Honda Accord comes out top of the 2009 Which? Car Survey

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Written by Mark Burton
Know Your Money

The Honda Accord has come out on top of the 2009 Which? Car Survey, scoring a remarkable 99 per cent reliability rating.

With financial security a key issue for many Brits at the moment, the survey may well prove a useful guide for those who are planning on buying a new motor in the coming months, as opting for a reliable model may help to avoid the hardship of a major breakdown.

And in this regard, the Which? survey suggests that a visit to the Honda showroom may prove to be a very smart manoeuvre.

Civic pride and Jazz duets

While the likes of Daihatsu, Hyundai, Ford and Citroen all scored strongly in the top ten list, Honda stood out in this year's survey with no fewer than four models making the cut.

It was also a double podium finish for the Japanese car marque this year as the latest Honda Jazz came in second place with an overall score of 98.2 per cent.

Meanwhile, the 2002-2008 version of the Jazz also made an appearance in sixth place, while the Honda Civic Hybrid followed closely behind. The latter of these may be a particularly attractive option for those who are keen to cut down on petrol costs, while its hybrid engine will also help to cut down carbon footprints.

In making their collective thoughts known on the global car market, the British public reviewed more than 84,000 motors, assessing them on the number of breakdowns, faults and niggles they had experienced as an owner.

Overall, Japanese automakers continued to cement their reputation as leaders in the reliability stakes, with Daihatsu and Toyota also making the top ten list alongside Honda. Meanwhile, Hyundai also represented the South Korean auto industry with its i30, which came in fourth place with a reliability score of 96.8 per cent.

Meanwhile, US giants Ford came in fifth with the Fiesta, while Citroen held up the flag for European automobile manufacturing with its C1 model.

Commenting on the dominance of Japanese brands in the rankings, Which? Car editor Richard Headland said: "Japanese cars in the main seem to run like clockwork, although there are a few exceptions to the rule. It's also encouraging to see good reliability scores for the bestselling Ford Fiesta and other small, economical cars."

The non-hybrid Civic, the Nissan Qashqai and the Toyota Auris were all identified as underperformers in this year's study.

Mr Headland added: "Owning a reliable car can make the difference between getting your summer holiday off to a flying start and sitting on the hard shoulder of the M6. You can't do better than the Honda Accord, which is one of the most reliable cars we've ever surveyed."

And what about German reliability?

It was a disappointing year for the German auto industry in the latest Which? study, with Audi being left particularly red-faced after its A5 was named the least reliable car included in the study, scoring just 75.8 per cent.

So too, Volvo's reputation as a manufacturer of some of the world's steadiest vehicles took a blow with the announcement that its XC90 was the eighth least reliable car tested.

Other notably poor performers in the 2009 survey included the Ford Galaxy, Jaguar XF, Alfa Romeo 159, Ford S-Max, Land Rover Freelander, Jaguar S-type and the Hyundai Santa Fe.

Although the new report may be a welcome guide for motorists wondering which vehicles to steer clear of, Audi itself has pointed out that the sample sizes used in the study may create an unfair impression in certain circumstances.

Speaking to the Guardian, a representative for the company explained: "Based on the very small sample size of the Which? survey, the reliability score for the A5 represents a total of just seven faults, and Audi has so far sold over 8,000 A5 models in the UK."

The paper also noted that electrical systems were one of the biggest problem areas identified in the study, which may explain why many high-end models ended up in the bottom tier of the reliability rankings while simpler, smaller models with fewer built-in gadgets soared to the top of the table.

As with any major purchase, consumers may benefit handsomely from carrying out thorough research before making a decision on which model to go for.

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