The UK’s most reliable cars to buy for 2025 revealed – including discontinued hatchback and sturdy pickup
THE most reliable cars of 2024 have been revealed, with a lesser-known hatchback coming out on top.
One manufacturer in particular burnished its reputation for excellence with multiple entries on the list.
With Brits still feeling the bite of the cost-of-living crisis, more than just the up-front price of a motor comes into the equation when they're looking to buy.
The cost of repairs can be a significant factor for years afterwards so reliability is more important than ever as cars become more complex to fix.
Fortunately, experts at have used their vast motoring database to develop a new reliability rating system for popular cars.
The rankings examine breakdown numbers for models that are less than a decade old and take mileage and average repair cost into account to give them an overall score out of 100.
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This year's edition of the study has named the Suzuki Alto as the UK's most reliable car.
The little hatchback, which came on sale here in 1981, achieved an impressive rating of 95.1.
Commenting on its win, the judging panel said: "The really striking thing is just how little the Alto goes wrong.
"Its solid build quality, simple mechanicals and a lack of potentially troublesome hi-tech equipment means it’s a trouble-free choice."
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The Alto was discontinued in the UK in 2015 but is still widely available on the second-hand market.
Indeed, you can find late-generation models with well under 100,000 miles on the clock for less than £2,000.
Behind the Alto, the Kia Venga came in at a close second on 93.6, followed by the Toyota Yaris in third on 91.5.
It was a very good run for Toyota, in fact, with the Japanese mega-brand further building its reputation for engineering excellence.
The firm saw four of its models cracking the top ten, with the Yaris, Hilux, Aygo and Avensis all making the cut.
Suzuki also did well, with three entries including the winner, while offerings from Kia, Seat and Mazda appearing.
Interestingly, eight of the top ten were from Japanese manufacturers, with only the Korean Kia and Spanish Seat bucking the trend.
It comes after Ford revealed the first look at the reinvented Puma, set to arrive as a £30,000 EV.
