Gojirra99

A new UK Driver Power survey conducted by Auto Express Magazine surveyed 46,000 car owners on their choice for the nation's automotive Heroes and Villains. Criteria included driving enjoyment, running costs, reliability, build quality, and so on :



Driver Power 2006: Japanese top the big report !


The nation has returned its verdict - the best-built and most reliable cars on the road come from Japan, while French and Italian brands are falling short in terms of making motors which really last the distance.

That's the result from Driver Power 2006, Auto Express's biggest and best-ever reliability and satisfaction survey, which you can read in the special pull-out report in the centre of this week's issue.

Incredibly, 11 of the 12 most reliable cars are Japanese. At the other end of the scale, nine of the 11 models suffering from the most mechanical breakdowns are from French and Italian marques. And the most unreliable car on Britain's roads? You tell us it's the Peugeot 307.

The questionnaires returned by more than 46,000 Auto Express readers reveal Honda makes three of the four most reliable motors in the Top 100, but Lexus is the best manufacturer overall. So is it only doom and gloom for Europe's car firms? Not as far as Skoda is concerned.

The VW Group marque has put in its best-ever Driver Power performance, with three models in the top six. The latest Octavia was the highest new entry in the overall ranking, too. Another notable newcomer is Kia's Sorento, which nearly made the top 10 overall. And this year's questionnaire was so comprehensive, we're able to give you even more. Look out for another pull-out - focusing on best and worst dealers - free with issue 907, on sale 26 April.

Throughout the week we'll be delivering snippets from the survey online. But if you just can't wait to get your hands on all the information, best seek out and buy this week's mag at the bookstalls.

Chris Thorp

Gojirra99

Heroes & villains of the road

A Driver Power survey by 'Auto Express' covers virtually every car on the road, with 46,000 owners taking part. Sean O'Grady casts an eye over the results and finds some surprising winners and losers.

Published: 28 March 2006

Heroes

Honda S2000

Proof that you can have it all. The fun-to-drive roadster came top for reliability, braking and build quality. Yet it never seems to get the high-profile promotion it deserves from its makers.

Skoda Octavia

The new version of the Octavia comes in a stonking second, well ahead of its VW, Audi and Seat cousins (they're all part of the same group). Low running costs and fine value for money. An Audi on the cheap. No one's joking about Skoda now.

Honda Jazz

Third overall and best for practicality and ease of driving, with traditional Honda virtues of a light gearchange and steering coming to the fore.

Honda Accord

Fourth place overall, with good rather than outstanding scores across the board. Getting more popular as a company car, and you can even get one that steers itself. Awesome.

Skoda Fabia

Fifth, with the only weakish spot its brakes. The Czech-built model comes 71 places ahead of the pricier VW Polo, even though that car shares its platform. Why pay more?

Villains

Peugeot 206

Still perky looking and will run alongside the newer 207 for a few years. Strangely, came bottom for ease of driving. Must do better.

Mercedes-Benz A-Class

Like the Punto, this has now been superseded by a new version. A poor showing for a premium-badged car, and it came last for ride quality and handling. Plenty of sales, but it may not have helped Mercedes' image.

Rover 25

No longer made, of course, and maybe this is why. Despite Rover's attempts to cosset its buyers this car came bottom for comfort and third from last overall. Running costs not too bad.

Vauxhall Corsa

Very low running costs and not much else to commend in this popular little car. According to the survey it's badly made and awful to drive. A new model arrives in the summer, and not before time, it would appear.

Fiat Punto (old)

Bottom of the pile. Poor ride quality, performance, braking, build and reliability did for it, although it has reasonable running costs. Fiat must be praying that its smart new Grande Punto will restore its fragile reputation.

BRITAIN'S BEST AND WORST CARS

1. HONDA S2000& 92.59%
2. SKODA OCTAVIA NEW 90.78%
3. HONDA JAZZ 89.95%
4. HONDA ACCORD NEW 88.19%
5. SKODA FABIA 87.67%
6. SKODA OCTAVIA OLD 87.62%
7. LEXUS IS OLD 87.47%
8. BMW 5-SERIES OLD 87.08%
9. BMW X5 87.03%
10. BMW 5-SERIES NEW 86.99%
11. MAZDA 6 86.69%
12. JAGUAR S-TYPE 86.36%
13. KIA SORENTO 86.29%
14. MAZDA RX-8 86.18%
15. HONDA CR-V 86.07%
16. VW TOURAN 86.01%
17. TOYOTA RAV4 85.81%
18. VOLVO V70 85.79%
19. ROVER 75 85.78%
20. BMW 3-SERIES NEW 85.78%
. . . . . . . .
81. SEAT IBIZA 79.09%
82. FORD FIESTA NEW 78.59%
83. ROVER 45 78.50%
84. PEUGEOT 406 78.48%
85. RENAULT MEGANE NEW 78.35%
86. MG ZR 78.34%
87. RENAULT LAGUNA 77.89%
88. NISSAN MICRA OLD 77.15%
89. CITROEN C3 76.90%
90. L ROVER DISCOVERY OLD 76.72%
91. VAUXHALL ASTRA OLD 76.70%
92. RENAULT CLIO OLD 76.51%
93. FORD KA/SPORT KA 76.41%
94. PEUGEOT 307 76.18%
95. L ROVER FREELANDER 76.05%
96. VAUXHALL CORSA 75.89%
97. MERCEDES A-CLASS OLD 75.64%
98. ROVER 25 74.80%
99. PEUGEOT 206 74.70%
100. FIAT PUNTO 73.93%

source : motoring.independent.co.uk

GFerg

hahaha...should I be surprised??!!!

Now all they need to work on is getting more and more people into their dealerships and offer more choices to the Europeans.

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

Funny. I read British car mags and they have little positive commentary on Lexus design, cost, and HP. But at the end of the day, they would love to own one. Hmmm?

Crazy Brits!

whoster

these are pretty much the same results from the Top Gear Survey a few months back.

the Honda S2000 was the top choice


the owner satisfaction was dominated by japanese marques (especially lexus / toyota) and Skoda.