MOST RELIABLE
1 Honda CR-V (2006-2012) petrol and diesel combined
What went wrong? Air-con 6%, suspension 5%
Age is no barrier to dependability when it comes to the CR-V, with just 6% of owners reporting a fault. All petrol model problems were sorted within a day and diesel cars were back on the road in less than a week. Unsurprisingly for such an old model, no work was carried out for free; repair bills ranged from £201 to £750.
2 Mazda CX-5 diesel (2012-2017) Even though 24% of CX-5 owners reported faults with their cars, problems were resolved swiftly and costs were minimal. Eighty-three percent of cars were back on the road in less than a week, 63% of work was done for free and no bills exceeded £500. Brake, exhaust and steering problems were most common.
3 Honda CR-V (2012-2018)
If you want a CR-V of this generation that won’t let you down, pick a petrol model, because they suffered almost half as many faults as diesels (19% compared with 36%). Remedial work was swift and affordable, too, with 40% of cars fixed the same day for free. Non-engine electrics were the most frequently cited issues.
With a high proportion (44%) of cars suffering faults in at least one of our categories, and 17% of owners being landed with bills exceeding £1500, it’s no wonder the Discovery Sport takes the wooden spoon for reliability among large SUVS. The only saving grace is that 37% of the afflicted cars were fixed for free in a day or less.
2 Kia Sorento diesel (2010-2015)
Kia usually fares well for reliability, but the old Sorento isn’t ageing as well as its other models; 27% went wrong, and 57% of those spent more than a week at the garage. Worse still, 43% of repair bills topped £1500. Common issues centred on the brakes, gearbox/clutch, nonengine electrics, steering and suspension.
3 Audi Q5 diesel (2008-2017)
Costly repairs tarnish the reliability score of the Q5; 36% of cars cost between £751 and £1000 to put right, and a further 18% landed owners with bills of more than £1500. The most common issues were with the bodywork and suspension, but brakes, exhausts, fuel systems and gearboxes/clutches also caused concern.