The average age of a car on UK roads is now close to 10 years, the oldest figure ever recorded as drivers hold on to vehicles for longer amid rising costs and delays in the new car market.
To help drivers navigate the ageing car landscape, used car warranty provider Warrantywise has ranked the most reliable 8–12-year-old models currently on the road using its trusted Reliability Index.
The Toyota Yaris comes out on top with a score of 93.6 out of 100 and an average repair bill of just £651.
The data draws on over two decades of claims from Warrantywise’s customers, revealing not only how likely cars are to need repair, but also how much they might cost when they do.
Small, fuel-efficient superminis dominated the rankings, with the Honda Civic and Suzuki Swift among the top five.
Two SUVs also made the list, including the Honda CR-V and Mitsubishi Outlander though these showed a wider range of potential repair costs.
While the Outlander scored well for dependability (85.9), it recorded the highest individual repair bill at £9,531 illustrating how one-off issues can still hit hard, even in reliable models.
Antony Diggins, Managing Director at Warrantywise, said the findings reflect how vital it is to understand long-term value in older cars.
“With cars on the road for longer than ever before, our data reveals some surprising insights about which models truly deliver long-term value,” he said.
“While Toyota and Honda continue to dominate for reliability, what’s particularly striking is how repair costs can vary dramatically even among dependable vehicles.”
The RAC Foundation confirmed earlier this year that the average UK car is now 9 years and 10 months old, reflecting a trend toward longer ownership.
Experts point to rising living costs, supply chain disruption in the new car market, and changing motoring regulations as key reasons behind the shift.
Warrantywise, which has sold over a million plans since 2000, offers extended cover for cars up to 15 years old or with fewer than 150,000 miles, a market that’s now bigger than ever.
Top Ten Most Reliable 8–12-year-old Cars
| Position | Make/Model | Average Repair Request | Highest Repair Request | Overall Reliability Score (only 8–12-year-old models considered) |
| 1 | Toyota Yaris | £651 | £2,312 | 93.6 |
| 2 | Honda Civic | £778 | £4,170 | 93.0 |
| 3 | Honda CR-V | £1,027 | £3,716 | 89.0 |
| 4 | Suzuki Swift | £827 | £3,993 | 86.5 |
| 5 | Mitsubishi Outlander | £1,201 | £9,531 | 85.9 |
| 6 | Toyota Aygo | £399 | £1,297 | 85.5 |
| 7 | SEAT Ibiza | £758 | £3,876 | 81.5 |
| 8 | Ford Mondeo | £1,047 | £4,908 | 80.9 |
| 9 | Renault Clio | £693 | £3,496 | 80.3 |
| =10 | Ford Ka | £572 | £2,049 | 79.6 |
| =10 | Citroën C1 | £800 | £4,536 | 79.6 |
| =10 | MINI Hatchback | £1,095 | £6,957 | 79.6 |
