JD Power Survey 2007 - 4x4s

Having the ability to cross a field counts for nothing if your 4x4 breaks down outside your house or costs a fortune to run. The Lexus RX doesn't and it's your favourite.

4x4 league table

Lexus RX
Rating 85.4%
Overall ranking 4th
A brand-new entry at number one, and a crushing victory for the Lexus RX. Owners loved its looks, cabin layout and seats – dealer service was also rated as excellent.

As you might expect from a Lexus, reliability was second to none, with only six cars in every hundred suffering from any sort of engine or gearbox problems.

Fuel and insurance costs were the only areas of concern for RX owners. Economy was found to be poor, but with only the 3.0-litre V6 petrol model covered by this survey, that's hardly surprising. Insurance costs were also high compared with those of other 4x4s.

Surprisingly, considering the complex mechanicals and premium badge, the cost of servicing and repairs were rated fairly highly – only the Honda CR-V and Nissan X-Trail were cheaper.

2 Honda CR-V
Rating 83.4%
Overall ranking 12th=
The CR-V jumped up one spot to second this year, helped by excellent dealer service and low servicing costs.

Owners loved the CR-V's engine and gearbox, but were less keen on the looks. Plenty of seat problems highlighted the only real reliability concern, making CR-V ownership hassle-free for most buyers.

3 Hyundai Santa Fe
Rating 81.4%
Overall ranking 22nd
Despite being midway down the list for appeal, low fuel and insurance costs helped the Santa Fe to third place.

The stereo caused headaches for almost half of owners, but mechanically the Santa Fe was extremely reliable.

4 Toyota RAV4
Rating 81.0%
Overall ranking 30th
A non-mover at number four. The RAV4's fantastic reliability and surprisingly low ownership costs made up for a poor performance in the 'comfort and convenience' category.

Dealer service was above average, although not as good as we've come to expect from Toyota.

5 Subaru Forester
Rating 80.5%
Overall ranking 35th=
Last year's joint winner in this category has dropped to fifth. Owners rated mechanical reliability as excellent, but fuel economy was the worst in the 4x4 sector. Insurance costs were also high.

6 Kia Sorento
Rating 79.8%
Overall ranking 49th=
The Sorento topped the 4x4 sector with the Subaru Forester last year. This year, the big Kia dropped to sixth, largely due to poor dealer service and plenty of transmission faults.

Owners weren't keen on the stereo, either. On the plus side, they liked the interior and exterior design.

7 Kia Sportage
Rating 79.2%
Overall ranking 57th
Sportage owners found the transmission unreliable; the heating and ventilation system also had a high number of faults, with over a quarter of owners experiencing problems.

Positives? The seats were the most reliable in the category and the looks were popular.

8 Volvo XC90
Rating 79.0%
Overall ranking 58th=
A disappointing result for the XC90. Owners liked the looks, instrument panel and seats,
but were less impressed with the way it drove – particularly the engine and gearbox.

Plenty of interior faults and well below-average dealership facilities also helped put the XC90 in eighth place.

9 Nissan X-Trail
Rating 78.5%
Overall ranking 67th=
Ownership costs were the lowest in the 4x4 class, with fuel economy rated as particularly impressive.

Unfortunately, the dealer service wasn't so great, neither was the heating and ventilation system. X-Trails were also plagued by engine faults – over 40% had problems.

10 Land Rover Discovery
Rating 78.4%
Overall ranking 70th=
Dreadful reliability was the main bugbear for the Discovery. Almost half had engine problems, and 71% suffered faults with the running gear.

Reliability apart, the Discovery was otherwise well liked.

11 Land Rover Freelander
Rating 76.2%
Overall ranking 95th=
A poor eleventh place for the Freelander this year. Owners disliked its looks, engine, transmission and interior.

In fairness, the Freelander was an old model competing against much newer cars, so the result wasn't surprising.

12 Suzuki Vitara
Rating 75.8%
Overall ranking 102nd=
A disappointing performance for the Grand Vitara. Owners rated the Suzuki as the least attractive and most uncomfortable 4x4 in the survey – they also bemoaned its poor ride, handling and brakes. Dealer service was well below average, too.

13 Mitsubishi Shogun
Rating 74.5%
Overall ranking 109th
The Shogun finished bottom of the 4x4 category and 109th out of 116 cars overall. High ownership costs didn't go down well with owners. Mitsubishi's dealership facilities were also voted the worst in the category.

4x4 league table