That’s not to say that there aren’t other brands offering peace of mind. The 2018 What Car? reliability survey rated the previous generation Hyundai i30 as top of the pile in the family car category. The current diesel Audi A3 and Skoda Octavia models, the petrol Mazda 3 and previous generation Kia Cee’d all merited top five places.

Mind you, Toyota kept its halo in place for the What Car? rankings, too. The Toyota Yaris came top of the small car class with a remarkable 100% reliability rating. That’s the automotive equivalent of the holy grail, by the way. If you want a sturdy and efficient small car then look no further than the mighty Yaris. 

At the other end of the scale, if big executive cars are more your style, the Mercedes E-Class (2009 – 2016) won honourable places amongst the most reliable used cars you can buy in both of these surveys. 

How we compiled our reliable used cars list

To make it easy for you, we’ve simmered down a list of our top three safe bets. Taking into account the sort of car you might be after. These most reliable used car rankings are based on the car’s standings in the reliability surveys, but we’ve only included them if we also know them to be mighty good cars above and beyond the essential reliability. And we’ve named and shamed the ones you should avoid, too.

I want small, safe and affordable to run…

Safe bets:

1. Toyota Yaris (2011 – present)
2. Honda Jazz (2008 – 2015)
3. Hyundai i10 (2014 – present)

Get the barge pole out:

1. Peugeot 208 (2012 – 2019)
2. VW Polo (2009 – 2017)

I want a sensible, five-door family car… 

Safe bets:

1. Hyundai i30 (2012 – 2017)
2. Audi A3 diesel (2013 – present)
3. Seat Leon petrol (2013 – present)

Get the barge pole out:

1. Peugeot 308 (2014 – present)
2. Nissan Pulsar (2015 – present)

I want a cool-looking small SUV…

Safe bets:

1. Skoda Yeti (2009 – 2017)
2. Vauxhall Mokka petrol (2012 – present)
3. Suzuki Vitara (2015 – present)

Get the barge pole out:

1. Citroen C4 Cactus
2. Jeep Renegade

I want a roomy, five-seat SUV that doesn’t cost a fortune to run…

Safe bets:

1. Honda CR-V (2011 – 2018)
2. Kia Sportage (2016 – present, but older ones are reliable, too!)
3. Lexus RX (2012 – 2015)

Get the barge pole out:

1. Nissan Qashqai (2011 – present)
2. Audi Q3 (2011 – present)

I want seven seats and maximum practicality…

Safe bets:

1. Hyundai Santa Fe (2013 – 2018)
2. BMW X5 (2013 – 2019)
3. Land Rover Discovery (2004 – 2017)

Get the barge pole out:

1. Citroen Grand C4 Picasso (2013 – 2018)
2. Land Rover Discovery Sport (2015 – present)

I want something fun and sporty…

Safe bets:

1. BMW 2 Series convertible/coupe (2014 – present)
2. Mazda MX-5 (2015 – present)
3. Porsche 911 (2012 – 2019)

Get the barge pole out:

1. Audi TT (2015 – present)
2. Mercedes-Benz C-Class coupe/cabriolet (2014 – present)

I want something big and posh that’ll be great to drive and will make my neighbours jealous…

Safe bets:

1. Mercedes-Benz E-Class (2009 – 2016)
2. BMW 5 Series (2010 – 2017)
3. Audi Q5 (2017 – present)

Get the barge pole out:

1. Range Rover (2013 – present)
2. Tesla Model S (2013 – present)

Well that wraps up our list of the most reliable used cars. Do you disagree with any of these? Did we leave any out? Let us know in the comment section below. If you know anyone who’s currently looking to buy a used car, feel free to share this with them or on your social networks by clicking on the icons at the top of the article.