There are plenty of SUVs to choose from, but they’re not all as dependable as their rugged looks would imply. So, here we reveal the top 25 performers in our most recent Reliability Survey…
While the farthest most SUVs ever venture off road is the pavement outside the school gates, they can still have a pretty hard life, so you need confidence they won’t let you down.
That’s where the annual What Car? Reliability Survey, conducted in association with MotorEasy, comes in. We asked more than 16,000 readers if their cars had suffered any faults over the past year, how long those issues kept their cars off the road, and how much they were charged for repairs.
We compared SUVs in four different classes: small SUVs, family SUVs, large SUVs and luxury SUVs. Here, then, we reveal the most dependable models, based on data for cars aged up to five years old.
=25. Mazda CX-30 (2020-present)
Reliability rating 96.3%
Although 25% of the CX-30s we were told about had gone wrong over the previous 12 months, the majority of issues were minor. All cars remained driveable and nearly three-quarters were repaired within a day. Even better, Mazda footed the bill for all the work, leaving no owners with anything to pay. The main problem area was the battery, followed by the sat-nav and bodywork.
=25. Volkswagen T-Roc (2018-present)
Reliability rating 96.3%
Just 11% of T-Roc drivers suffered a fault with their vehicles, with most problems linked to the sat nav/infotainment system, although there were also issues with non-engine electrics. Nearly 78% of these issues were fixed for free, with only 11% of owners having to pay between £51-100. Thirty-three percent of cars were fixed in less than a day and were still driveable, while 11% were off the road for between one day and one week.
=23. Mini Countryman (2017-present)
Reliability rating 96.4%
The 16% of Countryman drivers who experienced complications with their vehicles told us that the troubles were primarily to do with bodywork. Sixty percent of these vehicles were still driveable and were fixed in less than a week with repairers covering the costs of 80% of bills.
=23. Suzuki Ignis (2016-present)
Reliability rating 96.4%
According to owners, 11% of these little Suzuki SUVs experienced a fault. Difficulties were mainly to do with the gearbox and clutch but, despite this, 100% of vehicles were fixed in less than a day. The Ignis’s reliability score, however, is pulled down a little by the cost of repairs, with 68% of drivers having to pay between £51-100.
=21. BMW X3 diesel (2018-present)
Reliability rating 96.5%
BMW X3 diesel owners told us that 17% of their cars had an issue, most of which concerned engine electrics and the exhaust, although there were also a small number of reports regarding the battery and bodywork. The problems weren’t too serious, though, because 50% of cars were still driveable and were put right in less than a day. Ownership costs were minimal too, with 92% of X3s repaired under warranty and no repair bills exceeding £100.
=21. Skoda Karoq petrol (2017-present)
Reliability rating 96.5%
Petrol-powered Karoqs had marginally more faults than diesels: their fault rate was 18%, compared with 17% for diesels. Some issues were common to cars with both fuel types, including problems with the bodywork, brakes and interior trim, but petrols had fewer electrical glitches. Petrol model problems were less severe, too, with most cars driveable and fixed in less than a week. In contrast, nearly 30% of diesels couldn’t be driven and spent a week or more in the garage. At least all repair work was done for free.
=19. Audi Q7 (2015-present)
Reliability rating 96.6%
Faults were reported on only 13% of Q7s, and the most common of those were related to the engine. A small number of issues were also noted with the interior trim and the infotainment/sat nav system. Fortunately, 100% of these were fixed for free, so no owners had to pay out for repairs. Even better, 50% of cars were fixed in a day or less and only 25% couldn’t be driven and took more than a week to put right.
=19. Volvo XC40 diesel (2017-present)
Reliability rating 96.6%
Unusually, diesel XC40s have a better reputation for dependability than their petrol counterparts. Both fuel types suffered a similar percentage of faults – 22% for diesels, 19% for petrols – but the former were far quicker and easier to fix. All diesels could still be driven, 43% were put right in less than a week, and a further 43% were fixed in a day or less. By contrast, 35% of petrols were undriveable and out of action for more than a week. Diesel owners also had no repair bills, whereas 7% of those with petrol cars paid over £1500.
18. Renault Kadjar (2015-present)
Reliability rating 96.9%
The Kadjar is based on the same platform as the Nissan Qashqai, but is proving a more robust proposition. Only 17% of the cars reported on went wrong, with problems relating to the air-con, engine electrics, interior trim and sat-nav. All cars could still be driven and 80% were out of the garage within a day. Some cars would be outside of the Renault warranty period, but 80% of work was done for free and no repair bills topped £200.
17. Kia Sportage (2016-2021)
Reliability rating 97.0%
With less than half the problems of the diesel Sportage (11% compared with 24%), the petrol model is the one to go for if reliability is your priority. Owners told us there were a small percentage of issues with the air-con, brakes, engine, gearbox and non-engine electrics. However, half of the reported faults were rectified in a day or less and only 11% of cars spent more than a week in the garage. The only major concern is that while 87% of work was done for free, some owners faced bills ranging from £51 to £1500.
16. Suzuki Vitara (2015-present)
Reliability rating 97.1%
Among Vitara owners, 15% reported a fault, with air-con and non-engine electrics the areas that were most commonly afflicted. Suzuki and its dealers did cover the cost of all of these repairs, though, with 67% of the vehicles still driveable and fixed within a day.
Keyword: The 25 most reliable SUVs