What Car? Reliability Supertest 2007 - Honda - Mini

HONDA 1st of 26
2006 position 1st of 26
Claims per 100 vehicles 9.8
Average age 4.8 years
Average mileage 44,500
Average repair cost £230
Average repair time 1.6 hours
Best model CR-V ('97-'02)
Worst model Jazz ('02-present)

Another crushing victory for Honda. Less than one car in every 10 needed warranty work and the average repair took just 1.6 hours - 12% quicker than next-best Nissan.

No Hondas in this survey suffered engine woes or faults with the cooling and heating system. Of the small number of claims, half were for axle and suspension faults.

Verdict:


JAGUAR 17th of 26
2006 position 15th of 26
Claims per 100 vehicles 30.6
Average age 4.8 years
Average mileage 47,300
Average repair cost £507
Average repair time 3.0 hours
Best model X-type ('01-present)
Worst model XK8 ('96-'06)

The X-type proved very reliable, with only an 18% failure rate, but the old XK8 pulled Jaguar down, with 62 faults per 100 cars.

Almost half of the Jaguars that needed attention suffered from axle and suspension problems. Engines and brakes caused few headaches.

When things did go wrong, fixing them was expensive. The average repair bill of £507 was higher than any other manufacturer's - by some margin.

Verdict:


LAND ROVER 26th of 26
2006 position 26th of 26
Claims per 100 vehicles 47.2
Average age 4.6 years
Average mileage 52,500
Average repair cost £439
Average repair time 3.1 hours
Best model Discovery ('98-'03)
Worst model Freelander ('00-'06)

Land Rover finishes last again.

The old Discovery, Range Rover and Freelander all performed poorly, with at least 43 claims per 100 cars. Axle, suspension and electrical faults were the most common.

The average cost of repair was the third highest at £439, but at least the average labour rate of £56 per hour was no more than average.

Verdict:


LEXUS 4th of 26
2006 position 2nd of 26
Claims per 100 vehicles 23.2
Average age 5 years
Average mileage 56,800
Average repair cost £309
Average repair time 1.9 hours
Best model IS200 ('99-'05)
Worst model GS300 ('98-'05)

Despite its cars having a high average mileage, Lexus still takes a strong fourth position.

Electrical systems were the cause of most claims. Repairs were the fastest among prestige brands, but high average labour rates meant a mid-table position for repair costs.

Verdict:


MERCEDES 12th of 26
2006 position 11th of 26
Claims per 100 vehicles 28.5
Average age 5.1 years
Average mileage 53,700
Average repair cost £407
Average repair time 2.8 hours
Best model E Estate ('02-present)
Worst model M-Class ('98-'05)

The previous-generation M-Class 4x4 was the most problematic Mercedes, with a third of owners having problems, caused mostly by the fuel system or the electrics.

The old A-Class was the dearest Mercedes to repair, at an average of £552. Labour rates were high and cars took longer than most to fix.

Verdict:


MG 16th of 26
2006 position 13th of 26
Claims per 100 vehicles 30.1
Average age 3.1 years
Average mileage 28,000
Average repair cost £378
Average repair time 3.5 hours
Best model TF ('02-'05)
Worst model ZT ('01-'05)

In this survey, the youngest cars with the lowest average mileage were MGs, but plenty still went wrong.

Electrical problems plagued the cars and engine faults were common. The fuel system on the ZT marked it out as the worst single performer.

Hourly labour rates were among the lowest, but repair costs were relatively high; only Alfa Romeos took longer to fix.

Verdict:


MINI 5th of 26
2006 position 3rd of 26
Claims per 100 vehicles 23.9
Average age 3.8 years
Average mileage 32,500
Average repair cost £340
Average repair time 2.3 hours
Best model na
Worst model na

Mini is down from third last year, but this is still an encouraging result. Electrics remain the most likely thing to go wrong, with the suspension the next weakest area.

Mini's average labour rates were the highest of any manufacturer, but it didn't take too long to put the cars right, so the repair bills shouldn't turn your hair white.

Verdict:


To see the best and worst cars, click on the tables below:

• 10 most reliable cars

• 10 least reliable cars