British drivers have a passion for Italian cars, but when it comes to parting with money, favour British-built motors over Japanese models that are more reliable.
Toyota Yaris: Good value and reliable
What is the greatest influence on our choice of car? A competitive price, low running costs, attractive finance deal, sharp looks or even extra cup holders might help clinch the deal on a dealer’s forecourt, but there appears to be a discrepancy between our favourite car brands, the ones we buy and those that are most reliable.
According to the BBC, our favourite nationality of car is British, followed by German and then Italian. The popularity of car brands that we actually buy, however, is somewhat different.
The four top-selling cars in Britain this year to date are built in this country, but while Italian cars are our third most favourite brand, the desire for lively handling and a snarling exhaust note does not translate into sales; the best-selling Italian car – the Fiat 500 – languishes at number 12.
The most reliable cars are less popular
Most interesting of all, is the fact that neither the favourite cars, nor the top-sellers, correspond with a list of the most reliable motors.
In the Driver Power survey of 46,000 owners this year, the most reliable car was found to be the Toyota Yaris – a vehicle that is cheaper than its rival, the VW Polo, but of which 30 per cent fewer examples have been sold this year in Britain.
In most cases, brand new cars are incredibly reliable – it is the reason why breakdown cover is included for free when you buy new – but it still makes sense to have a breakdown recovery policy in place. After all, even new cars suffer from punctures, flat batteries, collisions or being filled with the wrong type of fuel.
A breakdown policy from the ETA covers all these eventualities, and more. Prices start from less than £30 for a year’s cover.
What is a British car nowadays?
In the 1950s, Britain was the world’s leading builder and exporter of motor vehicles. Sixty years later, famous British brands such as Land Rover, Bentley, Jaguar, Mini and Rolls Royce are owned by motoring giants like Tata and VW. Wholly British-owned car brands are limited to exotic, small-volume builders including McLaren, Morgan and Caterham. While we may no longer own the most famous car brands in the world, British car manufacturing on behalf of Ford, Nissan and Vauxhall continues to be a success story.
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