Mazda Tops Reliability Survey

For the second year in a row Mazda has taken the top spot as Britain's most reliable car. Competition was against 21 of the most popular marques on the roads of Britain with a huge difference in findings. Taking the index of 100 as the average claims cost per policy, Mazda topped the chart with a score well below the average of just 52.49.

James Muir, Managing Director Mazda Motors UK Ltd: "Mazda has always stood for excellent reliability, quality and craftsmanship. It is great to see the brand receive independent recognition for these attributes for the second time in succession. Cost of ownership is the true measure of value for money - outstanding reliability is a key factor that makes the cost of running a Mazda one of the lowest in the market place. Our new car, the Mazda6, not only has one of the lowest ownership costs in its class, it has also been acclaimed as one of the most enjoyable cars to drive. Just like the MX-5, Mazda6 demonstrates a commitment to build Mazda's reputation for developing cars that offer tremendous driving enjoyment, a characteristic that you will see with the introduction of three brand new models next year."

Commenting on the latest Motor Warranty Direct performance index, Chairman, David McClure Fisher said, "There have been a number of changes since the last index and Mazda continues to take the top slot. The rankings on the models are similar to the rates charged on warranties."

Commenting on the most common types of claim, the Chief Engineer, Peter Hemmings, said: "About one fifth of all our claims relate to the cooling system - radiators, water pumps and cylinder head gaskets. Drivers could avoid many of these if they carried out basic checks to oil and coolant levels regularly or if drivers took immediate action on seeing ANY oil or coolant leaking from their car.

The vehicles covered in this index are primarily new and used cars bought from dealers, although a significant proportion is cars bought privately. Their average age is just over four years and they have an average mileage at policy inception of 46,000 miles.