Most reliable cars to buy 2026
How do you judge a new car’s reliability before buying it? Our Driver Power survey is the answer…
No car owner likes frequent visits to the garage, large repair bills or being stranded at the side of the road because of a breakdown. That’s why choosing a reliable car will have a huge positive impact on your ownership experience.
Exclusive research by Auto Express shows that reliability is second only to price in the list of the top considerations for UK car buyers when choosing their next car.
The most reliable cars will improve your chances of stress-free motoring but it’s very difficult to know in advance how reliable a car is going to be. Luckily, Our Driver Power car customer satisfaction survey can give you the information you need to help you make a more informed choice.
Every year, thousands of real UK car owners tell Driver Power all about the cars they own, including how reliable each vehicle has been. This allows us to build an exclusive and detailed picture of just how dependable every car type is proving to be on a day-to-day basis.
Owners report the kinds of faults they’ve encountered and score their cars for reliability in general. Then we pass that valuable insight on to help you make better buying decisions.
Top 10 most reliable cars 2026
Below, you’ll find a list of the top 10 most reliable cars to buy in the UK. If you’d like to return the favour and tell other motorists about your car, take the Driver Power survey today…
| Model | Generation (years produced) | Driver Power reliability score |
| 1. Toyota Aygo X | Mk3 (2022-date) | 94.09% |
| 2. Mazda CX-30 | Mk1 (2020-date) | 93.37% |
| 3. Tesla Model 3 | Mk1 (2019 - date) | 92.28% |
| 4. BMW 1 Series | Mk3 (2019- 2024) | 91.79% |
| 5. Volkswagen T-Roc | Mk1 (2017 - 2025) | 91.53% |
| 6. Ford Kuga | Mk3 (2019 - date) | 91.29% |
| 7. Tesla Model Y | Mk1 (2021-date) | 90.76% |
| 8. Toyota Corolla | Mk12 (2019 - date) | 90.63% |
| 9. Peugeot 2008 | Mk2 (2019 - date) | 90.53% |
| 10. Volvo XC40 | Mk1 (2017 - date) | 90.48% |
Read on to see the 10 most reliable cars according to the people who own them. You can also click the links in the table above to jump to a specific make and model..
1. Toyota Aygo X Mk3 - 94.09%
Japanese cars have been a common sight in the Driver Power reliability results over the years, and 2026 is officially Toyota’s time to shine. The Toyota Aygo X takes top honours this year as the most reliable car in the UK.
The city car sector is fiercely competitive, but the Toyota Aygo X clearly nails its brief and has been a hit with its owners. Respondents rated the Aygo X highly when it came to fuel economy and exterior styling, ranking it in second and seventh place for those categories respectively.
Being a city car, the Aygo X is pretty nifty on rough urban streets, with owners praising the car for its ride quality and braking performance.
As you might expect, the Aygo X doesn't score too well when it comes to rear seat space thanks to its compact dimensions. The Aygo X also ranks in 28th place out of 50 cars for quality, but this can be forgiven in part thanks to its budget pricing and focus on value
2. Mazda CX-30 Mk1 - 93.37%
SUVs are currently the reliability flavour of the moment taking up six of the top ten spots on this list, but none of them can quite match the Mazda CX-30 when it comes to reliability and quality.
In addition to its overall sturdiness, it’s a pretty compelling small SUV to drive according to owners. It topped the Driver Power charts for braking responsiveness and took sixth position for overall ride and handling.
We ran a Mazda CX-30 as part of our long-term test fleet for twelve months and found it to be a little thirsty around town. It appears that CX-30 owners generally agree as it ranked down in 40th position for fuel economy and 45th for running costs. However, it did score well when it comes to other running costs like VED road tax and insurance
3. Tesla Model 3 Mk1 - 92.28%
Elon Musk might be a divisive character, but there’s no denying the Tesla Model 3 impresses its owners. Not only does this electric saloon take the final podium spot on our most reliable cars list, it was also crowned the best car to own overall in our 2026 Driver Power survey.
As you’d probably expect from the overall winner, the Tesla Model 3 scores highly across the board. Owners were particularly fond of the smoothness of its powertrain scoring it an unprecedented 100 per cent in that category. Model 3 owners were also pretty happy when it came to driving pleasure and running costs, ranking it in second place, and with its infotainment system, which was rated fourth in the survey.
The Model 3 is a popular car with company car drivers and there are lots of good deals to be found on both the new and used car market. Either way, it’s a good electric car and great value, according to people who own them
4. BMW 1 Series Mk3 - 91.79%
The BMW 1 Series might be the smallest car in the German brands line-up, but it has all the qualities for those who are looking for a good, reliable family car.
The 1 Series might be towards the premium end of the hatchback spectrum but it clearly is a hit with its owners, as evidenced by its fourth place finish for overall quality, second for its interior styling and fifth for infotainment. Owners were also particularly fond of its front-seat comfort where it took the category win.
Owners weren’t quite as happy with the overall economy and running costs of the 1 Series, although it’s nice to know it’s a pretty reliable car and those buying one shouldn’t expect to visit the garage regularly
5. Volkswagen T-Roc Mk1 - 91.53%
The Volkswagen T-Roc is another small SUV that avoids reliability horror stories while also feeling well-put together.
On the road, the Volkswagen T-Roc performs reasonably well when it comes to driving experience with owners praising both the car's acceleration and steering, ranking it in the top 15. Owners were also pretty happy with the boot space and practicality on offer.
If you’re looking for a new car and the T-Roc is on your shortlist, make sure you try out the infotainment system when you take a test drive as owners ranked it quite poorly. The new Mk2 T-Roc addresses some of these control interface issues but the survey responses are for the Mk1
6. Ford Kuga MK3 - 91.29%
The Ford Kuga might be overshadowed by the smaller Puma in the UK’s best-selling cars chart, but its larger sibling is clearly the better performer in terms of reliability and quality, improving on its seventh-place finish in 2025 this year.
While the Kuga only achieved middling results in areas such ride quality, running costs, and interior quality, it’s clearly still a hit with its owners. It managed to maintain its fourth-place finish overall from 2025 and scored well across the board, with strong top-ten finishes for rear-leg room, visibility, boot space and child-friendly features
7. Tesla Model Y Mk1 - 90.76%
If the Tesla Model 3 wasn’t proof enough that the US electric car titan is pretty handy at building reliable cars, the Tesla Model Y is here to back that up.
Similar to the Model 3, respondents were pretty happy with the Model Y’s electric powertrain. The Y is also thought to be practical and spacious, topping the survey in these areas. Owners were also pleased when it came to rear-seat legroom and the safety features fitted.
Styling is obviously very subjective, although Model Y owners ranked the car at the bottom of the pack when it comes to exterior styling and quality
8. Toyota Corolla Mk12 - 90.63%
The Toyota Corolla is a common sight in taxi ranks up and down the country, and what better way to judge a car's reliability than by putting it through its paces and ferrying customers here, there, and everywhere over thousands of miles? Its reliability stands up to scrutiny in Driver Power too, earning the Corolla an eighth-place finish.
In addition to the high reliability score, owners were also pleased with the in-car tech of their Toyotas. The Corolla ranked 12th for its infotainment system overall.
If you’re considering a Toyota Corolla as your next car, be aware that current owners weren’t quite as impressed with running costs, and passenger space ranked near the bottom of the table. Similar to the Aygo X mentioned above, cabin trim was also a point of concern
9. Peugeot 2008 Mk2 - 90.53%
Mention any French car and there’s a good chance you’ll be met with a tedious jibe about poor build quality, but the second-generation Peugeot 2008 is proof of just how hard the French brand is working to shake off old stereotypes.
Not only did the 2008 take ninth position in the reliability stakes, it also landed a seventh place finish as one of the best cars to own overall. It chalked up top-ten finishes for its powertrain, ride and handling, and running costs as well.
Owners think the 2008 is pretty good value for money where it takes 14th place, although the same can’t be said for front seat comfort where Peugeot’s small SUV took a mid-table 27th place
10. Volvo XC40 Mk1 - 90.48%
The Volvo XC40 SUV majors on quality and comfort, an approach which seems to resonate with its owners. Not only did it top the tables for its exterior finish and materials, the XC40 ranked in seventh position for overall for quality.
Volvo is synonymous with building safe cars and owners praised the XC40 for its safety features and its ride quality where it took first and second positions respectively.
The same praise wasn’t extended to its overall value where it languished near the bottom of the Driver Power table. So while the XC40 might seem like an expensive car to buy and has some steep running costs, you should hopefully avoid some nasty repair bills thanks to the reliability reported by its owners.
How the most reliable cars were chosen
Motorists from across the UK tell us what they think about the cars they own in the Driver Power survey each year and we collect the information to equip our readers with the inside story on the most reliable cars on sale.
Knowing which cars or car brands are vulnerable to electrical and/or mechanical faults is highly valuable. Even if you’ve already purchased one of the cars above, this list could prove vital in identifying potential faults that might save you money in the future.
Our most reliable new cars results are based on the latest Driver Power survey data for cars that are currently available to buy new. Owners were asked about their satisfaction with the standard of build quality and reliability in the cars they own and drive every day, so the resulting data offers potential car buyers a useful insight into the ownership experience they can expect.
When buying a new car, few expect there to be any issues at all but even with our most reliable new cars, faults can still occur. That being said, it is usually around the three- to six-year mark (once the manufacturer’s warranty on many models has expired) that cars can develop more serious issues, so buying a brand new car is a good, if more expensive, way to side-step this more risky period in the car’s lifecycle.
The Driver Power results represent the average ratings that owners of these cars gave for reliability. Only cars with enough responses to give full statistical accuracy are included in Driver Power.
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