In association with MotorEasy
What Car? Reliability Survey: Most and least reliable premium SUVs
In our annual Reliability Survey, we ask readers to rate the dependability of cars aged up to five years old. Here we list the most and least reliable premium SUVs in the UK...
Premium SUVs are desirable, but not necessarily out of reach for many car buyers because their new list prices range from £50,000 to £70,000. Sitting between family SUVs and luxury cars, these upmarket models come with either combustion or electric power.
They generally have an appealing badge on their bonnets, and their interiors are luxuriously appointed, supremely comfortable and decked out with useful technology.
There are plenty of good models to choose from, but not all are the epitome of dependability. The average score for the class in the latest What Car? Reliability Survey is 89.3%, which is the lowest of all the classes rated.
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Most reliable premium SUVs
1. Porsche Macan (2014-present)
Reliability rating 99.0%
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Most common faults: gearbox 1%, non-engine electrics 1%
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Average repair cost: 100% £0
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Typical time off road: 50% one day or less, 25% one day to a week, 25% more than a week
The Macan may not be the most practical larger SUV, but it is probably the most fun to drive. And, with prices starting at £57,000, it's affordable compared with rivals such as the hotter versions of the Mercedes GLC.
Even better news is that the Macan is the highest scoring premium SUV for reliability. A mere 5% of the vehicles reported on suffered any issues, and their failings were restricted to non-engine electrical systems and the gearbox. Most problems were quick to fix, too; half of the affected cars were fixed in a day or less, 25% took up to a week to repair and 25% took more than a week. All of the remedial work was paid for by Porsche.
Our data covers the diesel and petrol-engined versions of the Macan aged up to five years old, but not the latest pure electric model.
2. Tesla Model Y (2022-present)
Reliability rating 97.1%
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Most common faults: battery pack 2%, brakes 2%, motor electrics 2%, interior trim 2%, suspension 2%
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Average repair cost: 100% £0
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Typical time off road: 42% one day or less, 58% one day to a week
The Model Y is unusual because it's both extremely swift and highly practical. It's a rival to the fully electric Audi Q4 e-tron and BMW iX1, and it has many appealing attributes, including a long range between charges and the back-up of the brand's rapid and well-maintained public EV charging network.
It was last year’s top-rated electric SUV and is the top scoring premium electric model in this chart. Twelve percent of owners said their cars went wrong, with defects affecting the EV battery pack, brakes, electric motor and interior trim.
Getting things put right was fairly swift, with 42% of cars back on the road in a day or less and the remaining 58% repaired in less than a week. It’s reassuring, too, to hear that all fixes were paid for by Tesla.
Reliability rating 96.2%
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Most common faults: gearbox 7%, bodywork 3%, engine 3%, exhaust 3%
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Average repair cost: 100% £0
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Typical time off road: 57% one day or less, 29% one day to a week
The BMW X5 is the model that kicked off the craze for sportier SUVs that felt more like cars to drive by sacrificing a bit of its off-road ability for better handling, improved ride comfort and a smarter interior. It has a great interior and is good to drive, but some rivals are more practical.
Pick a petrol or plug-in hybrid (PHEV) model if you want a hassle-free X5. Examples with these types of engine suffer half the faults of diesel models, and their defects tend to be dealt with more quickly.
Fourteen percent of petrol and PHEV X5s went wrong, compared with 40% of diesels, and 57% were repaired in a day or less; only 11% of diesels were. Problem areas for petrol-engined X5s include the bodywork, engine and gearbox. No X5 owners were troubled by repair bills, though, because BMW covered 100% of repairs for petrol, diesel and PHEV models.
4. Mercedes GLB (2019-present)
Reliability rating 96.0%
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Most common faults: sat-nav / infotainment system 10%, bodywork 5%, engine electrics 5%, interior trim 5%, sat-nav / infotainment system 5%
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Average repair cost: 100% £0
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Typical time off road: 50% one day or less, 33% one day to a week, 17% more than a week
The GLB is a more practical seven-seater than premium-badged rivals because its boxy shape means there's lots of front space, high positioned second row seats and good access to the two rearmost pews. It comes with a choice of punchy diesel engines and all versions have a classy interior.
Electrical issues – including problems with the infotainment system – were the main bugbear of GLB owners, who told us that 29% of their cars had gone wrong. There were also concerns about the bodywork, engine and interior trim. More positively, Mercedes and its dealers paid for all fixes, even though many vehicles were no longer covered by the brand’s new-car warranty.
In many instances, repairs were swift, too; half of the affected cars were sorted in a day or less, 33% took up to a week to put right and only 17% were in workshops for more than a week.
5. BMW iX3 (2021-2025)
Reliability rating 95.5%
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Most common faults: air-con 6%, battery pack 4%, engine electrics 4%, non-engine electrics 4%, sat-nav / interior trim 2%
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Average repair cost: 100% £0
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Typical time off road: 9% one day or less, 82% one day to a week, 9% more than a week
The first iX3 is a class act, with a rewarding driving experience and excellent interior quality, making it a good used buy. Based on the same underpinnings as the conventionally powered BMW X3, the iX3 looks very similar to its sibling and is a great option if you want to go electric without shouting to the world about it.
Although 19% of the iX3s we were told about had a glitch, but most issues were resolved in less than a week, and no owners were left with any unexpected repair bills.
=6. Mercedes GLC (2015-present)
Reliability rating 94.6%
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Most common faults: 12-volt battery 5%, non-engine electrics 4%, air-con 2%, hybrid electric motor 2%, engine electrics 2%, interior trim 2%, sat-nav / infotainment system 2%
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Average repair cost: 100% £0
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Typical time off road: 37% one day or less, 19% one day to a week, 44% more than a week
The GLC is the SUV equivalent of the C-Class saloon in the Mercedes line-up, and it sits between the smaller GLA and larger GLE. It's generally a robust model; the biggest headache for owners is the fact that remedial work can be fairly slow when things do go wrong.
According to our data, 21% of the cars reported on had a problem, with issues occurring across a range of areas from the air-con to the sat-nav / infotainment system. Most faulty cars could still be driven, but 44% of them were in the workshop for more than a week. The inconvenience stopped there, though, because Mercedes covered the cost of all necessary repairs.
=6. Land Rover Defender (2020-present)
Reliability rating 94.6%
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Most common faults: sat-nav / infotainment system 5%, engine 5%, non-engine electrics 3%, air-con 2%, bodywork 2%, brakes 2%, interior trim 2%, steering 2%, suspension 2%
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Average repair cost: 100% £0
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Typical time off road: 41% one day or less, 53% more than a week
If you want a practical, comfortable premium SUV that's virtually unstoppable off-road, the Defender should be high on your wish list. In 110 D250 form, it secures our top five-star rating. We'd advise buyers to stick with the cheaper trims (our favourite is S) to keep the price respectable, and add air suspension for a smoother ride and tidier handling.
Other good news is that the Defender is looking robust so far. It's Land Rover's second highest scoring model for reliability, just marginally behind the Range Rover Sport. Land Rover covered the cost of putting all faults right, but just over half of the affected cars were out of action for more than a week.
8. Mercedes EQA (2021-present)
Reliability rating 94.1%
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Most common faults: air-con 7%, battery pack 7%, bodywork 3%, brakes 3%, electric motor 3%, sat-nav / infotainment system 3%
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Average repair cost: 100% £0
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Typical time off road: 40% one day or less, 10% one day to a week, 50% more than a week
The EQA is the pure electric version of the Mercedes GLA family SUV. Its biggest strength is its long range - it will do up to 345 miles officially - but its firm ride and lofty pricing let it down. Rivals, such as the Genesis GV60 and Kia EV6, are much better all-rounders.
Owners told is that 23% of their EQAs went wrong with a range of issues. Although Mercedes paid for all remedial work, half of owners were without their cars for more than a week while they were being fixed.
9. BMW X3 diesel (2018-2024)
Reliability rating 93.1%
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Most common faults: exhaust 7%, sat-nav / infotainment system 5%, bodywork 3%, engine electrics 3%, interior trim 3%, air-con 2%, brakes 2%, engine 2%, non-engine electrics 2%
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Average repair cost: 94% cost £0, 6% cost more than £1500
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Typical time off road: 31% one day or less, 47% one day to a week, 22% more than a week
The BMW X3 may have been replaced by a fourth-generation model, but the previous-generation version is still one of the best large SUVs you can buy. It has a range of strong engines, sharp handling and is good value as a used buy.
Diesel models score better than petrol/PHEV X3s for reliability because they are in and out of the workshop more quickly. According to our data, 31% of petrol and PHEV X3s went wrong, with cars affected by a wide range of issues. BMW covered most repair costs, but a small proportion of owners had to fund repair bills exceeding £1500 per fault. Getting things put right was generally pretty swift, though.
10. Volvo XC60 PHEV (2017-present)
Reliability rating 93.0%
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Most common faults: sat-nav / infotainment system 13%, non-engine electrics 7%, air-con 3%, bodywork 3%, interior trim 3%, electric motor 2%, motor electrisc 2%, exhaust 2%, suspemsion 2%
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Average repair cost: 100% £0
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Typical time off road: 38% one day or less, 36% more than a week
The Volvo XC60 is ageing fairly gracefully and can still manage to fend off newer rivals with its roomy, upmarket interior, well-judged ride and decent handling. It's also highly dependable, with a low fault rate.
PHEV versions of the XC60 went wrong more often than petrol and diesel models: 28% of PHEVs had a fault compared with 28% of petrol and diesel examples. However, PHEVs were back on the road quicker, meaning less inconvenience for owners. Other good news is that Volvo covered the cost of all repairs.
Least reliable premium SUVs
1. Audi Q7 (2015-present)
Reliability rating 78.6%
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Most common faults: non-engine electrics 20%, engine 7%, exhaust 7%, sat-nav / infotainment system 7%
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Average repair cost: 57% £0, 29% more than £1500
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Typical time off road: 56% one day to a week, 44% one week or more
The Q7 has long been one of our favourite premium SUVs because it comes with a range of smooth, powerful engines, opt-notch interior quality and a glassy ride. However, faults suffered by the Q7 can be far more costly to remedy than those of its main luxury SUV rival, the BMW X5.
Forty-seven percent of Q7s had a problem, most (20%) being caused by non-engine electrical issues. The engine, exhaust and infotainment system were also cited as problematic. No faults were rectified in a day or less; instead, 56% of cars spent up to a week in the garage and the rest were there for longer. Only 57% of expenses were paid for by Audi; some owners were left with bills of up to £200 and 29% ended up more than £1500 out of pocket.
2. Land Rover Discovery Sport (2014-present)
Reliability rating 81.8%
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Most common faults: bodywork 11%, electric motor 9%, engine electrics 7%, hybrid battery pack 5%, brakes 4%, exhaust 4%, gearbox 4%, sat-nav / infotainment system 4%
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Average repair cost: 87% £0, 8% more than £1500
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Typical time off road: 42% one day to a week, 39% more than a week
The Discovery Sport is a more compact and affordable alternative to the enormous Land Rover Discovery. It is a practical and comfortable family load-lugger with a well-finished interior and the option of seven seats with most engines.
However, it suffers far more faults than it should. Our data reveals that 42% of participating owners reported at least one fault.
While bodywork and electrical issues were the main areas of weakness in older petrol and diesel models, the electric motor and EV battery troubled owners of the P300e PHEV (introduced in 2021). Repair work was slow, with 39% of cars off the road for more than a week, but Land Rover covered most costs; 87% of cars were fixed for free, 5% cost owners up to £300 and 8% brought bills that exceeded £1500.
Reliability rating 84.3%
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Most common faults: non-engine electrics 13%, engine/motor electrics 10%, air-con 7%, sat-nav / infotainment system 7%, battery pack 3%, bpdywork 3%, electric motor 3%, steering 3%
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Average repair cost: 80% cost £0, 20% £201-£750
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Typical time off road: 24% one day or less, 53% more than a week
Superb to drive and relatively cheap to run, the Audi Q5 should be one of the best large SUVs you can buy. It has a hihg quality interior and a choice of punchy yet frugal engines.
The reliability record of the petrol and PHEV versions isn't up with rivals, though. According to owners, 39% of their Q5s had some sort of issue, with various electrical glitches and issues with the air-con the most common complaints. It's a shame to see that not all remedial work was paid for by the car maker, leaving some owners with bills of up to £750. On top of that, more than half of faulty cars were out of action for more than a week.
To read the reliability data for other car classes follow these links:
Most and least reliable cars overall
Most reliable car brands
Most reliable small cars
Most reliable family cars
Most reliable executive cars
Most reliable luxury cars
Most reliable small SUVs
Most reliable family SUVs
Most reliable seven-seaters
Most reliable electric cars
Most reliable electric SUVs
Most reliable sports cars
Most reliable diesel cars
Most reliable petrol cars
Most reliable hybrid cars
How the research was carried out
The latest What Car? Reliability Survey gained 29,967 responses and that enabled us to report on 199 models (up to five years old) from 31 different brands.
To compile the survey, conducted in association with MotorEasy, we ask thousands of car owners to tell us how well their cars had behaved over the previous 24 months.
For every car that has suffered a fault, we ask in what area the issue occurred, plus how much it cost to repair and how long it spent in the workshop. This information is used to create a reliability rating for each model and brand where we have a large enough response rate.
About the report author
Claire Evans has been a motoring journalist for more than 30 years, and has focussed on consumer issues for much of that time. She was the advice columnist for Carweek magazine in the 1990s, helping car owners with faulty cars get the right level of reparation from car makers.
She also spent six years working on motoring content for Which?, and it is here she oversaw the running of the charity's annual used car reliability survey.
Claire launched the What Car? Reliability Survey in 2017, and since then has helped thousands of buyers choose the most reliable new cars and SUVs, as well as the most dependable used cars.
