When it comes to buying a new car, everyone has different priorities, whether it’s affordability, safety, performance, or condition. However, if your goal is to keep your vehicle running smoothly for years to come, reliability is a crucial factor to consider.
Recent research by temporary car insurance experts Tempcover reveals which of the UK’s most popular cars are considered the most reliable.
Each vehicle was scored out of 10 across four key metrics: repair frequency, owner satisfaction, average repair cost, and reliability ratings.
The highest-performing model in each category received a score of 10, while the lowest received a score of 1. These scores were then averaged to create an overall reliability ranking.
How Reliable Are the UK’s Most Popular Cars?
Taking the top spot as the most popular car with the highest overall reliability score is the Toyota Yaris (7.7/10), mainly driven by strong independent repair and reliability ratings of 9.1/10 and 93.5%, respectively.
In second place is the Volvo XC40, which scored 7.68/10 overall and had the highest independent repair rating in the research at 9.5/10, along with the lowest average repair cost of £285.30. The Ford Fiesta rounds out the top three with a score of 7.1/10, supported by mostly positive owner reviews, averaging 4 out of 5.
Rank |
Make |
Model |
Repair/Fault Score[1] |
Average Owners Rating[2] |
Reliability Rating[3] |
Average Repair Costs[4] |
Overall Score[5] |
|
1 |
Toyota |
Yaris |
9.1 |
3.9 |
93.5 |
£290.78 |
7.71 |
|
2 |
Volvo |
XC40 |
9.5 |
3.8 |
93.40 |
£285.30 |
7.68 |
|
3 |
Ford |
Fiesta |
8 |
4.0 |
92 |
£440.08 |
7.09 |
|
4 |
Hyundai |
Tucson |
7.1 |
4.0 |
94.90 |
£576.05 |
6.36 |
|
5 |
Volkswagen |
Polo |
7.6 |
3.5 |
98.3 |
£459.72 |
6.11 |
|
6 |
Ford |
Focus |
6.1 |
3.9 |
94.9 |
£640.47 |
5.17 |
|
7 |
BMW |
3 Series |
3 |
4.4 |
96.75 |
£774.73 |
5.00 |
|
8 |
Volkswagen |
Tiguan |
6.4 |
3.9 |
90.00 |
£584.73 |
4.78 |
|
9 |
Vauxhall |
Corsa |
7.3 |
3.5 |
81.80 |
£365.63 |
4.36 |
|
10 |
Audi |
A3 |
5.5 |
4.2 |
87.20 |
£643.57 |
4.19 |
|
11 |
Nissan |
Qashqai |
5.2 |
3.8 |
94.90 |
£746.10 |
3.51 |
|
12 |
Kia |
Sportage |
7.6 |
3.1 |
79.80 |
£618.50 |
3.08 |
|
13 |
Vauxhall |
Astra |
4 |
3.7 |
86.5 |
£634.42 |
2.65 |
|
14 |
Volkswagen |
Golf |
6 |
3.0 |
77.25 |
£571.49 |
2.52 |
|
15 |
Nissan |
Juke |
5.6 |
3.6 |
50.00 |
£911.64 |
1.30 |
The Nissan Juke received the lowest overall reliability score (1.3/10), mainly due to its high average repair cost of £911.64 and the lowest independent reliability rating in the research at 50%. The Volkswagen Golf and Vauxhall Astra followed, with overall scores of 2.5 and 2.65, respectively.
Cost vs. Reliability: How Do the Cheapest Popular Cars Compare?
Although price doesn’t affect the reliability score, it remains an essential factor for many drivers. Comparing price with reliability provides a good indication of how affordable cars perform overall.
The Ford Fiesta had the lowest average second-hand price (£4,695) among the most popular cars in the research and scored 7.1 for reliability, placing it third overall.
The Ford Focus had the second-lowest price, at just under £7,000, and scored 5.2/10 in the reliability ranking, placing sixth. At the other end of the scale, the Volkswagen Tiguan had the highest used-car price at £28,399 and ranked eighth for reliability.
Make |
Model |
Used Price |
Overall Score |
Reliability Rank |
|
Ford |
Fiesta |
£4,695 |
7.09 |
3 |
|
Ford |
Focus |
£6,995 |
5.17 |
6 |
|
|