignia

Vauxhall Corsa

Ford Fiesta

Ford Focus

Renault Scenic

Mercedes Benz

MINI Cooper

Land Rover

Volvo

Honda

Citroen

Toyota

If you’re guilty of leaving your empty McDonald’s cups and sneaky Mars bar wrappers lying around, you aren’t alone. Citroen and Vauxhall drivers are most likely to leave fast food wrappers and drinks bottles lying around, with a fifth of those surveyed pleading guilty to the act.

When it comes to grime, this is also one of the most committed crimes, with almost half (42%) of Mazda drivers declaring dirty car mats and a third (37%) of Volvo drivers known to leave mud on the seats and floor.

Pets play a part here, too, as 31% of Land Rover drivers reveal animal hair to be the most disgusting thing inside their cars. One in 10 Audi drivers say they’ve experienced animal sick, whilst an unfortunate 10% of Mercedes-Benz drivers have had an experience of pet poo.

10% of Peugeot drivers admit to leaving mouldy fruit, such as apple cores and banana skins inside, whilst Renault drivers are most likely to leave their unwashed lunchboxes and Tupperware inside.

Overall, one in five drivers have refused to give someone a lift and 44% feel embarrassed about the mess in their cars when they do. Despite cleaning their cars the most, 50% of Mercedes-Benz owners say they’ve refused to give someone a lift due to the condition of the car’s interior. The same goes for a third of Audi and BMW drivers, who also say they’ve refused.

On the other hand, only 7% of Volvo drivers surveyed have ever refused to pick someone up, and 70% say they’ve never felt embarrassed by the mess inside of their cars.

Parents with children under 18 are more embarrassed than those without kids, as 58% get embarrassed and stressed out when picking up friends or family. Only 15% of Skoda drivers have said no to picking up a mate, followed by Renault (18%) and Vauxhall (18%).

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