A survey has found that most UK company car drivers prefer top spec models from affordable brands (46%) to base vehicles from premium manufacturers (28%).

What’s more, a 66% said that their co-workers’ opinion of their car didn’t matter at all, with 16% admitting it mattered a little and only 4% saying it was very important.

The survey, conducted by YouGov on Skoda’s behalf, also found that a majority of UK company car drivers are satisfied with their vehicle.

Over 60% of the 500 drivers surveyed said they were happy with their current motor, with only 10% complaining about limited choice and just 7% claiming they would prefer to receive a car allowance.

Of those questioned, 48% valued reliability more than any other aspect of their car. Performance was second on the list of priorities with 22%, with just 12% saying brand image was a desirable asset.

In fact, only 18% of respondents admitted to bouts of “badge snobbery”, suggesting that image may not be the sole reason for car desirability.

Whilst high residual value was frequently quoted in support of premium brands, a majority of respondents said that a mix of high specification and a reasonable price made a company car most desirable.

Martin Burke, head of Skoda Business Sales, said: “This research shows that most company car drivers do not necessarily associate premium brands with vehicle desirability. What really matters to business car users is a combination of reliability and practicality – no surprise given that most drivers surveyed use their vehicles as a business tool and depend on it for income.”