A vehicle control device, comprising: a driving characteristic computation unit that computes driving characteristic parameters of an own vehicle on the basis of an intervehicle distance between a preceding vehicle and the own vehicle; a preceding vehicle state prediction unit that predicts a state of the preceding vehicle after a predetermined amount of time on the basis of the intervehicle distance; and a driving state estimation unit that estimates a driving state of the own vehicle after the predetermined amount of time on the basis of the state of the preceding vehicle after the predetermined amount of time predicted by the preceding vehicle state prediction unit and the driving characteristic parameters of the own vehicle computed by the driving characteristic computation unit, characterized in that the driving characteristic parameters are calculated using the following formula: y = θ 0 + θ 1 ⋅ x 1 + θ 2 ⋅ x 2, in which y is the driving state of the own vehicle, x1 is the intervehicle distance, x2 is a relative speed, and θ0, θ1, and θ2 are driving characteristic parameters of the own vehicle, wherein the own vehicle is a vehicle using an engine as a power source and including a clutch capable of cutting off power transmission of the engine even while the vehicle is traveling, the vehicle control device further comprises a driving plan generation unit that generates a driving plan of the own vehicle on the basis of the driving state of the own vehicle after the predetermined amount of time estimated by the driving state estimation unit, and when the driving state of the own vehicle after the predetermined amount of time estimated by the driving state estimation unit is a driving state in which the own vehicle decelerates, the power transmission of the engine via the clutch is cut off to cause the own vehicle to travel by coasting, wherein the engine is stopped when the driving state of the own vehicle after the predetermined amount of time estimated by the driving state estimation unit is a driving state in which the own vehicle further decelerates, wherein the engine is restarted when the driving state of the own vehicle after the predetermined amount of time estimated by the driving state estimation unit is a driving state in which the own vehicle accelerates. a driving characteristic computation unit that computes driving characteristic parameters of an own vehicle on the basis of an intervehicle distance between a preceding vehicle and the own vehicle; a preceding vehicle state prediction unit that predicts a state of the preceding vehicle after a predetermined amount of time on the basis of the intervehicle distance; and a driving state estimation unit that estimates a driving state of the own vehicle after the predetermined amount of time on the basis of the state of the preceding vehicle after the predetermined amount of time predicted by the preceding vehicle state prediction unit and the driving characteristic parameters of the own vehicle computed by the driving characteristic computation unit, characterized in that the driving characteristic parameters are calculated using the following formula: y = θ 0 + θ 1 ⋅ x 1 + θ 2 ⋅ x 2, in which y is the driving state of the own vehicle, x1 is the intervehicle distance, x2 is a relative speed, and θ0, θ1, and θ2 are driving characteristic parameters of the own vehicle, wherein the own vehicle is a vehicle using an engine as a power source and including a clutch capable of cutting off power transmission of the engine even while the vehicle is traveling, the vehicle control device further comprises a driving plan generation unit that generates a driving plan of the own vehicle on the basis of the driving state of the own vehicle after the predetermined amount of time estimated by the driving state estimation unit, and when the driving state of the own vehicle after the predetermined amount of time estimated by the driving state estimation unit is a driving state in which the own vehicle decelerates, the power transmission of the engine via the clutch is cut off to cause the own vehicle to travel by coasting, the own vehicle is a vehicle using an engine as a power source and including a clutch capable of cutting off power transmission of the engine even while the vehicle is traveling, the vehicle control device further comprises a driving plan generation unit that generates a driving plan of the own vehicle on the basis of the driving state of the own vehicle after the predetermined amount of time estimated by the driving state estimation unit, and when the driving state of the own vehicle after the predetermined amount of time estimated by the driving state estimation unit is a driving state in which the own vehicle decelerates, the power transmission of the engine via the clutch is cut off to cause the own vehicle to travel by coasting, wherein the engine is stopped when the driving state of the own vehicle after the predetermined amount of time estimated by the driving state estimation unit is a driving state in which the own vehicle further decelerates, wherein the engine is restarted when the driving state of the own vehicle after the predetermined amount of time estimated by the driving state estimation unit is a driving state in which the own vehicle accelerates.