Revealed: these are the UK’s most reliable older used cars

October 22, 2025

Warrantywise has analysed which cars aged between 8 and 12 years old have the best reliability score

Cars on UK roads are getting older, with the average vehicle now nearly 10 years old.

Across Britain’s total car parc, the average age is now nine years and 10 months, compared to seven years and four months in 2015.

The coronavirus pandemic, the increased cost of living and higher prices for new vehicles have all likely contributed to owners keeping their cars for longer.

Having more older cars on the road also demonstrates that reliability has improved, allowing these models to remain in service.

Japanese marques come out top

Aftermarket warranty provider Warrantywise has used its Reliability Index to rank older cars. The company analysed data covering vehicles aged between eight and 12 years old to find the used cars that can be relied upon.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Japanese marques topped the chart, claiming six of the top 10 positions in Warrantywise’s table.

In first place was the Toyota Yaris, with a Reliability Index score of 93.6 out of 100. Repair costs for the supermini typically averaged £651.

Just behind in second place was the Honda Civic, scoring 93.0 out of 100. It was followed by the Honda CR-V, with a Reliability Index of 89.0.

Seat Ibiza is best European car

Next in the Reliability Index ranking was the Suzuki Swift, with the top six rounded-out by the Mitsubishi Outlander and Toyota Aygo.

Notably, the Mitsubishi Outlander (often sold with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain), recorded the highest repair request made to Warrantywise. Although it had an averaged maintenance cost of £1,201, one example required £9,531 to be spent.

In seventh place, the Seat Ibiza was the top-ranked European car, scoring 81.5 out of 100.

The Spanish-made supermini had typical repair costs of £758, although Warrantywise’s data did highlight a top warranty claim of £3,876.

Wild variations in repair costs

Commenting on the Reliability Index findings, Antony Diggins, managing director at Warrantywise, said: “With cars on the road for longer than ever before, our data reveals some surprising insights about which models truly deliver long-term value.

“While Toyota and Honda continue to dominate for reliability, what’s particularly striking is how repair costs can vary dramatically even among dependable vehicles. This transparency is crucial as drivers navigate an increasingly complex used car market.”