Best car manufacturers 2025

Every year we reveal the best car brands available to UK buyers by asking the experts: not our skilled team of reviewers, but you as part of our annual Driver Power customer satisfaction survey.

Just like the Driver Power new-car survey, our manufacturer list uses data collected from real-world owners. However, rather than focus on individual models, we’ve sourced data from each manufacturer’s entire line-up, compiling them together to get an overall perspective of the general satisfaction level for each brand.

Also as with the new-car survey, the Driver Power manufacturers list is split up into 10 categories – for example, powertrains, practicality and value – which all have equal weighting. A total of 31 different marques made our final list, and you might be surprised by which ones impress and which disappoint.

Drivers have given their verdicts on the manufacturers of the cars they own, so scroll down below to view more details on the top 10 and or keep going to see a full list of where all 31 manufacturers in our survey ranked. Don't forget you can use Auto Express to check out our latest lease deals and savings on a new car, or browse new models available now from stock at our network of trusted dealers. 

10. Honda – 85.77%

Honda, like other Japanese manufacturers, has a strong reputation for building high-quality, reliable cars that don’t cost the earth to run. Such a sentiment is reflected in our Driver Power results, with top-five finishes for Honda in both the build quality and running costs categories – the latter helped by a first-place ranking for servicing costs. Perhaps where Honda was let down the most was for exterior styling, as well as ride comfort – respondents find the stiff suspension of the Civic a little uncomfortable. Otherwise, it’s a very strong showing for a brand that is keeping somewhat of a low profile during the ongoing EV transition. 

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9. Suzuki – 85.79%

Just beating out its Japanese neighbour, Suzuki has impressed owners the most with its safety systems, who placed it fourth in this regard. Elsewhere, the budget brand didn’t necessarily pull off any stand-out performances, but its top-10 result demonstrates how it can pay off to be a bit of a jack-of-all-trades. 

Suzuki’s worst performance, however, was in the infotainment category, where it ranked especially poorly for its built-in sat nav system. Nevertheless, strong showings in the braking, road manners and steering sections result in a respectable sixth-place overall for ride and handling.

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8. BMW – 86.00%

For a brand that’s built its name around “Ultimate Driving Machines”, we’re sure you’re not all too surprised to see BMW reach the podium (third place) for the powertrain category. Surprisingly, however, owners weren’t so taken by the way their BMWs handle, with the Bavarian marque ranking a middling 12th in this regard. Still, top-10 finishes for safety, practicality, interior and infotainment is nothing to sniff at. 

Survey respondents found BMW’s iDrive to be very user-friendly, with strong smartphone connectivity and decent built-in sat-nav. Really, lacklustre performances for exterior styling – likely no thanks to the controversial kidney grilles – and high running costs were the only areas that kept the German stalwart from the sharp end of this list.

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7. Peugeot – 86.12%

Peugeot is on a roll at the moment – especially in the design department – so it’s no wonder that the French firm scored third place in the exterior category. Sharing many mechanical parts with another Stellantis-owned brand on this list (more on that later), owners preferred Peugeot’s approach to handling set-ups, ranking the firm fourth overall, thanks to a third-place finish for steering, which can potentially be attributed to the small steering wheel that comes as part of the maker’s i-Cockpit cabin layout. 

Peugeot also ranked within the top 10 for its interiors and also for practicality, only really being let down by a lowly 25th-place rating for value for money.

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6. Renault – 86.29%

King, or should we say ‘Emperor’, of the French brands on this list is Renault which only just missed out on the top five given its stark mix of impressive and disappointing scores. For starters, owners weren’t exactly thrilled by the interiors, practicality, ride or reliability of their cars. 

On the flip side, however, Renault clinched second-place finish for running costs and a third-place ranking for its Google-powered infotainment systems. Positioned within the top 10 also for safety features, exterior and value, Renault earns its place within the overall top 10 – despite its inconsistencies in some areas.

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5. Land Rover – 86.52%

Jumping up five places from last year’s rankings, Land Rover has gone from just squeezing into the top 10 to now just squealing into the top five – an impressive improvement. Buyers of this brand are notoriously loyal and, perhaps fittingly for a manufacturer that only sells SUVs, did best in the practicality category, securing a strong second-place finish. 

Luxurious materials secured Land Rover a third place for the interior category, while brawny 4x4 looks helped it get fourth place for exterior. Unsurprisingly, fuel economy, reliability and value continue to be the British maker’s biggest letdowns, with Land Rover finishing a lacklustre 30th, 24th and 28th respectively.

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4. Vauxhall – 86.80%

After performing so well in our Driver Power model survey, it’s only fitting that Vauxhall did similarly well in our brand survey, too. With a line-up full of either fuel-sipping hybrids or zero-emissions electric cars, Vauxhall was rated in first-place for economy and running costs. Its worst finish was for interiors, where owners weren’t all too keen on their Vauxhall’s fit and finish, as well as the front-seat comfort – despite these being approved by spinal experts. 

The British brand also scored outside the top 10 for safety features and value for money, but with strong ratings everywhere else, the crew at Coventry should be rather pleased with themselves.

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3. Lexus – 87.06%

The first of the podium finishes is a long-time Driver Power favourite and Toyota’s premium brand, Lexus. Performing much better than its mainstream sister brand (Toyota came a middle-of-the-road 14th), Lexus pleased owners in almost every category, with top-five finishes for value, infotainment, interior, plus quality and reliability. This last one was Lexus’ best result, finishing third especially thanks to how well screwed-together its cars feel. 

Being a more luxurious brand, it’s not shocking to see Lexus score outside of the top 10 for running costs, although one might raise an eyebrow at its 13th-place ranking for ride and handling. Otherwise, however, an impressive run for Japan’s finest.

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2. Mercedes – 89.26%

This year’s runner-up for the Driver Power brands ranking, but winner of our model survey is Mercedes. Owners always expect a lot from premium brands, but the manufacturer appears to deliver, reaching the podium in an impressive nine out of our 10 categories. 

Owners say Mercedes offers the best safety systems, as well as the finest infotainment technology in the form of its intuitive MBUX set-ups. Second place for exterior and interiors showcase how Merc justifies its luxury status, conversely as does the high running costs associated with its cars; poor fuel economy and expensive servicing were the only real smears on what was otherwise a strong performance.

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1. Subaru – 90.30%

Topping our Driver Power brands list for the second year in a row is Subaru, thanks to its stellar performances in nearly every single category. Finishing first in a whopping seven out of our 10 categories, Subaru absolutely dominated this year’s list, with its top scores coming in the departments of ride and handling, plus quality and reliability – both likely thanks in part to the brand’s rallying heritage and experience. 

As with Mercedes, the only blemish on Subaru’s scoresheet was running costs – an 18th-place ranking is unsurprising because while the brand does offer hybrid and electric models, its boxer engines aren’t exactly known for their economy. Still, with this being the only finish outside the top 10, Subaru is undoubtedly a worthy winner of this year’s crown.

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Best car manufacturers 2025: full Driver Power ranking 1 to 31