Honda Jazz is the one that Britain can rely on

23/06/08

Japanese supermini tops charts in huge consumer surveyIf buying a reliable car matters more than anything else – get a Honda Jazz. This Japanese supermini rated top in a just-published survey carried out by the Which? consumer organisation, followed closely by the Skoda Fabia supermini.

Which? quizzed 90,000 members about the reliability of their cars, creating the largest survey of its type. Honda rated as the most dependable make, followed closely by Toyota. Renault, Land Rover and Chrysler/Dodge were the ones most likely to break down.

The survey looked at cars up to two years old. Among the cars that also stood out as super-reliable were Volvo’s C30, Hyundai Getz, Nissan Qashqai and Mazda 3. Cars from Japan and the Far East dominated the Top 10 placings. However, when the survey assessed makes, it considered cars up to eight years old. Porsche and Mini were the highest placed European brands, at 10th and 11th respectively. And Korean ‘low-cost’ car ranges from Hyundai and Kia performed as well as or better than BMW’s, Audi’s and Mercedes’. Ford featured as the best of the mass-market car makers from outside the Far East. Volkswagen, Citrn, Vauxhall and Peugeot scored averagely well, while Fiat and Renault did poorly.

Superminis proved more reliable than luxury cars, while large saloons and hatchbacks outperformed MPVs. Britain’s top-selling car, the Ford Focus, did well, beating its arch rival, the Vauxhall Astra.

Top 10 reliable makes

Honda
Toyota
Daihatsu
Lexus
Mazda
Subaru
Suzuki
Hyundai
Mitsubishi
Porsche

And the 10 least reliable...

Jeep
Saab
Seat
MG
Alfa Romeo
Rover
Fiat
Renault
Land Rover
Chrysler/Dodge