50 most reliable used cars: the best second hand models you can buy in the UK - from Toyota and Lexus to BMW, Mercedes and Alfa Romeo

Japanese and Korean models have once again dominated the list of the UK’s most reliable used cars.

Cars from Toyota, Lexus and Honda were found to be fault-free by a wide-reaching consumer study, which also saw two models from Korea brand Hyundai among the 10 most reliable second-hand vehicles in the country.

There was a three-way tie for the title of the most dependable, according to the annual What Car? reliability ratings, which are based on the real-life experiences of around 13,000 drivers.

The Toyota RAV4 and Lexus RX SUVs were joined by the Honda Jazz supermini in having record a 100 per cent reliability rating under the study.

The last-generation Toyota Yaris, which has previously topped the table slipped, with a 99.6 per cent rating pushing it to fourth place, ahead of the Lexus NX (99.3 per cent).

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Budget brand Dacia took sixth place with the Duster SUV while Skoda’s tiny Citigo also proved that you don’t have to spend lots of money for reliability.

Alfa Romeo’s Giulietta defied the old cliches about Italian cars, finishing ahead of the i10 and i20 from Hyundai.

The annual What Car? Study asks owners for their experiences over the past 12 months. Ratings are based on the number of faults, how long each fault took to repair and how much it cost. Only cars up to eight years old were covered by the survey as they represent more than half of all used car sales each year.

As more begin to find their way into the second-hand market, alternatively fuelled cars were among the best performers, with nine hybrids and one all-electric car - the Jaguar I-Pace - among the top 50 most reliable models.

Across all models in the top 50, 21 per cent of owners reported a fault, with non-engine electrical issues the most common problem. The engine and its electrical systems were the next most common sources of problems, followed by the car’s bodywork. In 68 per cent of cases the cost of repairs was covered under warranty, with 36 per cent of all cars driveable and repaired in a day or less.

Mark Pearson, What Car?’s used cars editor, said: “Reliability is one of the key concerns for most used buyers, because an unreliable car can quickly turn into an unwelcome headache. Fortunately, our top 50 list, combined with our online used car marketplace, takes the hassle out of finding a dependable secondhand car.”

Britain’s top 50 most reliable used cars

=1 Toyota RAV4 (2013 - 2019) 100.0%

=1 Lexus RX Hybrid (2016 - present) 100.0%

=1 Honda Jazz (2008 - 2015) 100.0%

4 Toyota Yaris Hybrid (2011 - 2020) 99.6%

5 Lexus NX Hybrid (2014 - present) 99.3%

6 Dacia Duster (2018 - present) 99.0%

=7 Skoda Citigo (2012 - present) 98.9%

=7 Alfa Romeo Giulietta (2010 - present) 98.9%

9 Hyundai i10 (2014 - 2020) 98.8%

10 Hyundai i20 (2015 - present) 98.6%

=11 Mini Countryman (2017 - present) 98.4%

=11 Lexus IS Hybrid (2013 - present) 98.4%

13 Lexus CT (2011 - present) 98.3%

14 Toyota Corolla Hybrid (2018 - present) 98.2%

15 BMW X1 petrol (2015 - present) 98.1%

=16 Volkswagen Up (2012 - present) 98.0%

=16 Skoda Superb petrol (2016 - present) 98.0%

=16 Mercedes-Benz GLA (2014 - 2020) 98.0%

=16 Mazda CX-3 (2016 - present) 98.0%

=16 Kia Picanto (2011 - 2017) 98.0%

21 Skoda Karoq petrol (2017 - present) 97.8%

22 Volvo XC40 petrol (2017 - present) 97.7%

23 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid (2017 - present) 97.3%

=24 Toyota Auris Hybrid (2013 - 2019) 97.2%

=24 Ford Mondeo (2014 - present) 97.2%

26 Suzuki SX4 S-Cross (2013 - present) 97.1%

=27 Volkswagen Tiguan petrol (2016 - present) 96.9%

=27 Honda Jazz (2015 - present) 96.9%

=27 Alfa Romeo Giulia (2016 - present) 96.9%

30 BMW 2 Series Coupe/Convertible (2014 - present) 96.8%

=31 Vauxhall Mokka petrol (2012 - 2019) 96.7%

=31 Skoda Fabia (2015 - present) 96.7%

=31 Lexus RX (2009 - 2016) 96.7%

=31 Jaguar I-Pace (2018 - present) 96.7%

=35 Mercedes E-Class (2009 - 2016) 96.5%

=35 Mazda 2 (2015 - present) 96.5%

=37 Mazda CX-5 petrol (2017 - present) 96.4%

=37 Ford Focus petrol (2018 - present) 96.4%

=39 Volvo XC40 diesel (2017 - present) 96.3%

=39 Skoda Karoq diesel (2017 - present) 96.3%

41 Mazda 6 (2013 - present) 96.2%

42 Ford C-Max (2011 - present) 96.1%

43 Mini Hatchback petrol (2014 - present) 96.0%

=44 Skoda Octavia petrol (2013 - 2020) 95.9%

=44 Skoda Kodiaq petrol (2016 - present) 95.9%

46 Seat Leon petrol (2013 - 2020) 95.8%

=47 Volkswagen T-Roc (2017 - present) 95.7%

=47 Porsche Macan petrol (2014 - present) 95.7%

=49 Renault Captur (2013 - 2019) 95.6%

=49 Audi Q5 (2018 - present) 95.6%