UK's most and least reliable used cars: Lexus CT, Mazda, Mercedes Benz, Audi A4

Which older motors are most likely to run well, and which will send you running to the mechanic? Here are the UK's most (and least) reliable used cars.

Bagging a reliable motor doesn’t necessarily mean paying out for a new model.

In fact, researchers at Which? Car found that some of the most dependable vehicles on the road are more than a decade old – and could save you thousands.

And surprisingly, several models aged 10 to 15 years outperformed newer rivals when it comes to reliability.

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The most reliable older cars

According to the data, the self-charging Lexus CT200h takes top spot as the most reliable older motor.

Despite being over a decade old, just 13% of owners reported a fault during the research period.

And reassuringly, the average repair time was just over a day if things did go wrong.

This full hybrid hatchback was released in 2011 and went off sale in 2020.

You can pick up a second-hand model for approximately £7,300.

Next up is the Mazda MX-5 convertible, which has a typical price of £3,820, with an average 1.7 days off-road.

Which? based its data on an online survey of more than 60,000 drivers.

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So, which other models made the grade?

Source: Which? Car

As the most affordable motor on the list, the Suzuki Alto Hatchback has an average price of just £2,791.

The worst offenders

Sadly, however, not all old cars are created equal.

At the bottom of the rankings is the Vauxhall Zafira (2005–14 diesel), with a 30% breakdown rate and an average 17 days off the road for repairs.

Other poor performers include the Nissan Qashqai (diesel) and Audi A4, closely followed by the Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

According to the research, these models suffered high fault rates and lengthy repair times, making them less-than-ideal if you need a dependable motor.

Worst 10–15 year old cars for reliability

Source: Which? Car

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Why hybrid drivers are the winners

Interestingly, hybrids dominated the top spots – particularly those from Toyota and Lexus.

These brands have spent decades refining their self-charging technology, and their reliability record is second to none.

While many assume that more tech means greater potential for mistakes, this is not necessarily the case.

Hybrid systems are often simpler and more robust than you might expect.

Plus, long warranties (up to 10 years if serviced at a main dealer) mean owners are more likely to keep on top of maintenance.

Have your say

Have you ever owned any of the models on our list? Were you happy with their performance and did you manage to get a decent resale value?

We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

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