The most reliable used cars in the UK

The most reliable used cars are those that consistently perform well in independent surveys, cost less to maintain, and save you the stress of unexpected breakdowns.

While we all love a stylish design or great fuel economy, reliability is the feature that keeps your wheels turning. A dependable car means fewer repair bills, more peace of mind, and no frantic calls to the breakdown service. (Been there. Done that.)

To help you choose with confidence, we reviewed five of the UK’s leading car reliability surveys from 2025. We only included models that appeared in at least two “top 10 most reliable cars” lists, so you’re seeing names that keep showing up for the right reasons.

Below are seven used cars that scored top marks for reliability. These are the smart choices that drivers across the UK trust every day.

• Toyota Yaris
• Toyota Corolla
• Honda CR-V
• Tesla Model 3
• Toyota RAV4
• Toyota Aygo
• Renault Clio

1. Toyota Yaris

If you’re looking for a reliable used car, look no further than the Toyota Yaris. It’s the clear winner here, taking first place in two of our sources. The Yaris has always offered low-cost, fuss-free motoring and the latest, hybrid-only version offers outstanding fuel economy.

Toyota has a well-deserved reputation for making extremely dependable cars and the Yaris is one of four Toyota models in this list. If that wasn’t reassuring enough, the brand now offers a remarkable ten-year warranty on its cars, as long as they are serviced each year at a Toyota dealership. How’s that for peace of mind?

2. Toyota Corolla

It’s no surprise to see the Toyota Corolla here. Since the first version went on sale 60 years ago (yes, really!), it has become legendary for its longevity. And we’re sure its reputation for robustness has played a part in it becoming the best-selling car model ever. Globally, more than 50 million have been sold to date. 

The latest Corolla is as solid and sensible as ever, but it packs the latest tech. All new models are self-charging hybrid models, combining petrol and electric power sources to give great fuel economy. There are hatchback or estate versions, both of which are well-equipped and good to drive. 

3. Honda CR-V

The Honda CR-V’s third-place here makes it an all-Japanese top three. Honda has serious creds when it comes to reliability and its Civic and Jazz models consistently score highly in surveys. It’s the CR-V that makes the grade here, though. It’s a family SUV that’s unlikely to let you down, and which offers more interior space and a larger boot than many rivals. 

Every new CR-V is a hybrid but the previous (2018-2023) model is available with petrol or hybrid power. Prices are on the high side, but you may well consider that excellent reliability is worth paying a bit more for.

4. Tesla Model 3

Electric cars have fewer moving parts to go wrong than a petrol, diesel or hybrid model but the Tesla Model 3 is the only electric car on this list. That’s impressive considering Tesla is still fairly new to the car-making game, and that so many Model 3s have been sold.

Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.

Great reliability apart, the Model 3 has plenty to recommend it. It’s fast, practical, loaded with high-tech gadgets and offers a longer range than most electric cars in its price range. And it gives you access to the network of rapid, reliable Tesla Superchargers. 

5. Toyota RAV4

Our third Toyota is the RAV4, a mid-size SUV that’s been around in one form or another since 1994. While it started off as a compact three-door model, the RAV4 has evolved into a roomy five-door SUV that makes great family transport. It’s got a larger boot than many similar cars and three adults can sit comfortably in the back. 

The current RAV4 is available as a hybrid or plug-in hybrid and it has advanced safety features that read the road ahead and can help prevent a collision happening in the first place. 

6. Toyota Aygo

Toyota’s domination of this list continues with its smallest car, the Aygo. Sold new between 2014 and 2022, the Aygo is a tiny city car that offers sharp looks, rock-bottom running costs and top-notch reliability.

It’s a no-frills machine, with a minuscule boot, limited back-seat space and not much in the way of performance. It's surprisingly enjoyable to drive, though, and available in some pleasantly bold paint colours. Most versions have a very low insurance group rating, and many are eligible for Toyota’s ten-year warranty. The Aygo’s replacement, the Toyota Aygo X, is a similarly dinky crossover that is proving to be just as dependable. 

7. Renault Clio

The Renault Clio is one of the most affordable new hatchback cars and also one of the most reliable. It’s been a firm favourite for decades, loved for its chic looks, low ownership costs and sophisticated feel on the road. 

Nowadays the Clio offers plenty more besides, with the latest model offering a larger boot than any rival cars, an especially user-friendly infotainment system and the option of hybrid power. 

How did we choose the most reliable used cars?

We compared five major surveys to find the cars that UK drivers trust most, so there was no guesswork - just good data.
Our list is based on a deep dive into the UK’s top five reliability studies from 2025. These sources include warranty claim data, fleet maintenance reports and large-scale driver surveys. Its the stuff that goes beyond showroom talk and into real-world performance.

The sources we used:

• Warranty Solutions Group Survey 2025 (Published Nov 2025)
  • Analysis of more than 20,000 live warranty claims made between September 2024 and October 2025
    
    
• What Car? Reliability Survey 2025 (Published Oct 2025)
  • Survey of 30,000 car owners

• Warrantywise Reliability Index (Published Oct 2025)
  • Insights based on over 180,000 repair requests
    
    
• Fleet News FN50 report (Published Nov 2025)
  • Data from fleet companies operating more than 1.3 million cars
    
    
• Honest John Satisfaction Index (Published Nov 2025)
  • Based on feedback from more than 6,000 respondents

How we scored each car:

We looked at the top 10 cars from each source and awarded points based on their ranking:

1st place = 10 points

2nd place = 9 points

3rd place = 8 points

4th place = 7 points

5th place = 6 points

6th place = 5 points

7th place = 4 points

8th place = 3 points

9th place = 2 points

10th place = 1 point

To reward consistency, we gave 1 bonus point for each additional survey a car appeared in. This means cars had to be solid performers across multiple lists, not just one-hit wonders.

Other rules:

• Cars tied in a survey shared the same points.
• Only models that appeared in two or more sources were eligible.
• A car must have been on sale for at least two years to qualify.
• The final ranking is the sum of all points and appearance bonuses earned across all sources.