Research · Garages

Fewer than half of new car models now fit a standard UK single garage

We checked 981 car models against a typical UK single garage (4.8 × 2.4 m inside, 7 ft door). In the 1990s, 70% of new models fitted. For models launched in the 2020s, it is 45%.

Car Size Guide analysis · 981 car models · Updated October 2026

70% → 45%

of new car models fit a standard UK single garage, 1990s vs 2020s launches.

Share of new models that fit a UK single garage, by launch decade

Fits (incl. tight)Fits comfortably

Key findings

Models that fit a 4.8 × 2.4 m single garage: 70% of 1990s launches (65 of 93), falling to 45% in the 2020s (110 of 243). By decade: 70% (1990s) → 59% (2000s) → 55% (2010s) → 45% (2020s).
Models that fit comfortably, with room to open a door and get out: 45% → 26%.
Models too big for a standard 4.8 × 2.4 m parking bay: 14% → 32%.
Average body width rose from 172.8 cm to 186.4 cm (+13.6 cm). Hatchbacks alone went from 165.5 cm (n=33) to 178.1 cm (n=42), so it isn’t only the SUV boom (SUVs went from 12% to 58% of models).

Method and caveats

981 car models (generations and body styles) in our dataset from UK-market brands, mainstream body types, launched 1990 or later, with a single published length and width. Counts are models, not cars sold or on the road, so they are not sales-weighted. Width with mirrors is published for only 42 of them; for the rest we add 20 cm to body width. Garage and bay rules are the same as our garage checker. The 1990s sample is smaller (93 models).

Cite this

Car Size Guide (2026), “Fewer than half of new car models now fit a standard UK single garage”, https://carsizeguide.com/research/garage-fit-by-decade/