the most reliable cars in the world

Honda s reputation for the production of extremely reliable cars was established many years ago and is only further enhanced by the Honda Jazz coming first in the 2014 survey for reliability.
The Jazz is practical and economical and, although there s no diesel engine and the ride can be firm, is a good choice for hatchback buyers who value space and reliability.

Price £11,695 - £20,245

Pros

Great reliability record

Very practical

Superb build quality

Cons

No diesel engine

Not much fun to drive

Uncompetitive economy figures

The top ten most reliable cars chart is rounded off with two cars from Mazda, the first of which is the Mazda MX 5. The car celebrated its 25th birthday in 2014 and has always had a reputation for superb reliability it s still going strong in that department today. What s particularly impressive is that the MX 5 is a car designed to be enjoyed by drivers, so it s likely to be put through its paces far more often than most of the cars on this list. Mazda came eight out of 33 firms in the 2014 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey and that s due in part to the reliability of its cars.

Price £18,500 - £23,300

Pros

Super reliable

Loads of fun

Relatively affordable to run

Cons

Cramped interior

Very small boot

A bit dated

In our review of the Mazda3, written when the car first launched, we predicted the car would prove to be reliable because of Mazda s reputation that has turned out to be the case, with owners rating it very highly. The Mazda3 is also very safe, boasting a five star safety rating from Euro NCAP thanks in part to a range of safety technology. The car is good to look at, and while customers have been slightly disappointed by in car technology and running costs, the Mazda3 is well liked for its build quality, road handling and reliability.

Price £16,995 - £23,745

Pros

Cheap to run

Stylish design

Brilliant to drive

Cons

Entry-level engine is slow

Quite expensive to buy

Boot is smaller than some rivals

Kia made a bold statement about reliability when it introduced an industry leading seven year/100,000 mile warranty across its entire range, and it seems like customers aren t having to make much use of it. The Kia Rio is the first of two Kia models to make the top ten most reliable cars list and none of its direct rivals, like the Ford Fiesta or Renault Clio get close. The 1.1 litre diesel Rio can return seriously impressive economy figures too, so if you re looking for an efficient, reliable supermini, the Rio is a good value proposition.

Price £10,345 - £17,445

Pros

Cheap to run

Long warranty

Spacious interior

Cons

Vague steering

Dated interior

Rather slow

Peugeot as a manufacturer vastly improved in the 2014 Driver Power survey, moving up 17 places to come 14th out of 33 and the 2008 is indicative of that improvement, coming in sixth place for reliability. Despite Peugeot s less than convincing reputation for reliability, their cars do seem to be improving of late and the 2008 has clearly been part of that revival. The interior of the car feels well built and the engines available to buyers have all been put through their paces in other models.

Price £13,195 - £20,295

Pros

Comfortable ride

Economical engine options

Lots of space and a big boot

Cons

Not much fun to drive

Two wheel drive only

Slow petrol engines

Skoda is owned by the Volkswagen Group, which means the parts and engines in the Skoda Yeti are tried and tested in many different cars. The build quality is excellent, and despite being a budget brand, Skoda s cars are put together really well and score highly for customer satisfaction. The Yeti is a safe place to be as well, with a five star Euro NCAP rating and six airbags as standard. The Yeti was picked as the best car overall in the Auto Express Driver Power 2014 survey, and customers seem happy with everything about their Skoda SUV.

Price £16,915 - £28,170

Pros

Enjoyable to drive

Versatile seating

Inexpensive to own

Cons

Removing seats takes effort

Harsh ride on poor road surfaces

Dull interior styling

The Kia Cee d is the second Kia model to make the top ten, proving that the Korean manufacturer is definitely doing something right when it comes to build quality and reliability. Although owners haven t been particularly impressed with performance or road handling, the hatchback, which has been engineered with value and durability in mind, has proved to be a hit for its reliability and in car technology. Rivals like the Volkswagen Golf and Peugeot 308 may command more of the spotlight in this class but the Kia is worthy competition, especially when you consider its seven year warranty.

Price £14,805 - £24,205

Pros

Lots of space inside

Comfortable and easy to drive

Excellent value whether you buy new or used

Cons

Rivals hold their value better

Steering is overly light

Focus better to drive

Like Lexus, Audi has an excellent reputation for reliability and the Q3 has benefitted from an engine range that has been tried and tested in other cars in the Volkswagen Group. The car comes with a three year/60,000 mile warranty and is quickly becoming one of Audi s most popular models since it went on sale three years ago.

Price £25,380 - £45,540

Pros

Upmarket badge

Excellent interior

Strong resale values

Cons

Plain design

Expensive options

No real off road ability

The Toyota Prius is arguably the most famous hybrid model on the market, largely thanks to the fact that it was one of the very first cars to mix electric and petrol power. That might make the technology sound old but in reality it s been tried and tested to the extent that the car now sits in second place overall for reliability. The car benefits from Toyota s five year/100,000 mile warranty, so you re covered in the unlikely event of your Prius developing a problem.

Price £21,995 - £33,395

Pros

Low running costs

Very practical interior

Reliable hybrid engine

Cons

High price

Ride is quite firm

Noisy when accelerating hard

The Lexus brand still came top for reliability in the 2014 Driver Power manufacturer s rankings, despite slipping from first to fourth in the overall standings, and the Lexus CT performed similarly, coming fourth for reliability out of 150 cars despite an overall position of 51st. The CT is based on the second placed Toyota Prius, so it s not too surprising that it s proving similarly reliable. Though the car isn t the cheapest, the CT offers luxury to go with the green credentials of hybrid technology.

Price £21,245 - £29,745

Pros

Good quality interior

Low CO2 emissions

Impressive reliability

Cons

Poor ride quality

CVT gearbox makes car noisy and slow

Batteries cut into rear seat and boot space