A STUDY of 12,000 company vehicles by PHH Vehicle Management Services registered in the north and south reveals drivers in the south enjoy more choice and are more adventurous in their car selection. The statistics are based on a comparison of Plymouth, Southampton, Brighton, Bristol, Exeter and Reading in the south; and Chester, Newcastle, Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield and York in the north.

Ford, Vauxhall, Rover and Peugeot constituted 80% of sales in the north, compared to just 58% in the south. In the south, 6% of vehicles cost more than £20,000, compared to just 0.6% in the north, and 7% of southern cars were either BMWs or Mercedes, compared to just 2% in the north. The south also chooses bigger engine sizes, with 40% of vehicles powered by engines in the 2000cc plus category, compared to 28% in the north.

Cars are also newer in the south, with 35% P registered, compared to 25% in the north, which also drives its cars further - 98% replaced between 60,000 and 90,000 miles, compared to 75% in the south. However, 60% of northern cars will be replaced after 36 months, compared to just 19% just of southern cars - a reflection perhaps of the higher mileages northern drivers cover - with 60% of southern drivers having to wait another year before getting behind the wheel of a new car.