THE Honda Civic has been named the most reliable popular family car for making the Christmas getaway as trouble-free as possible.
Millions of people will be hitting the road to visit friends and relatives this Yuletide after the disappointment of last year’s pandemic-hit festive season. And that means a range of vehicles – from larger hatchbacks to SUVs – will be transporting adults, kids, presents and even pets along the highways of the land. So the automotive boffins at leading motoring association MotorEasy have delved into their extensive data to discover which of the country’s top selling family cars really deliver when it comes to repair costs and frequency. The Civic tops the charts thanks to an impressive reliability rating that’s more than triple that of the second-placed Audi A3.
Duncan McClure Fisher, founder and CEO of MotorEasy, said: “The key to a good family car is a steady, reliable motor that will get the whole clan from A to B comfortably. That’s especially important at Christmas and New Year when any delays for breakdowns and repairs would ruin plans laid out well in advance for families and friends getting together to celebrate. The top 10 models have a very varied reliability rating that may come as a surprise to many. Our data reveals the Honda Civic fares best with lower repair costs and a lower frequency for these repairs."
To accurately rank the cars, experts at MotorEasy developed their own Reliability Index to measure dependability as an average of the frequency and cost of repairs for more than 1,200 models. In doing so it reveals some of the hidden costs of ownership, as well as the likelihood of something going wrong. Each model is given a reliability score ranging from -100 for a high frequency and/or high cost of repair, through to +100 where there is a low frequency and cost of repair.
The index also includes model-specific data on the typical repairs needed for each model – including the percentage of claims for engine, gearbox, electrical system, suspension, braking system and fuel system repairs – and the average cost for each. The Honda Civic emerged with an impressive score of +40.5, more than triple that of its nearest rival the Audi A3 which achieved a mark of +13. A breakdown of the data revealed the average engine repair for a Honda Civic costs £289.18 and a 2% frequency of claims made. This is compared to the Audi A3, which has an average engine repair cost of £595.91 and a 24% frequency of claims made. Meanwhile, the Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra and Nissan Duke make up the top five with reliability ratings in positive numbers.
The Nissan Qashqai comes in sixth place with a reliability score of -7.5. MotorEasy data says the average cost of a Qashqai engine repair is £1,236.71, and a frequency of 21% of claims made. The Volkswagen Golf, which has just over a million models on UK roads at the last count, earned a reliability score of -13.5 which brings it in at number seven. The Mercedes A Class comes in at number eight with a reliability rating of -19, while two BMWs – the 3 Series and 1 Series – are ninth and 10th respectively. The MotorEasy Reliability Index is based on warranty claims and member car repairs over the past two years for models between three and 15 years old.
For more information visitwww.motoreasy.com/car-warranty
MOTOREASY’S MOST RELIABLE FAMILY CARS FOR THE CHRISTMAS GETAWAY
RankMakeModelNo. on UK roadsReliability Rating
1.HondaCivic337,382+40.5
2. Audi A3435,755+13
3.FordFocus1,149,721+7
4.VauxhallAstra800,982+5
5.NissanDuke305,163+3
6. NissanQashqai574,302-7.5
7.Volkswagen Golf1,039,125-13.5
8.MercedesA Class350,422-19
9.BMW3 Series572,540-22.5
10.BMW1 Series401,299-32