These are the most reliable new cars in the UK and the models to avoid

Study reveals the most and least dependable models and brands up to five years old

The most reliable new and nearly new cars have been named, with the UK’s cheapest car among the star vehicles outshining some of the biggest premium names around.

The Dacia Sandero, officially the cheapest new car on sale in the UK, was among six models to score a perfect 100 per cent reliability rating in the annual What Car? Study, with Dacia as a brand coming second only to regular top performer Lexus.

The 2013-2020 Sandero was joined by the Audi TT, Mazda CX-3, Mini Convertible, Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross and Honda HR-V as the most reliable models in the country, according to the survey of more than 16,000 motorists.

The What Car? study asked owners of cars up to five years old for their experiences over the last 12 months, including reports of any faults or breakdowns along with the time and cost required to fix the problem.

Twenty per cent of drivers said they had experienced a fault with their car in the past year, with 85 per cent corrected for free by the manufacturer.

The study covered 178 models from 30 brands and the top six top models all came back with a completely clean bill of health, finishing top of their respective segments.

As a brand Lexus scored a near perfect rating of 98.7 per cent. Its NX SUV topped the hybrid category - the segment with the best record overall - with a rating of 99.8 per cent.

Despite being at the opposite end of the market to Lexus, budget Romanian brand Dacia scooped second place in the table with a 97.3 per cent rating, just ahead of