DRIVER SATISFACTION – THE BEST AND WORST CARS TO OWN

South Korean car maker Ssangyong has been named the most satisfying brand in the UK by drivers.

The 4x4 specialist topped a poll of more than 10,000 motorists by independent consumer website Honestjohn.co.uk. Its whole range was praised for its reliability, practicality and comfort, gaining an overall approval rating of 90.3 per cent.

Sports car specialist Porsche was second in the drive to please customers (89.4 per cent) while budget brand Dacia completed the top three with a satisfaction rating of 89.3 per cent.

At the other end of the spectrum, Fiat owners were unimpressed with the brand’s offering, criticising its poor fuel economy, disappointing in-car tech and sub-standard ride comfort. Vauxhall and Smart joined it at the bottom of the table.

The Toyota Prius was ranked the best individual model, with a satisfaction rating of 94.8. Owners gave it an unprecedented 10 out of 10 for reliability as well as praising its low running costs and practicality. It was closely followed by the Skoda Superb and Skoda Kodiaq.

Model-by-model it was more bad news for Vauxhall. The previous generation Astra was ranked the worst, with drivers criticising its poor performance and unobtainable economy claims. The Renault Captur and Ford C-max also failed to impress owners.

“The Honestjohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index is different from other surveys because it takes real world data from owners who live with their cars day-in, day-out.” said Honestjohn.co.uk Managing Editor, Dan Powell.

“Ssangyong has stormed to the top of the overall manufacturer rankings since it relaunched itself, so clearly the company is doing something right, while Toyota and Skoda continue to shine as the other manufacturers most-rated by UK car buyers.”