Best car of 2013
The results are in and the votes have been counted, so now we name our Driver Power 2013 champion
Britain's most influential car reliability and satisfaction survey is back for its 12th year – and with more than 40,000 of you taking part in this year’s Driver Power poll, the results are more revealing than ever.
We’ve counted all the scores and analysed the results, and are delighted to announce the winners and losers.
The top three…
1. Skoda Yeti
Overall rating: 92.65% 2012 ranking: 1
Few cars in the history of Driver Power can match the achievements of the Skoda Yeti, and it holds on to its crown in 2013. In the three years it has graced our satisfaction survey, it’s never finished outside the top two and best-in-category finishes for build quality and in-car technology laid the foundations for victory again this year.
Owners love the Yeti’s reliability and rave about its generous equipment, while the handling of this tall-riding car shows many of its traditional hatchback rivals how things should be done. Excellent visibility helped the Yeti win the silver medal in the ease of driving category, too.
The range has some excellent engines, including a smooth 1.2-litre TSI petrol and the frugal 1.6 TDI GreenLine diesel. Owners love the performance and brakes, and while they’re not so impressed by the ride quality and practicality, even here the car finishes in the top 20. And the niggles don’t stop the Yeti claiming back-to-back Driver Power triumphs.
2. Skoda Superb MkII
Overall rating: 92.13% 2012 ranking: 2
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2022 Kia
Stonic
26,003 milesManualPetrol1.0L
Cash £13,400
2020 BMW
2 Series Gran Coupe
64,132 milesManualPetrol1.5L
Cash £14,900
2020 Mercedes
GLA
51,916 milesManualPetrol1.6L
Cash £13,900
2020 Ford
Focus
29,461 milesManualDiesel1.5L
Cash £12,700Skoda secures yet another Driver Power podium, proving that it knows how to keep its customers happy. The second-generation Superb was our champion in 2011, before being edged out last year, and it comes second again in 2013 – but it pushed our winner hard, missing out on first place by only 0.73 per cent.
Key to the family car’s success is the space it provides, for passengers and luggage. The huge boot and limousine levels of rear legroom were central to its number one ranking in the practicality category. Owners also rated the Superb’s solid build quality and praised the amount of technology on board for the money.
A consistent set of results included only a few disappointments. Judging by our findings, the big family car’s handling doesn’t live up to the same high standards, but it finished in the top 10 in eight of our 10 categories. Owners were almost universal in their praise of economy, especially for diesel cars.
3. Jaguar XF
Overall rating: 89.90% 2012 ranking: 5
A drop of two places last year could have been the start of a downward spiral, but the Jaguar XF has regained its momentum this year to move back on to the Driver Power podium. There are some stellar results on the Jaguar’s scorecard, but its three top-five category scores are countered with 66th place for practicality and 71st for running costs. The fact this stylish exec can register two such poor results yet still finish so high up shows just how good the rest of the car is.
Last place...
100. Honda Accord MkVII
Overall rating: 84.22 2012 ranking: 38
Bringing up the rear of the Top 100 is the Honda Accord MkVII. This is unfamiliar territory for a brand more used to battling at the top, but the previous model is simply too old to compete these days. It has nose-dived by 62 places after putting in a weak performance pretty much across the board. In 2012, the car was fourth in our combined reliability/build quality category – but we’ve separated the two this year, and the Accord came 76th for reliability, which suggests it’s not as dependable as it once was.
The full rundown...
| Position | Make | Model | % | Position | Make | Model | % | |
| 1 | Skoda | Yeti | 92.65% | 76 | Audi | A4 MkIV | 85.47% | |
| 2 | Skoda | Superb MkII | 92.13% | 77 | Honda | Jazz MkI | 85.27% | |
| 3 | Jaguar | XF | 89.90% | 78 | Peugeot | 3008 | 85.25% | |
| 4 | Renault | Scenic MkIII | 89.82% | 79 | Volkswagen | Passat MkVI | 85.23% | |
| 5 | Mazda | CX-5 | 89.63% | 80 | Ford | S-MAX | 85.21% | |
| 6 | Skoda | Octavia MkII | 89.20% | 81 | Suzuki | Swift MkII | 85.16% | |
| 7 | Alfa Romeo | Giulietta | 89.10% | 82 | Jaguar | X-Type | 85.08% | |
| 8 | Land Rover | Discovery MkIV | 88.92% | 83 | Kia | Cee'd MkI | 85.08% | |
| 9 | BMW | 3 Series MkVI | 88.74% | 84 | Land Rover | Range Rover MkIII | 85.06% | |
| 10 | Mercedes | E-Class MkIV | 88.61% | 85 | Toyota | Yaris MkII | 85.02% | |
| 11 | BMW | 5 Series MkVI | 88.41% | 86 | Toyota | Avensis MkII | 84.98% | |
| 12 | Vauxhall | Zafira Tourer | 88.41% | 87 | Jaguar | S-Type | 84.98% | |
| 13 | BMW | X3 MkII | 88.30% | 88 | BMW | 5 Series MkV | 84.94% | |
| 14 | Subaru | Forester MkIII | 87.94% | 89 | Ford | Galaxy MkIII | 84.92% | |
| 15 | Jaguar | XJ MkV | 87.86% | 90 | Toyota | Auris MkI | 84.74% | |
| 16 | Volkswagen | Golf MkVI | 87.79% | 91 | BMW | X5 MkII | 84.73% | |
| 17 | Kia | Rio MkIII | 87.79% | 92 | Honda | Civic MkVIII | 84.70% | |
| 18 | Jaguar | XK/XKR MkII | 87.57% | 93 | Mitsubishi | Lancer MkIX | 84.69% | |
| 19 | Volvo | XC60 | 87.53% | 94 | BMW | 3 Series MkV | 84.63% | |
| 20 | Renault | Megane MkIII | 87.53% | 95 | Audi | A1 | 84.39% | |
| 21 | Hyundai | ix35 | 87.45% | 96 | Audi | TT/Roadster MkII | 84.30% | |
| 22 | Nissan | X-Trail MkII | 87.34% | 97 | Subaru | Legacy | 84.28% | |
| 23 | Honda | Jazz MkII | 87.34% | 98 | Vauxhall | Insignia | 84.24% | |
| 24 | Nissan | Micra MkIV | 87.31% | 99 | Volkswagen | Touran | 84.22% | |
| 25 | Honda | Accord MVIII | 87.29% | 100 | Honda | Accord MkVII | 84.22% | |
| 26 | Toyota | Prius MkIII | 87.27% | 101 | Mercedes | SLK MkII | 84.17% | |
| 27 | Audi | A6 MkIV | 87.21% | 102 | Volkswagen | Polo MkV | 84.10% | |
| 28 | Mercedes | C-Class MkIII | 87.19% | 103 | Vauxhall | Astra MkVI | 84.04% | |
| 29 | Mitsubishi | ASX | 87.18% | 104 | BMW | X3 | 83.96% | |
| 30 | Toyota | Prius MkII | 87.16% | 105 | Volkswagen | Passat MkV | 83.93% | |
| 31 | Honda | CR-V MkIII | 87.15% | 106 | Subaru | Impreza MkIII | 83.91% | |
| 32 | Porsche | Cayman MkI | 87.09% | 107 | Mazda | 2 MkII | 83.76% | |
| 33 | Toyota | Verso MkI | 86.92% | 108 | Renault | Clio MkIII | 83.75% | |
| 34 | Volkswagen | Passat CC | 86.87% | 109 | Nissan | Note MkI | 83.74% | |
| 35 | Toyota | Yaris MkIII | 86.80% | 110 | Audi | A3 MkII | 83.71% | |
| 36 | Citroen | DS3 | 86.79% | 111 | Hyundai | i20 MkI | 83.65% | |
| 37 | Mercedes | C-Class Sport Coupe | 86.77% | 112 | Mitsubishi | Outlander MkII | 83.64% | |
| 38 | Mercedes | E-Class MkIII | 86.67% | 113 | Land Rover | Discovery 3 | 83.55% | |
| 39 | Volvo | V70 MkII | 86.59% | 114 | Volvo | C30 | 83.52% | |
| 40 | Toyota | Avensis MkIII | 86.54% | 115 | Vauxhall | Antara | 83.48% | |
| 41 | Vauxhall | Agila MkII | 86.52% | 116 | Mercedes | CLK MkII | 83.41% | |
| 42 | Ford | C-MAX MkII | 86.47% | 117 | Ford | Fiesta MkVI | 83.39% | |
| 43 | Hyundai | i30 MkI | 86.44% | 118 | Vauxhall | Meriva MkII | 83.31% | |
| 44 | Toyota | RAV4 MkIII | 86.40% | 119 | Toyota | Corolla Verso | 83.30% | |
| 45 | Porsche | 911 997 | 86.39% | 120 | Volvo | XC90 | 82.99% | |
| 46 | Mazda | 6 MkII | 86.37% | 121 | SEAT | Altea | 82.92% | |
| 47 | Mazda | MX-5/RC MkIII | 86.37% | 122 | Volvo | V50 | 82.85% | |
| 48 | Renault | Laguna MkIII | 86.35% | 123 | Alfa Romeo | 159 | 82.76% | |
| 49 | Kia | Sportage MkIII | 86.31% | 124 | Volkswagen | Golf MkV | 82.74% | |
| 50 | Porsche | Boxster MkII | 86.31% | 125 | MINI | Countryman | 82.68% | |
| 51 | Lexus | IS MkII | 86.23% | 126 | Vauxhall | Corsa MkIII | 82.52% | |
| 52 | Land Rover | Range Rover Evoque | 86.21% | 127 | Ford | Grand C-MAX | 82.44% | |
| 53 | Mazda | 3 MkII | 86.15% | 128 | SEAT | Leon MkII | 82.41% | |
| 54 | BMW | 1 Series MkII | 86.14% | 129 | Alfa Romeo | MiTo | 82.41% | |
| 55 | Volvo | S60 MkI | 86.11% | 130 | Ford | Focus MkII | 82.37% | |
| 56 | Ford | Mondeo MkIV | 86.10% | 131 | Citroen | C4 Picasso MkI | 82.32% | |
| 57 | Volkswagen | Tiguan | 86.08% | 132 | Mazda | 3 MkI | 82.30% | |
| 58 | BMW | X1 | 86.06% | 133 | Mazda | RX-8 | 82.22% | |
| 59 | Ford | Kuga MkI | 85.89% | 134 | Mazda | 5 | 82.15% | |
| 60 | Volkswagen | Scirocco MkIII | 85.86% | 135 | Hyundai | i10 | 82.11% | |
| 61 | Nissan | Qashqai | 85.85% | 136 | MINI | Clubman | 82.07% | |
| 62 | Nissan | Juke | 85.84% | 137 | Peugeot | 308 MkI | 81.97% | |
| 63 | Citroen | C3 Picasso | 85.82% | 138 | BMW | 1 Series MkI | 81.87% | |
| 64 | Skoda | Fabia MkII | 85.81% | 139 | Citroen | C5 MkII | 81.82% | |
| 65 | Toyota | iQ | 85.79% | 140 | Peugeot | 407 | 81.69% | |
| 66 | BMW | 3 Series Coupe/Conv MkV | 85.74% | 141 | MINI | One/Cooper/S | 81.44% | |
| 67 | Audi | A6 MkIII | 85.73% | 142 | Fiat | 500/C | 81.11% | |
| 68 | Kia | Picanto MkII | 85.69% | 143 | Fiat | Panda/4x4 MkI | 81.00% | |
| 69 | Audi | A5 Coupe/Cabrio | 85.69% | 144 | SEAT | Ibiza MkIV | 80.81% | |
| 70 | Ford | Focus MkIII | 85.68% | 145 | Vauxhall | Zafira MkII | 80.70% | |
| 71 | Skoda | Roomster | 85.68% | 146 | Toyota | Aygo | 80.41% | |
| 72 | Mazda | CX-7 | 85.67% | 147 | Mercedes | A-Class MkII | 80.35% | |
| 73 | Land Rover | Freelander 2 | 85.63% | 148 | Ford | C-MAX MkI | 80.25% | |
| 74 | Hyundai | Santa Fe MkII | 85.53% | 149 | Citroen | C4 MkI | 79.63% | |
| 75 | Volkswagen | Golf Plus | 85.50% | 150 | Mitsubishi | Colt MkV | 79.12% |
How are our results calculated?
Our survey asks drivers to rate their car out of five in 10 key categories. An independent data processing company then crunches the numbers to provide the overall average scores.
Why doesn’t my car feature?
Not all models can be included, due to the sheer number of cars on UK roads. Plus, to ensure our results are reliable, we need a robust sample size of drivers of each vehicle.
