The Audi A4 has been named the UK’s most reliable car in this year’s FN50 reliability survey, published by Fleet News, the leading media brand for the fleet sector and associated industries. The FN50 offers expert analysis and insight into the UK’s contract hire and leasing industry.
The FN50 reliability index, which measures automakers and models by the fewest mechanical breakdowns and warranty claims per 100, evaluates 606,762 car samples, with scores combined to create the listing. This year, Audi not only had the most reliable car but also the most models in the top 15, with the Audi A1 debuting in 10th, and the A3 coming in 11th.
Audi, which fell in 2018 to the seventh position, has recouped its spot as the second most reliable automaker, a position it held from 2015 to 2017. The A4 has steadily climbed in the listing over the past couple of years, from ninth in 2017 to fifth last year and now to first. It is currently being redesigned with mild-hybrid petrol and improved diesel engines, and a new infotainment system.
German automakers dominate the 2019 FN50 most reliable car manufacturer and model listings, claiming the top four spots in each table. BMW has maintained the number one position it has held since 2015, sustained by the performance of the 3 Series and 5 Series, which take second and third in the model table respectively.
The latest 3 Series, which debuted in March this year, has managed to make its mark on the reliability table to secure second place. Since 2015, it has never been outside the top two and it is still immensely popular in the fleet sector, although registrations to the end of September have descended by 20% year-on-year to 14,663. Meanwhile, the seventh-generation 5 Series, which debuted two years ago, also preserved its position.
Last year’s winner, the Honda Civic, has fallen to fifth and its manufacturer has dropped from second to fifth. Nonetheless, the Civic has remained in the top five for the past five years and is currently in high demand from the corporate sector.
The following are the best performing car models (2018 in brackets)
1 (5) Audi A4
2 (2) BMW 3 Series
3 (3) BMW 5 Series
4 (4) VW Golf
5 (1) Honda Civic
6 (new) Škoda Octavia
7 (7) VW Passat
8 (new) Kia Sportage
9 (new) Mercedes-Benz E Class
10 (new) Audi A1
The following are the best performing car manufacturers (2018 in brackets)
1 (1) BMW
2 (7) Audi
3 (5) Mercedes-Benz
4 (8) VW
5 (2) Honda
6 (3) Toyota
7 (4) Hyundai
8 (new) Škoda
9 (new) Seat
10 (6) Kia
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