25 most reliable cars

Everyone is feeling the pinch right now, so unexpected car repair bills are the last thing we need. Buying a new car should reduce the risk of costly issues, but it doesn't guarantee your car will be fault free.

In fact, 21% of the cars reported on in our latest What Car? Reliability Survey went wrong, and although 83% of problems were fixed for free, 17% of owners had to pay for repair work, and some paid more than £1500 per fault.

Fortunately, the survey – carried out in association with MotorEasy – can help you choose a dependable model that also matches your needs.

We gathered real-life information from 24,927 owners of 248 different models. They spilled the beans on their cars, telling us whether they had suffered any faults in the past two years, and, if so, how long the car was off the road and how much the repairs cost.

We've used the data to create a unique reliability rating for each model, enabling us to rank them and reveal the best and worst contenders.

Here we reveal the 25 most reliable cars aged up to five years old.

Reliability rating: 98.1%

The previous-generation 1 Series looks like a better bet than the latest version when it comes to durability. It's the fourth most dependable family car with only 6% going wrong, compared with the 14% fault rate of the latest BMW 1 Series. Owners reported issues with diesel engines and the electrical systems in petrol and diesel models, but 80% of issues were fixed for free, and no repair bills topped £200. All cars could still be driven and all petrols were repaired in a day or less, while some diesels took up to a week to put right.

Read our 2011-2019 1 Series review or find great used 1 Series deals

Reliability rating: 98.1%

Petrol and diesel X3s both suffered the same proportion of faults – 17% – but the petrols get a higher reliability rating because they were cheaper to repair. Twelve percent of diesel X3 owners faced bills of up to £200, while all petrol model owners had the cost covered by BMW and its dealers. Bodywork and non-engine electrical issues were the most common problems. They rendered two thirds of affected cars undriveable, and most dealers spent up to a week putting them right.

Read our BMW X3 review or find great BMW X3 deals

Reliability rating: 98.1%

The original Niro hybrid is the fifth most dependable family SUV with only 7% of owners telling us their car had gone wrong in the past two years. The most frequently cited issues related to the air-con, bodywork and engine. However, all cars could still be driven and two thirds were rectified in less than a week. Reassuringly, 78% of the costs were covered by Kia and owners who had to pay for repairs didn't get asked for more than £300 per fault.

Read our Kia Niro review or find great Kia Niro deals

Reliability rating: 98.2%

The Jazz upholds Honda's strong reputation for reliability. It's the fourth best small car in our reliability ratings, with only 8% of cars suffering a fault. The main areas of contention were the 12-volt battery, engine, non-engine electrics and infotainment. Repairs weren't the swiftest, with 71% of cars in the garage for more than a week, but Honda and its dealers footed the bill for all costs.

Read our Honda Jazz review or find great Honda Jazz deals

Reliability rating: 98.2%

If you want a dependable city car, the previous i10 should be on your shortlist because it sits alongside the Honda Jazz as the fourth most reliable small car. One in 10 cars went wrong, suffering issues with the battery, engine and non-engine electrics and the steering. Although 25% of cars couldn't be driven, all remedial work was done in a day or less and 75% of repairs were done for free. Those who had to pay didn't shell out more than £100.

Read our 2014-2020 i10 review or find great used i10 deals

Reliability rating: 98.3%

The XJ is the only luxury car in our top 25, and beats rivals from BMW and Mercedes for dependability. The only cause for concern with the XJ was the lengthy time it took to repair faults: all cars took more than a week to put right. Only 8% of owners said their car had gone wrong, though, while all of the cars could still be driven and Jaguar covered the cost of all necessary repairs. Non-engine electrics were the only area of concern.

Read our Jaguar XJ review or find great Jaguar XJ deals

Reliability rating: 98.3%

An unusual choice in the once diesel-dominated executive car sector, this hybrid car a great option if dependability is high on your list of priorities because it's the most dependable model in the class. Only 5% of cars went wrong and the only area involved was the battery. All cars were put right in a day or less, and although none of the work was free, bills were reasonable, ranging from £101 to £200.

Read our 2013-2021 IS review or find great used IS deals

Reliability rating: 98.4%

Petrol and hybrid versions of the X1 outperform diesels when it comes to dependability. Although all fuel types had the same 17% fault rate, the petrols and hybrids were all fixed for free, compared with 44% of diesels. That left 46% of diesel owners with bills of up to £1500. The good news is that all cars could still be driven and remedial work was completed in less than a week.

Read our 2015-2022 X1 review or find great used X1 deals

Reliability rating: 98.4%

Petrol is the way to go if you want a used Ceed, because only 6% of petrol models went wrong, compared with 16% of diesels. Troubles were minor, with all cars remaining driveable and only 25% in the workshop for more than a day. No one was left out of pocket, because all work was carried out under warranty.

Read our 2012-2018 Ceed review or find great used Ceed deals

Reliability rating: 98.4%

The Up is pretty dependable, with just 15% of owners needing to call a dealer to fix battery, bodywork, brake or engine problems. Their cars spent a long time in the garage, though: nearly three quarters of them took more than a week to fix. Most repairs were done for free, but 14% of bills ranged from £301 to £500.

Read our Volkswagen Up review or find great Volkswagen Up deals

Reliability rating: 98.5%

A petrol CR-V is far less likely to go wrong than a diesel version – only 6% of petrols had a fault compared with 17% of diesels. However, remedial work wasn't quick when it was necessary, and in all instances it took more than a week. All repairs were carried out at no cost to owners, though.

Read our 2012-2018 CR-V review or find great used CR-V deals

Reliability rating: 98.5%

The hybrid NX is a rather left-field choice among a sea of diesel large SUVs but it's virtually bulletproof. Only 3% of cars developed a fault, having a problem with the battery, bodywork or non-engine electrics. All of the work was done at no charge, although 60% of cars took more than a week to put right.

Read our 2014-2021 NX review or find great used NX deals

Reliability rating: 98.5%

The B-Class MPV is the highest scoring Mercedes model in our survey. Owners told us that 9% of their cars went wrong, with the air-con and non-engine electrics the only problem areas. Repairs were slow in many cases – 50% of cars were off the road for more than a week – but were all done for free.

Read our Mercedes B-Class review or find great Mercedes B-Class deals

Reliability rating: 98.7%

The previous generation Jazz is even more robust than the latest version, with only 6% of owners reporting a fault on their cars. The things that did go wrong related to the bodywork, interior trim, non-engine electrics and suspension, although none of the cars was rendered undriveable. However, 20% took more than a week to put right, and 20% of owners paid £310 to £500.

Read our 2015-2020 Jazz review or find great used Jazz deals

Reliability rating: 98.9%

The original Leaf is proving more dependable than the latest version. The newest Leaf is the sixth most reliable electric car with a score of 93.9%, while the previous is the highest scoring car in the class. Only 9% of owners of previous-generation models reported faults, and all of these were rectified for free by Nissan dealers. What's more, all work took a day or less to complete. Problem areas included the the braking system and non-motor electrics.

Read our 2011-2018 Leaf review or find great used Leaf deals

Reliability rating: 99.0%

The hybrid-only UX isn't as roomy inside as some family SUVs but it is one you can trust not to leave you at the roadside. Just 3% of UX owners told us their car had suffered a fault, with these limited to its interior trim or non-engine electrics. All the issues were resolved for free within a week.

Read our Lexus UX review or find great Lexus UX deals

Reliability rating: 99.1%

CX-3s caused their owners very little trouble, with only 6% developing a fault. The only areas of concern were the bodywork and brakes. All remedial work was done for free, avoiding any nasty surprises over bills. The only irritation is that most cars spent up to a week in the service department.

Read our full Mazda CX-3 review or find great used CX-3 deals

Reliability rating: 99.1%

Just 6% of Aygo owners reported a fault, with the only issue relating to the suspension. All afflicted cars could still be driven and took between a day and a week to put right. No owners were charged, in part thanks to the fact that Toyota offers an extra year of warranty (up to 10 years) each time they have their car serviced at a franchised dealer.

Read our 2014-2022 Aygo review or find great used Aygo deals

Reliability rating: 99.3%

The CT 200h is a very robust family car. Only 6% of owners needed to call the garage to fix a problem, and the only area concerned was the suspension. All remedial work was carried out for free, even on cars that were outside the initial three-year warranty period, and all issues were resolved in a day or less.

Read our 2011-2021 CT review or find great used CT deals

Reliability rating: 99.3%

Auris owners must be a contented bunch. A mere 6% of them told us their car had suffered a glitch, and all issues were sorted out free of charge. Issues were minor enough for all cars to remain driveable, and all repairs were carried out in a day or less. The only problem area was the bodywork.

Read our 2013-2019 Auris review or find great used Auris deals

Reliability rating: 99.5%

The RAV4 puts in an almost faultless performance, with just 2% of owners reporting issues with their cars. The battery and suspension were the only areas of concern, but all issues were dealt with in a day or less. Although only 50% of repairs were done for free, the remaining bills were less than £50 each.

Read our Toyota RAV4 review or find great Toyota RAV4 deals

Reliability rating: 100%

Hyundai's roomy family SUV is available with frugal hybrid set-ups that are worthy alternatives to diesel power. This current iteration has been impressively dependable so far, with not a single hybrid example in our survey putting a foot wrong. That makes it an affordable vehicle to live with.

Read our Hyundai Tucson review or find great Hyundai Tucson deals

Reliability rating: 100%

The previous-generation Soul is more than just a practical SUV – it’s also eminently robust. According to our survey respondents, not a single petrol or diesel model suffered a fault, and that meant they had no unexpected expenses and no time without their cars. The Soul’s faultless performance helps it to claim one of the top spots overall for reliability.

Read our 2014-2019 Soul review or find great used Soul deals

Reliability rating: 100%

It might not be the most practical four-seat convertible but the Mini takes the crown as the most reliable. It’s based on the same underpinnings as the Mini hatchback, but beats its sibling’s performance for dependability. Hatchback owners told us 8% of their cars went wrong, but no Mini Convertibles were afflicted by a fault.

Read our Mini Convertible review or find great Mini Convertible deals

Reliability rating: 100%

Mitsubishi's disappearance from the UK is a shame, because it produces some exceptionally reliable models. Not one of the Eclipse Crosses we were told about put a foot wrong. That makes it and the Hyundai Tucson the two most dependable family SUVs you can buy.

Read our 2017-2021 Eclipse Cross review or find great used Eclipse Cross deals

Next: Complete the 2023 What Car? Reliability Survey >>