The most reliable new cars YOU can buy – and it’s not good news for British makers
The cars that won't let you down have been revealed in every category thanks to a new owner survey. And manufacturers from one nation are dominating the top spots
JAPAN has come out as the world leader in manufacturing the most reliable cars.
Japanese brands made up six of the top 10 most dependable makes in a recent owner survey - with Lexus, Mitsubishi and Toyota topping the list.
And it wasn't good news for British manufacturers with none appearing in the top 10 - and Land Rover was even ranked as the second worst.
The study by What Car? - which looked at more than 14,000 models aged from new to three years old - also found that Japan made the most reliable cars in five different car categories.
Japan was closely followed by Germany with four category winners.
Meanwhile, the Sunderland-built Nissan Qashqai and homegrown Range Rover Sport finished bottom of their SUV categories.
The Jaguar XE was also rated as the least reliable exec model.
The cars were assessed according to information provided by the owners in regards to 14 categories related to reliability.
From battery and engine performance to fuel systems and gearbox workings, owners reported on their car's performance over the last 12 months.
Any faults experienced were noted and contributed to the overall reliability of the vehicle.
In total, as many as 30 per cent of those involved in the survey revealed they had experienced some form of problem with their vehicle in the last year.
When it came to categories, the Toyota Aygo was voted the most durable city car, with the Honda Jazz taking the small car section, and fellow Japanese model the Lexus CT200h recognised as the most reliable family car.
Mitsubishi's Outlander was the large SUV most drivers could depend on, while the Mercedes-Benz S-Class saloon diesel proved the best luxury car.
The Nissan Leaf topped the category for electric vehicles.
Top 10 most reliable cars by category
- City car: Toyota Aygo (2014-present)
- Small car: Honda Jazz (2015-present)
- Family car: Lexus CT200h (2011-present)
- MPV: Ford B-Max (2012-present)
- Small SUV: Volkswagen Tiguan diesel (2016-present)
- Large SUV: Mitsubishi Outlander (2012-present)
- Executive car: Audi A3 Saloon petrol (2013-present)
- Luxury car: Mercedes-Benz S-Class saloon diesel (2013-2017)
- Coupes and convertibles: Audi A3 Cabriolet petrol (2014-2016)
- Electric vehicle: Nissan Leaf (2011-present)
Steve Huntingford, editor at commented: “Japanese brands continue to lead by example when it comes to reliability; the breadth of vehicles with near-faultless scores highlights the engineering prowess of Far Eastern manufacturers.
“It is also encouraging to see that German car manufacturers are backing up their reputation for quality with strong reliability scores.
"It goes to show that the old adage that cars are getting more complicated and harder to fix needn’t be an anxiety – as long as consumers choose the most reliable model they’ll be able to enjoy the benefits of the latest technology without the fear of their car letting them down.”
