Every year we reveal the best car brands available to UK buyers by asking the experts: not our skilled team of reviewers, but you as part of our annual Driver Power customer satisfaction survey.
Just like the Driver Power new-car survey, our manufacturer list uses data collected from real-world owners. However, rather than focus on individual models, we’ve sourced data from each manufacturer’s entire line-up, compiling them together to get an overall perspective of the general satisfaction level for each brand.
Best cars to own: Driver Power 2025 results
Also as with the new-car survey, the Driver Power manufacturers list is split up into 10 categories – for example, powertrains, practicality and value – which all have equal weighting. A total of 31 different marques made our final list, and you might be surprised by which ones impress and which disappoint.
Drivers have given their verdicts on the manufacturers of the cars they own, so scroll down below to view more details on the top 10 and or keep going to see a full list of where all 31 manufacturers in our survey ranked. Don’t forget you can use Auto Express to check out our latest lease deals and savings on a new car, or browse new models available now from stock at our network of trusted dealers.
10. Honda – 85.77%
Honda, like other Japanese manufacturers, has a strong reputation for building high-quality, reliable cars that don’t cost the earth to run. Such a sentiment is reflected in our Driver Power results, with top-five finishes for Honda in both the build quality and running costs categories – the latter helped by a first-place ranking for servicing costs. Perhaps where Honda was let down the most was for exterior styling, as well as ride comfort – respondents find the stiff suspension of the Civic a little uncomfortable. Otherwise, it’s a very strong showing for a brand that is keeping somewhat of a low profile during the ongoing EV transition.
