Best car manufacturers 2026

After counting down the 50 best cars to own to kick off our 2026 Driver Power survey results, it’s time to focus on the manufacturers. Your feedback gave us an insight about your likes and dislikes overall about the brands, with each marque assessed in the same 10 main categories as the best cars to own survey, which includes a variety of sub-sections.

Of the top-30 manufacturers in this year’s survey, there have been some strong performances, with owners reporting higher satisfaction with premium names than those championing value. Scroll down below for a more detailed view of each car manufacturer.

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Best car manufacturers 2026

Scroll down below for our full list of the best car manufacturers in 2026 as voted for by you, with details on how each brand scored in our main categories, as well as key points and overall percentage scores.

1. Mercedes - 88.96%

Premium brands are typically burdened by high buyer expectations. While many fall short in this regard, Mercedes succeeds in satisfying buyers’ demands, claiming the crown as the best marque in this year’s Driver Power survey. Taking the gold medal in six of our 10 main categories, no brand could match Mercedes’ dominance. 

Owners say the MBUX infotainment provides fast responses, easy-to-navigate menus and a good balance of digital and physical controls. Mercedes also ranked first for Interior Design, backed up by a bronze medal for Fit and Finish.

The way their cars drive was also a highlight for owners, with smoothness being a key theme with the brakes, steering, suspension and the powertrains. Such a combination enabled Merc to take the top spot for Driving Enjoyment, despite still offering strong Front-seat Comfort. 

All of this comes at a price, specifically high running costs, but owners feel their cars offer good value for money, highlighted by a second-place result in that category. After being pipped to first place in last year’s survey and topping last year’s best-cars-to-own list with the GLE, Mercedes feels like a worthy winner this year – especially with the size of the gap in terms of percentage score over second-placed Alfa.

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2. Alfa Romeo - 87.17%

For a marque that didn’t even make it into last year’s Driver Power manufacturer list, Alfa Romeo has seriously impressed owners to become our runner-up in 2026. They’ve voted Alfa as the brand which makes the best-looking cars, but it’s the way they drive that appeals most.

A first-place finish for both road handling and steering responsiveness helped Alfa rank second overall for Ride & Handling, as did a third-place result for Driving Pleasure and fourth for Braking Responsiveness. Decent scores for Acceleration and Drivetrain Smoothness led the brand to a respectable seventh in the Powertrain section. 

Alfa isn’t exactly renowned for its build quality, and this is reaffirmed by owners putting the brand in 17th place for Quality & Reliability. In fact, poor scores for both the main Exterior and Interior sections kept Alfa from winning overall. Yet it’s worth acknowledging how it managed top-10 finishes elsewhere, bar Economy & Running Costs, because owners claim Alfas can be gas guzzlers, despite a low cost of servicing. 

Highlights include a first place for Front-seat Comfort, a fine balance of touchscreen controls and physical dials, a silver medal for the Sound Systems and a 10th for Value. Overall, it’s no surprise that Alfa clinched second spot in 2026.

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3. Tesla - 86.91%

The same factors that helped the Tesla Model 3 to win this year’s Driver Power model survey explain why the brand made the podium for the manufacturer ranking. Tesla came first in the Powertrain category, finishing second for Acceleration, and topping the board for Smoothness and Power Delivery. 

Tesla’s infotainment placed second in that section, despite a mediocre rating for the balance between physical and digital buttons. The electric car maker also came second in the Safety Features category, with owners reporting the ADAS systems are easy to turn off. The only poor result was in the Exterior section, where  the cars’ designs and fit and finish were slated.

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4. Lexus - 86.71%

Historically a frequent Driver Power winner, Lexus couldn’t quite make it onto the podium for 2026. That said, it performed incredibly well across the majority of categories, largely down to the overarching sense of quality and reliability that the brand is renowned for. 

Lexus took second place in the Interior and Practicality & Bootspace categories, due to what owners deemed superb design and quality, good visibility, fine load-bay room and plenty of cubbyholes. But the firm finished 18th in the Powertrain section, with owners rating engine sound 24th, while there were 22nd and 24th-place finishes for Steering and Road Holding respectively.

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5. BMW - 86.45%

Having only just made it into the top 10 in last year’s brands list, BMW has squeezed into the top five in 2026, thanks to its tech-filled interiors and meaty engines. The latter helped it achieve a sixth-place result for the Powertrain category, with strong rankings for both acceleration and engine sound. 

But owners like the interior and tech most; a fourth for Interior Quality is complemented by universally strong scores in the Infotainment category. Owners said BMW’s systems are easy to use, have a good balance of controls and great built-in sat nav. As you might expect for a premium and sporty car brand, running costs were the biggest sticking point.

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6. Vauxhall - 85.94%

Vauxhall delivered a fantastic performance in our 2026 Driver Power ‘best cars to own’ poll and it follows that success with another solid finish in our top car-makers list, despite falling out of the top five from last year. 

Vauxhall didn’t perform badly in any of our 10 major categories, at worst offering merely average scores for Practicality & Bootspace and Interior. It’s Ride & Handling where owners feel the firm’s biggest strengths lie, particularly in road handling, brake responsiveness and steering. Strong value (fifth) and Economy & Running Costs (sixth) results were underpinned by the brand taking the silver medal for Insurance and Other Running Costs. 

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7. Peugeot - 85.90%

Peugeot has one of the most striking design languages of any mainstream manufacturer, and owners definitely feel this is a highlight of the brand, ranking it third for Exterior. 

The French maker came fourth in Ride & Handling, scoring a third place in the steering sub-category, no doubt influenced by the i-Cockpit steering wheel of modern Peugeots. With solid scores across the board, the only area Peugeot really falls flat is in Infotainment; buyers complain about fiddly climate controls, clunky sat-nav and a poor balance of physical and digital controls. Low running costs, particularly when it comes to servicing, help smooth things out, though.

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8. Jeep - 85.68%

You might be wondering: “How on earth has the brand voted the least reliable made it this far up the Driver Power list?” Well, aside from questions surrounding overall value for money, owners are otherwise pretty impressed with their purchases. Jeep’s best performance was third in the Ride & Handling category, due to responsive steering and a smooth ride. 

The US 4x4 expert bagged fourth in the Powertrain category, bolstered by strong scores for engine sound and acceleration. Jeep even made the top 10 for Economy & Running Costs; owners were satisfied with the mpg and servicing costs, but insurance and road tax were just deemed average.

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9. Renault - 85.59%

Cheap to run and offering good value for money, these are key factors for many drivers when making buying decisions, and represent how owners feel about their Renaults. The maker took the bronze medal for Economy & Running costs, while finishing sixth for Value. 

Owners also like Renault’s Google-powered infotainment, which was ranked sixth overall; this includes a top-five finish for Smartphone Connectivity and Sat-nav, but drivers felt there could be some improvement in User-friendliness. They also ranked Drivetrain Smoothness in 28th place, Acceleration 16th, while fourth for Safety Features offset below- average scores for Handling and Practicality.

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10. Land Rover - 85.44%

We Brits love SUV styling and Land Rover’s performance in Driver Power 2026 underscores that; the UK manufacturer came first in the Exterior category, with a fifth-place ranking for Exterior Styling and a win for the Exterior Fit-and-finish. Owners love the inside of their Land Rovers, too, with high scores for both Interior Styling and Quality. 

But this doesn’t translate to Reliability where Land Rover placed 26th, although its worst scores were second-to-last for Value and last for Economy & Running Costs. Yet with decent ratings for practicality, as well as for Powertrain and Ride & Handling, Land Rover still deserves its place in our top 10.

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11. Mazda - 85.11%

Offering value and quality in equal measures, Mazda only just missed out on a top-10 finish in this year’s survey. Owners like their cars’ exterior – particularly the craftsmanship – as well as the driving experience. 

While the MX-5-derived steering system Mazda incorporates into most of its cars hasn’t wowed owners, smooth braking and impressive roadholding kept the overall score high. It’s Mazda’s interiors that let it down most, in terms of front-seat comfort and practicality. Smartphone connectivity and the built-in sat-nav were criticised, likely down to the brand avoiding touchscreen- based controls until very recently.

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12. Nissan - 85.09%

‘Jack of all trades, master of none’ is perhaps an apt way of framing owner sentiment towards Nissan in our 2026 survey. The brand returned above-average scores in almost every one of our 10 main categories, but only got into the top 10 for the Ride & Handling section, where owners reported a supple and smooth ride, as well as strong road handling. 

Nissan also finished 11th for Powertrains, helped along by its silky-smooth e-Power hybrid system. But the biggest factor keeping the car maker from being in the top 10 overall was  a lowly 24th for Economy and Running Costs, hindered greatly by what owners perceive to be a high cost of servicing.

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13. Hyundai - 85.03%

Hyundai performed better than its Kia sibling, largely down to the fact that it wasn’t rated terribly in any category – but it didn’t rank amazingly in any, either. With Hyundai cars boasting a five-year warranty, we understand why owners rated the brand seventh in the Value section, which was its best score. 

On the flip side, Hyundai’s controversial styling proved exactly that, with a 22nd place in the Exterior category. Yet there were 13th positions for both Interior and Infotainment, with owners impressed by the visibility and back-seat legroom. Buyers were pleased with the sound of Hyundai’s engines too, but less so with their smoothness and acceleration.

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14. Volvo - 84.98%

You may be surprised to learn that Volvo did not top our rankings when it comes to owner satisfaction surrounding safety systems, but it wasn’t far off; the brand placed third in the Safety Features category, but headed the board for the number of systems its cars have. 

Volvo is also a safe bet for quality and reliability, finishing second in that category. In the same vein, interior and exterior fit-and-finish were praised, but this didn’t stop owners ranking the brand last for overall value. Some report Volvo cars are a bit expensive and are
 a little basic for the price, while high servicing and running costs also contribute towards a second-to-last finish for that category, too.

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15. Suzuki - 84.90%

Suffering something of a fall from grace, Suzuki has dropped 10 places from last year, largely down to the fact that owners are starting to question the value the brand’s cars offer. Boot space is a sticking point, as are interior design and fit-and-finish; Suzuki finished a lowly 25th for Interior, making this category its biggest Achilles’ heel. 

Still, scores only just outside the top five for Ride & Handling and Safety Features make a case for Suzuki’s more spartan approach to kerbweight and driver-assistance tech. And despite being one of the more budget-focused brands in our countdown, Suzuki even made it into the top 10 for Quality & Reliability.

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16. BYD - 84.69%

BYD’s second appearance in the Driver Power survey sees the Chinese brand improve hugely from its last-place result in 2025. A big factor in this is a bronze-medal finish in the Powertrain category, where its powerful and smooth EV and hybrid set-ups impressed. 

These also helped BYD achieve a top-five result for Economy & Running Costs, but couldn’t compensate for the fidgety and unresponsive driving experience owners reported. Infotainment and driver-assistance tech is a bugbear and owners aren’t keen on the air-con controls, which are largely relegated to BYD’s touchscreens, plus the over-zealousness  of the safety systems.

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17. Honda - 84.53%

If fuel economy is key to you, Honda offers the greatest customer satisfaction in this area, topping the category with a score of 84 per cent. The brand also scored fifth for Quality & Reliability, as well as Interior; Honda’s foldable Magic Seats no doubt helped it clinch first place in the Rear seating and Seating area flexibility sub-categories. 

Despite a fine balance of physical and digital buttons, Honda’s Infotainment only mustered 18th place, while the powertrains and safety features were marked down, driven largely by noisy engines and a difficulty turning ADAS software off. High price tags also have owners disappointed with the overall value for money.

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18. Fiat - 84.40%

A four-place improvement over last year’s result, Fiat’s position of 18th can be mainly attributed to rock-bottom running costs and cutesy retro styling themes. 

The Italian marque ranked second overall for Economy and Running Costs. This is all due to the fuel-sipping petrol and eco-friendly electric powertrains that are offered range-wide, and scored well for the sound that they make. But it’s not all good, because owners are particularly disappointed in the quality and practicality of Fiat interiors. This, along with a poor score for Ride & Handling, meant that customers gave mixed views on whether Fiat cars offer good value for money.

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19. Toyota - 84.24%

Japanese car brands have long been famed for their build quality and this remains true for Toyota, which finished just outside the top five in the Quality & Reliability category. The brand is also renowned for its fuel-sipping hybrid powertrains, so it’s perhaps no surprise that the Economy & Running Costs section was another highlight, as was Ride & Handling. 

However, owners were let down by a lack of practicality from their Toyotas, particularly rear seat and boot space, as well as cabin fit-and-finish. Below-average satisfaction scores for Toyota’s exterior styling and infotainment offerings prevent it from matching the high scores of its premium counterpart, Lexus.

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20. Skoda - 83.96%

The best-performing part of the Volkswagen Group this year, Skoda’s focus on value and family-friendly features earned it decent scores. Skodas are built to tackle the hardships of family life, and owners ranked their cars’ build quality seventh and reliability eighth. 

Skoda secured a silver medal for rear-seat space and fourth for boot capacity, for an overall 10th in Practicality & Bootspace. But the Czech brand’s overall satisfaction rating of 20th is down to a poor Infotainment score. Skoda came second-to-last in this category, with drivers saying the systems weren’t user- friendly and offered a disappointing balance between physical and digital controls.

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21. Ford - 83.95%

Over the past few years, Ford has shifted its focus from small, engaging hatchbacks to more stylish and practical SUVs, and it shows in Driver Power’s rankings; acceleration and road handling remain strong points for the Blue Oval, but owners are critical of how smooth (or not) Ford’s powertrains are and report less-than-ideal ride quality. 

Aside from this, Ford’s scores are below-average across the board, but drivers praise their cars’ practicality, with Practicality & Bootspace ranked 13th and Interior 15th. Owners also rated the sat-nav and heating systems, the latter likely due to many models having heated windscreens as standard.

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22. MINI - 83.80%

MINI proudly advertises the ‘go-kart’ driving experience it engineers into its cars and this is exactly what owners say they love the most; they rated the British-German brand fourth for Powertrains and eighth for Ride & Handling, helped along by MINI receiving the top score for Acceleration in the entire survey. 

The firm finished eighth in the Exterior category, helped by the MINI’s iconic dinky proportions and premium appeal. Both factors are also MINI’s downfall, of course; perhaps unsurprisingly it placed last for Practicality. It didn’t do much better in the Economy & Running Costs and Value sections, due to the elevated prices and thirsty petrol engines. 

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23. Audi - 83.56%

Answering the age-old question of which premium German brand is best, owners have placed Audi behind BMW and Mercedes – and by quite some margin. While both rivals have been commended for the way their cars drive, the same isn’t the case for Audi, which got a below-average satisfaction rating in the Powertrain and Ride & Handling categories. 

Running costs are the biggest bugbear for owners, though, and specifically the price of servicing and insurance. But Audi delivers at least some of the premium experience owners expect, with 14th place for cabin materials and finish, plus 15th for infotainment helping to achieve a solid score in the Interior category. 

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24. SEAT - 83.14%

SEAT might be sacrificing a large portion of its sales to its once-performance sub-brand, Cupra, but the former has come out ahead in terms of owner satisfaction. SEAT’s best score was 12th in the Exterior category. Much of this was down to a ninth for Exterior Design, but a 20th-place finish for Exterior Fit-and-finish balances things out, though.

In fact, perceived quality is a sticking point for SEAT, with a poor score for Overall Quality resulting in a Quality & Reliability ranking of 25th, tied with Ride & Handling. Yet decent showings for factors such as visibility, boot space and insurance costs put SEAT ahead of Cupra and Volkswagen in our 2026 survey.

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25. Kia - 82.97%

Kia has come a long way since it entered the UK market back in the early nineties, evolving from a budget brand to one that now oozes quality appeal. Buyers have much greater expectations, and this shows in the mediocre satisfaction scores Kia got across the board. 

Of particular disappointment to owners is the way Kia models drive, with 28th in the Powertrain category compounded by 24th for Ride & Handling. Kia’s worst score was in the Acceleration sub-category, where it was 29th. Despite the brand’s push upmarket, owners still see some bang for their buck, with Fuel Economy rated 14th, Economy & Running Costs 18th and Value 19th.

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26. Volkswagen - 82.86%

Some people might be surprised to see a brand as big as Volkswagen this low in our Driver Power rankings, but in truth, buyers have reported lacklustre satisfaction in every one of our past few surveys. While owners rated Cupra models (which share VW tech) highly for Safety Features, this was actually VW’s lowest category score, in 26th place. 

Owners weren’t that happy with their cars’ running costs (25th) or the user-friendliness of the infotainment systems (26th). Value (24th) was another bone of contention, with the firm trailing VW Group’s premium brand, Audi. Solid scores for fit-and-finish and boot capacity were the highlights in the 2026 poll.

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27. Cupra - 82.04%

Cupra might be known for its hot hatches and SUVs, but the sporty Spanish brand only garnered a tepid response from owners in this year’s Driver Power survey. 

Its best result was in the Safety Features category, where it finished 13th. Interestingly, the marque’s aggressive design language and signature copper accents only mustered a 17th-place finish in the Exterior category; admittedly, this was due to the fact that while it was eighth overall for exterior design, a poor fit-and-finish score let the brand down. Drivers weren’t impressed by their Cupra’s firm suspensions, either, with a second-to-last ranking in the Ride & Handling category.

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28. Citroen - 82.02%

Automotive conglomerate Stellantis has generally performed extremely well, but its budget and comfort-focused brand, Citroen, appears to be the exception. A 28th-place finish for the maker marks a fall from grace, having finished 16th in last year’s survey. 

Despite Citroen’s promise of a silky ride, owners had mixed feelings, only ranking the brand 16th in the Ride Quality sub-category, and 27th overall in the Ride & Handling section which it forms part of. Citroen’s worst performance was in the Exterior section, where it came second-to-last. As with the previous Dacia and MG, it’s Value where Citroen performs best, finishing eighth here.

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29. MG - 81.11%

MG is another brand that’s struggled to wow owners, despite offering decent value across its model range; the Chinese maker only just missed out on the podium in the Value section. The brand came last in our manufacturer survey in 2025 and in 2026, the MG ZS was ranked bottom of our top-50 cars to own list. 

Perhaps that’s not surprising because aside from the strong performance for Value, MG didn’t make it into the top 20 in any of the other nine categories. A last-place finish in the Infotainment section highlighted owners’ frustrations with the brand’s tech, which has been called “clunky and unresponsive”, while another stated their sat-nav is “often wrong”.

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30. Dacia - 80.27%

The Dacia Duster might be a stalwart of our individual model rankings – it won the Best Car to Own trophy in 2024 – but as a marque Dacia still fails to resonate with buyers. Renault Group’s budget brand disappoints in almost every area, finishing last in half of the overall categories, while also suffering poor scores in the Quality & Reliability, Practicality and Infotainment sections. 

But Dacia claws back some brownie points for Fuel Economy & Running Costs and Value. In fact, the firm topped the Value category, highlighting that while owners believe the brand’s models lag behind the competition, they provide exceptional bang for your buck.  

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Best car manufacturers 2026: Full 1-30 Driver Power rankings

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