When it comes to the cars people drive, Melbourne is a haunted city. Two of the three most popular models on our roads are no longer being made: the Holden Commodore, which ceased production in 2017, and the Ford Falcon, discontinued in 2016 when Australia’s car manufacturing industry collapsed. Not only does the type of vehicle you drive depend on where you live, but its size can too, with the little Volkswagen Golf ruling the inner city while a bigger beast that isn’t a car at all - the Toyota Hilux ute - dominates Melbourne’s fringes and regional Victoria.
The Age’s analysis of federal Department of Transport data reveals the most popular cars by postcode, and which areas buck the trend. What about your area? To find out, type your postcode into the box below to discover the 10 most popular car models: In this car-reliant state, there are almost 5.5 million registered vehicles (including trucks, motorbikes and caravans), which only slightly trails the 6.
5 million Victorians recorded at the 2021 census. The Toyota Corolla (in yellow on the map below) is the most common vehicle across Victoria, with just over 183,000 throughout the state. It is the top car in 107 of the 283 residential postcodes that make up Greater Melbourne, largely in middle-ring areas such as Bundoora, Clayton, Altona and Reservoir.
The Holden Commodore (represented in purple) comes in second, and is particularly favoured in the north-western and south-eastern suburbs. It is the most common car i.