Unbreakable: These are the 10 Most Reliable Cars in the UK of the Last 15 Years

About a week ago, we posted a list of the 10 least reliable cars in the UK of the past 15 Years. This list was compiled by the Warranty Direct insurance company, which has been collecting data since 1997.

In the company’s own words, the ‘Reliability Index’ uses a “complex formula” that includes factors such as the number a car breaks down and its repair costs, for more than 450 models.

Warranty Direct has also published a list of the 10 most reliable cars in the UK since 1997. Unsurprisingly the vast majority, seven out of 10, belong to Japanese brands. And that’s not counting the second-placed Agila, which basically, is a rebadged Suzuki Wagon R+ – but then again, it was built in a different factory and used Vauxhall’s own engines.

In fact, the Agila could have been at the top of the list: its repair costs are three quarters that of the first-placed Mitsubishi Lancer, but it’s 3 percent more likely to break down.

Toyota and Honda each have two models in the top 10, while Warranty Direct points out that Mazda could have had its MX-5 roadster twice in the list, as the third-generation model is in seventh place and its predecessor missed it by one place, being ranked 11th.

By Andrew Tsaousis

THE MOST RELIABLE CARS, 1997-2012
Note: Reliability Index (RI) rating not based purely on failure rate; the lower the RI rating, the more reliable the car overall

1. Mitsubishi Lancer
Year of manufacture: 2005-2008
Reliability Index rating: 6