Which is the definitive most reliable car on the market ?
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According to the Reliability index (based on warranty direct info), its the Honda Accord : www.reliabilityindex.co.uk/tophundred.html?apc=119...2
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The new Honda Accord which will soon appear in showrooms,looks to be a marvellous car.
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I take the Reliability Index with a pinch of salt. Although it gives an idea, it only looks at cars where their owners have taken out an aftermarket warranty. So presumably they are all over three years old and if your car had been supremely reliable up to three years, would you cough up for a warranty? It also combines the frequency and cost of repairs. What would you rather have? Ten £100 faults or one £1000 fault?
Edited by nick on 21/05/2008 at 19:01
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>According to the Reliability index (based on warranty direct info), its the Honda Accord>
Presumably the petrol version as opposed to the common rail diesel?
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The Reliability Index is based on cars in the last decade. 2008 models are generally much more reliable than 1998 models, so take the Index with a pinch of salt.
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...and also reflects the type of owners who take out extended warranties....err...Honda owners.
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As with any statistics, you do have to be careful how you interpret them. For example, it could appear that certain brands which tend to be favoured by low mileage, perhaps older drivers, fare better on reliability. Conversely, some brands which are more popular with the fleets can seem worse. This is because the reliability is assessed as a function of time instead of mileage. If you want to see which are the really reliable cars, have a look at the ones which are advertised in the classifieds with mileages over 100k achieved in a relatively short time. Those are the genuinely bulletproof ones.
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There are lies, great lies and statistics!
It's very difficult to pin point the most reliable car. However, we can say from our experience that some cars are generally more reliable than others.
Usually it is agreed that Japanese cars are most reliable and French are the least. But again you can find anecdotes where Japanese engine seized and French cars passed 100k mark without trouble.
Getting a reliable car is often a matter of luck as well (especially if you are buying used).
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As repoted here previously, it is alleged (by me and others!) that the Honda Accord from 1988 - 1992 was the most reliable car ever made. Introduced just as simple electronics were becoming extremely reliable, but before more sophisticated systems made things worse and capped by unmatched mechanical and build quality. We had four examples of this model in our family covering over 100,000 miles in total and the sole repair was a new radiator in a car that had done 109,000 miles.
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Another interesting "statistic" if you care to call it that. I and two of my friends happen to favour Mondeo TDCI estates. We all cover high mileages. Between us we have got through nine TDCIs since the launch of the Mk 3 Mondeo. Joint mileage across those cars exceeds I million miles. Problems? ......none. Warranty claims? .......none. Well, if you don't count the headlamp bulb I replaced last year ! The "oldest" one ( a 2002 ) still in daily use in our group is now coming up to 230K. Mine has nearly 150k on it and is still running like new.
Just goes to show that you shouldn't believe everything you hear. I shall buy another one in due course without any qualms.
Edited by Shoespy on 22/05/2008 at 10:41
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The next generation Accord was pretty good too. We had a 98R 2.0iLS as a pool car which was thrashed by everybody and cared for by nobody. It went off to auction with 175,000 miles on it and it still drove perfectly.
What always struck me was how sweet the engine still sounded. At idle, it still purred like it had just left the factory, and it still pulled enthusiastically. The interior still felt good despite a couple of creaks, and everything worked. The car had been serviced to schedule by the local Honda dealer, but even so I couldn't think of many cars that would stand up to abuse so well. It even had the original clutch still in it. A very dull looking car, but the engineering quality was something else.
We own a Renault and a Volvo, two brands diametrically opposed in terms of their reliability and quality reputation. While the quality of assembly and materials in the Volvo are in a different league to the Renault, the Renault has been nothing like the horror story that some people would have you believe. In the 18k or so we've put on it, it's had two glowplugs (on 50,000 mile diesel engine this is hardly a crime), a window regulator which Renault UK paid for, and a split vacuum pipe. Dealer is ace though, which also helps.
Cheers
DP
Edited by DP on 22/05/2008 at 11:04
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As said you'll hear stories of really good and really bad owner experiences for any car (Look at Shoespy's experiences then compare that with others who have had problems with Mondeo TDCI fuel systems).
Warranty direct I thought was based on cars which are out of original warranty (ie older than 3 years old) and may not cover "niggles" like squeaks and fast wearing tyres, brakes and clutches. (If I am wrong on this someone please correct me!).
I always look at all the surveys and also compare that with owners online reviews. Doing that you'll narrow the choice of most reliable car down to a few, then it is a question of which is the best to drive and how good is your local dealer.
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